Bologna 1529 – 1592) Portrait of an old woman, oil on canvas, 51 x 40 cm, framed

Provenance: European private collection,

This picture captivates us with the realism of its depiction and its simplicity of form. In this it makes reference to the culture of the Counter-Reformation after the Council of Trent in Gabriele Paleotti’s Bologna. After the excesses of Mannerism during the last decades of the 16th century, there was a return to a greater simplicity, directness and more naturalistic representation in accordance with the provisions of the Council of Trent. In ‘Discorso intorno alle immagini sacre’, which was published in Bologna in 1582, Cardinal Paleotti recommended that portrait art should keep to realistic representation and that no weaknesses or signs of age should be withheld. This present portrait belongs to this more serious type, free of idealism, in its depiction of a lady of advanced years with simple attire. No jewellery softens the severe impression and there are no concessions to fashion, detail or adornment. Her face is marked by the traces of age and traversed by distinctive brushstrokes. Her mouth is closed and her intense gaze is fixed on the viewer. The sober manner of representation is completely in accordance with the expressive rendering of the sitter; nonetheless, the economy of means does not detract from the quality of the painting. The painting, attributed to Bartolomeo Passarotti by Stephen Pepper, is a good example of the simple, effective style of the Bolognese painter (written communication dated 2 June 1998). Not only was he esteemed by popes and cardinals, but he also found favour with the Bolognese aristocracy and intellectuals. In his late work, the artist returned again and again to the subject of the devout old woman (e. g. ‘Portrait of an old woman’, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna), as a model of moral strength and moderation. This resulted in a ‘dialogue’ with the young Annibale Carracci, who undertook two portraits of women probably around 1590 (Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Bologna), which belong to a series in the ownership of the Paleotti family and are witness to his powerful realism and greater freedom of execution. A certificate from Stephen Pepper confirming this as a work by Barolomeo Passarotti is available (2 June 1998). We are grateful to Prof Francesco Petrucci for confirming the attribution of the present work