Portrait of a noblewoman with book, Parrasio Micheli (Venice, ca. 1516-1578)

Parrasio Micheli (Venice, ca. 1516-1578) attributable to
Portrait of a noblewoman with book

Venetian school, late 16th century

Technique: Oil on canvas
Measurements: 88 x 73 cm./ (framed)109 x 95 cm.

The valuable painting, depicting a splendidly dressed young lady holding a small book in her hand, reflects the typical dictates of the Venetian High Renaissance which, thanks to the figures of Giorgione, Veronese and Titian, made Venice flourish as one of the most important Italian cities.

The work fits easily within the Venetian taste and it is above all Titian's influence that makes itself felt preponderant: the framing, with the rectangular window open onto the landscape and the young noblewoman portrayed in three-quarters, as well as the female prototype portrait, dreamy but full of character (see for example Titian's Red Sultana, from the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota), is here assimilated and masterfully resolved.

Given these premises, and given the extraordinary quality and stylistic taste of our beautiful lady, we are inclined to attribute her work to the Venetian painter Parrasio Micheli (Venice, circa 1516 – 1578).

Known for his skills as a portraitist, he was profoundly influenced by Titian of whom he was a pupil,
and Paolo Veronese, whose light and luminous coloring he adopted. The sensuality of the colors, the veils of the complexion, the brocade of the veil masterfully resolved between the pearls of the headdress, as well as the wide sleeves that reveal the arms, are elements that stand out in many of his works.

This canvas bears notable similarities to Micheli's work “A Young Woman Playing the Lute” (now at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston: https://emuseum.mfah.org/people/7431/parrasio-micheli), painted in the last third of the XNUMXth century. The almond-shaped black eyes, the finely outlined carmine lip, the plumpness of the complexions, the hair curled and tied in the same way with strings of pearls, the position of the fingers of the right hand which delicately hold the book (in the compared painting they instead pinch the strings of the lute), the curtain behind him with the opening onto a landscape, everything appears in a similar way.

Of equal quality to other works with the same subject such as the famous depictions preserved in the Galleria Colonna in Rome and the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest, but also the "Portrait of a noblewoman" in the Galleria del Palazzo Rosso in Genoa (https://www .museidigenova.it/it/ritratto-di-dama).

To these we can mention some works that have appeared on the antiques market, such as:

– Lady with parrot, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille (France): https://agorha.inha.fr/ark:/54721/1bfa0510-5053-44a3-a5e7-6059bbb68dbd
– Gentlewoman with lute https://drouot.com/it/l/20455723-scuola-veneziana-fine-del-xvi
– Portrait of a Venetian courtesan, Hampel Fine Art Munich 24.09.2015 https://www.hampel-auctions.com/a/archive-catalogue-detail.html?la=it&a=102&s=463&id=529…
– Lute player Friday, Hampel Fine Art Monac 3.42020 https://www.hampel-auctions.com/archive-catalogue-detail.php?a=122&s=-1&id=559647&kid=10…

The painting has an irresistible charm due to its very bright colors and the voluptuous beauty of the lady, the jewels and the clothes. The portrait reflects the opulence and fashionable lifestyle of the aristocratic Venetian society and is yet rendered in a very simple, charming and decorative style.

The seduction of the woman is barely hinted at (unlike the artist's other female portraits, in which he sought a more evident eroticism), and this characteristic is also reflected in the feminine ideal represented here.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

The painting is sold complete with an antique gilded wooden frame and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and descriptive iconographic card.

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