Bolognese painter of the XVII century, possibly GINEVRA CANTOFOLI (1618-1672)

Bolognese painter of the XVII century, possibly GINEVRA CANTOFOLI (1618-1672)
"Portia."
Oil on canvas. Relined.
Measurements: 96 x 70,5 cm; 107 x 82 cm (frame).
In this work the author presents us a woman of long bust located next to a brazier. Due to this motif the lady can be identified as Portia, the wife of Marcus Junius Brutus who worked under the orders of Julius Caesar. However, this marriage was considered an affront to Caesar, since Brutus abandoned his first wife without explanation to marry Portia. In the year 44 B.C. Brutus participated and died in the conspiracy against Caesar directed by Cassius and where his brother-in-law Cato participated. So Porcia in despair committed suicide by swallowing the embers of the stove, the only element to which she could resort due to the strict surveillance.
The protagonist appears as a young woman of refined beauty, represented in a prolonged bust and with a slight twisting of the body that introduces dynamism and avoids the rigidity of a strict frontality. The intense illumination that falls on the figure models the volumes with clarity and reinforces its three-dimensional presence, giving it a subtle spatial liveliness.
Ginevra Cantofoli was born in Bologna around 1618, in an artistic environment deeply rooted in the classicist tradition of the Bolognese school. Her training took place in the workshop of Giovanni Andrea Sirani, a close collaborator and continuator of the legacy of Guido Reni, a central figure of 17th century Italian classicism. After Reni's death, Sirani's workshop became one of the main centers for the dissemination of his style, work that would later be continued by his daughter, the famous Elisabetta Sirani.
Ginevra Cantofoli, born in Bologna around 1618, was trained in the workshop of Giovanni Andrea Sirani, heir to the classicism of Guido Reni, and was closely linked to Elisabetta Sirani, whose friend and disciple she was. Her work, with clear Renian roots, is characterized by the elegance of the drawing and the delicate treatment of the female figures. Although his preserved production is scarce, he is mainly attributed with female allegories and religious paintings for Bolognese churches, with outstanding works such as the Last Supper of San Procolo. The presence of his paintings in important public collections confirms his relevance within 17th century Bolognese classicism and his role in Italian Baroque painting.