In my blog Heroines: Amazing Women in History ( http://meanderingthroughtime.weebly.com/blog/heroines-amazing-women-in-history) I wrote of Livinia Fontana, an Italian artist, who painted anything from portraits to female nudes to religious art, she was a confident woman who didn't work within the confines of what society saw as befitting her rank, free to paint and live her life as she pleased. The painting you see above is one of her works, magnificent isn't it?
Not only does this painting prove that Fontana was a very talented artist but it gives us a insight into the fashion of the time and the structure of Italian family life.
An art historian explains Fontana's painting in detail...
"..... divides the portrait into two even if asymmetrical and contrasting sections. The three children to the left gaze out directly at the viewer and are presented in a pyramidal structure. They appear still, well-behaved and sit attentively to the artist. Conversely, the positioning of the three boys to the right of the composition is less strict. They are shown as rather more playful and animated, and two of the boys look at each other as opposed to the viewer, creating a less formal mood.
The portrait is remarkable for its meticulous attention to the detail of the different hairstyles, including Bianca's floral hairband, the embroidered costumes and for the wide range of textures shown. The five boys wear outfits made from the same rich material while mother and daughter wear different dresses. All, however, wear clothes which makes use of quite pronounced dark and light fabrics and patterns. Mother and daughter also stand out from the boys by the elaborate jewelry they wear in the gold earrings and the pearls around their necks. While the cuffs of all the clothes differ slightly, all wear very similar sumptuous ruffs and particular attention has been paid to depicting the play of light and shadow on these.
Despite the elegance of the clothes and the formal setting, the portrait stands out for its sympathetic approach to the sitters and for the tender family context in which they are shown. As is the wont of young children, nearly all the figures are seen busying themselves by holding objects. The boy upper left is shown with a colorful bird tied to a little chain as his brother below him holds an inviting plate of fruit. In her right hand Verginia holds her mother's forefinger and with her left tenderly plays with the paw of the little dog, who comfortably seated on Bianca's arm, underlines her loyalty as a wife. To the right the middle boy's hands cannot be seen but the movement of his body suggests that behind his mother's back his hands are not idle. His two brothers both hold objects, the first a pen and inkpot and the second a medallion with the figure of a knight, the objects probably alluding to their future professions.
Though Bianca is shown here with five of her sons, particular attention seems to be drawn to the little girl, Verginia, for she is the only child whom Bianca is hugging and she is the only one to have her name inscribed above her head. It may well be that the portrait was painted specifically for her or in her honor, all the more so since we know that the painting has remained in the family of her immediate successors"
Not only does this painting prove that Fontana was a very talented artist but it gives us a insight into the fashion of the time and the structure of Italian family life.
An art historian explains Fontana's painting in detail...
"..... divides the portrait into two even if asymmetrical and contrasting sections. The three children to the left gaze out directly at the viewer and are presented in a pyramidal structure. They appear still, well-behaved and sit attentively to the artist. Conversely, the positioning of the three boys to the right of the composition is less strict. They are shown as rather more playful and animated, and two of the boys look at each other as opposed to the viewer, creating a less formal mood.
The portrait is remarkable for its meticulous attention to the detail of the different hairstyles, including Bianca's floral hairband, the embroidered costumes and for the wide range of textures shown. The five boys wear outfits made from the same rich material while mother and daughter wear different dresses. All, however, wear clothes which makes use of quite pronounced dark and light fabrics and patterns. Mother and daughter also stand out from the boys by the elaborate jewelry they wear in the gold earrings and the pearls around their necks. While the cuffs of all the clothes differ slightly, all wear very similar sumptuous ruffs and particular attention has been paid to depicting the play of light and shadow on these.
Despite the elegance of the clothes and the formal setting, the portrait stands out for its sympathetic approach to the sitters and for the tender family context in which they are shown. As is the wont of young children, nearly all the figures are seen busying themselves by holding objects. The boy upper left is shown with a colorful bird tied to a little chain as his brother below him holds an inviting plate of fruit. In her right hand Verginia holds her mother's forefinger and with her left tenderly plays with the paw of the little dog, who comfortably seated on Bianca's arm, underlines her loyalty as a wife. To the right the middle boy's hands cannot be seen but the movement of his body suggests that behind his mother's back his hands are not idle. His two brothers both hold objects, the first a pen and inkpot and the second a medallion with the figure of a knight, the objects probably alluding to their future professions.
Though Bianca is shown here with five of her sons, particular attention seems to be drawn to the little girl, Verginia, for she is the only child whom Bianca is hugging and she is the only one to have her name inscribed above her head. It may well be that the portrait was painted specifically for her or in her honor, all the more so since we know that the painting has remained in the family of her immediate successors"
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