About ‘Portrait of Bianca degli Utili Maselli and Her Children, Lavinia Fontana’
Portrait of Bianca degli Utili Maselli and Her Children, Lavinia Fontana (1604)
Lavinia Fontana is celebrated for her detailed representations of clothing and jewelry, as well as her empathetic renderings of women and children. In this piece, we see Bianca degli Utili Maselli, a noblewoman from Rome, alongside five of her sons and one daughter, the youngest of whom grips her index finger.
The family is adorned in lavish attire, bedecked with lace, silk, and an array of precious stones like diamonds and pearls. Each family member is depicted holding an item, ranging from a cup of figs to a pen and inkwell, to a small dog, among others. These objects likely symbolise the virtues that each person embodies, such as sweetness, a love of learning, loyalty, and more.
Bianca had given birth to nineteen children before her untimely death. The children featured in this painting are presumably the six who were still alive in 1605.
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