Jan van Gelder, Italianized as Giovanni Vangheldri (Antwerp 1621 – Modena 1685)
Portrait of Duchess Vittoria Farnese d'Este (Parma, 1618 – Modena, 1649), wife of Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena and Reggio.
Oil on canvas (72 x 55 cm - In antique frame 92 x 77 cm)
Elegant portrait of Duchess Vittoria Farnese, daughter of Ranuccio I Farnese, Duke of Parma and Piacenza, and his wife Margherita Aldobrandini, niece of Giovanni Francesco Aldobrandini, Prince of Rossano, and Pope Clement VIII.
The illustrious portrayed woman was given in marriage to Francesco I d'Este, Duke of Modena and Reggio, and the sumptuous wedding, which took place in Parma in 1648, was celebrated in the poems of the great poets of the time, including Giuliano Cassiani and Flaminio Calvi; during the celebrations, the ballet \"La Vittoria d'Imeneo\" (The Victory of Hymen) was staged, written by the composer Benedetto Ferrari in their honor.
The author immortalizes the noblewoman in half-length and three-quarter view, wearing a dark dress of great elegance adorned with several strands of pearls, presented with a proud but gentle gaze, as was the tradition of the time: during her reign, she managed to earn the respect of her subjects for her piety and generosity.
The painting, created in the first half of the seventeenth century, can be associated with an author close to the painter Justus Sustermans (1597 - 1681), a Flemish portrait painter, known for his portraits of members of the Medici family, of whom he became court painter, and the d'Este family.
In particular, our painting is attributable to the hand of Jan van Gelder (Antwerp 1621 – Modena 1685), first nephew of Justus Sustermans, and called to Modena by Sustermans himself in 1649 to be part of his workshop, officially holding the role of copyist of portraits of the Este princes to be sent to other courts for diplomatic purposes.
Van Gelder served the court even under the duchy of Francesco II, and the Este inventories report numerous works of his. Van Gelder is responsible for the copies of some Sustermans portraits, including Vittoria Farnese d'Este, now at the Palazzo Ducale in Modena (image 1 https://catalogo.beniculturali.it/detail/HistoricOrArtisticProperty/0800270782). We can also mention the work from the private collection of the Banca Popolare dell'Emilia Romagna, which could easily be traced back to the same van Gelder (image 2 https://www.lagalleriabper.it/collezioni/ritratto-di-vittoria-farnese/)
These types of works, often replicated on several occasions, were intended to disseminate the features of the rulers and were given by them to subjects as a sign of particular favor or sent as a sign of friendship to the representatives of other houses.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
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