Forni · Palladio · Vittoria

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Isabella Valmarana, daughter of Leonardo and niece of Gianalvise, is portrayed here on the occasion of her wedding to Ludovico Thiene. They suggest this event the jasmine in the hair and the flowers pinned on the shoulder, perhaps a wish for a happy union; the pink dress was fashionable in this shade for the brides of the time.

As in the portrait of the Valmarana family, a symbol underscores the importance of musical education: the young woman holds a mandola, a plucked string instrument that is a precursor of the mandolin. The work was painted by Girolamo Forni, a close friend of Leonardo, to whom Marzari (1604) recognized the gift of 'portraying men naturally, although he is not a painter by profession, nor has he ever devoted himself to painting.

The painting is meticulous in the exterior image: the Spanish dress with a pointed bodice profiled by a large golden cord, the face illuminated by a white linen gorget, the hair gathered in a tall hairstyle adorned with flowers, a large gold necklace ended with an old-fashioned medallion from which hangs a large pearl.

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«A two-third portrait of a standing figure of a richly dressed matron. Paolo Veronese's work performed in the year 1582 while the woman was 44 years old, as we read behind the painting» (Luigi Tadini, 1828).

The noblewoman wears an overgarment of intense pink, quilted with elegant embroidery and paired, in luminous contrast, with a silver silk dress featuring gold braiding wound in spirals around the sleeves. Her face, bearing a composed and focused expression, is framed by the crisp white collar with finely pleated ruffs. Her right hand rests on her chest, while over her arm she carries a fur pelt

The jewels - pearl and gold necklaces, earrings with small bows of the same pink as the dress, a wedding ring and a ring with translucent stone - denote belonging to a high social class, in the contained elegance imposed perhaps by the rigourous sumptuous Venetian laws. The quirk of pearls, reserved in the Serenissima to wives or promised brides, denotes the status of married woman.

The dark background, expertly used to enhance the bright colours of the clothes, is moved by a curtain with brown reflections; the three-quarter pose allows you to appreciate the figure and breadth of the clothes. No clue reveals the identity of the lady. Giorgio Fossaluzza owes the attribution of the painting to Girolamo Forni.

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Belonging to a noble and powerful family, doctor in utroque iure, and apostolic protonotary, Marcantonio Capra was a prominent figure in the Vicentine Church between the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; from 1609 to 1618 he served as Vicar General to Bishop Dionisio Dolfin (Mantese, 1974).

Depicted in three-quarter view against an indistinct background, the sitter turns his gaze toward the viewer, resting his right hand on a book bound in red leather and placing his left hand on his belt. He wears an elegant black cloak lined with sable fur, visible along the hem and collar; the white neckcloth illuminates the face, which is rendered with precision yet appears rather static and inexpressive.

The attribution to Alessandro Maganza, repeated in museum inventories, raises doubts. Significant affinities exist, however, with the portrait of Isabella Thiene Valmarana—in the composition, the attention to detail, and the rendering of the face and inert hands—which suggest including the portrait in the catalogue of Girolamo Forni, dating it between the final decade of the sixteenth century and the first decade of the seventeenth, during the artist's full maturity.

Inscription at the top left of the canvas: ORNELIA GEORGII ? IS XIVLII ETATIS. Acquired in 1886. Attribution of Federico Zeri.

Now attributed to Francesco Montemezzano. Acquisition of 1932.

Work attributed to a late Mannerist painter, probably Girolamo Forni. Lodomilla married Nicolò Porto in 1587 and remained a widow in 1591 with three children.

She wears an overcoat with short sleeves that end immediately after the shoulder, slightly open on the sleeves of the petticoat. The horizontal striped decoration shows the "S" elements typical of the last quarter of the sixteenth century; the ruff, with a beaten and starched Baptist canvas with eight contrasts, is of considerable size, datable to the end of the century. The hair is gathered in a hairstyle slightly inspired by the " Venetian horns".

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Children depicted on their own, unaccompanied by adults: a rather unusual iconography in Vicentine painting. The young figures stand out against an indistinct gray background. The little boy holds a bird in his right hand, recalling a popular children's pastime of the era, and points to the girl with his left; she offers a branch of jasmine and holds a bussolà. Beside the boy stands a small dog.

Particular attention is paid to the clothing, which denotes the social status and allows the painting to be dated to the early seventeenth century. The boy, with short hair, wears a doublet cinched at the waist by a belt with a gold buckle, and puffed breeches tied at the knee with a pink ribbon, along with tight-fitting hose and shoes with rounded toes. The somber outfit, edged with a dark green cord, is enlivened by the turned-down collar and white sleeves decorated with motifs in blue, brown, and pink.

The girl wears a white robe - the shadows would make you think of satin - with a low-cut and pointed bodice and a ruffled skirt, adorned with coral pink ribbons; the sleeves take up patterns and colours of those of the child. The collected hair is adorned with flowers. Authentic miniature lady, the little one sports a coral necklace and small golden spheres, coral bracelets on her wrists, a ring on the little finger of her left hand.

Descriptive sheet in preparation.

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Descriptive sheet in preparation.

Female figure. The name of the painter is written on the top of the frame and the title of the work at the bottom.

Portrait of a Gentleman with Scroll, attributed to the Venetian School; according to the restorer, the painting has been cropped at the bottom and on the right.

The analysis of the epigram—which was altered several times—suggests that the second line did not indicate a dedication to the Most Serene Prince, but rather the profession of the sitter: Master Architect (Proto). A composite letter resembling an F and a C at the beginning of the inscription makes a reference to the stonecutter, plaster decorator, and architect Cesare Franco from Padua plausible. Franco was a close collaborator of Scamozzi and a business partner of the sculptor Girolamo Campagna, and in the 1590s he held the position of Proto Architect at the Procuratoria di San Marco de Ultra.

Due to its jagged edges, the object held between the sitter's fingers would suggest not a scroll, but rather a square of wax or a tablet of white lead—the former used for polishing, the latter a component of Venetian stucco along with slaked lime putty. Two small letters, 'SR', inserted between the name and the adjective Maximus, would appear to refer to the acronym for 'Stuccador' (stuccoworker) or 'Scultor' (sculptor)."

Portrait of a gentleman with a beard and a high forehead. He is accompanied by a small dog and wearing a brocade suit. He holds the black hat in his hand, probably as a sign of respect for the noble guests. Behind you can see two big books, perhaps masters of work.