GIOVANNI MARTINELLI
(Montevarchi 1600–Florence 1659)
Portrait of a Woman
1640-1650
Oil on canvas
46,5×36,4 cm
Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan
ARTWORK
This painting depicts a female figure half bust, her body turned slightly, her gaze directed at the viewer. Her expression is rather ambiguous: the hint of a smile plays on her lips, while she appears to have just furrowed her brow slightly. Her face, framed by brown hair, emerges from a dark background.
The woman is dressed elegantly but wears no jewellery. Her only adornment is a fine black ribbon tied around her neck, which descends over her white shirt with its square neckline and her dark bodice finely embroidered with gold. The wide tulle collar is not only an aesthetic feature, but also helps to date the painting, since this was a fashionable trend in the 1640s.
This painting is attributed to the Tuscan painter Giovanni Martinelli, who lived in the first half of the 17th century. His skill as a portrait artist is evident in both his religious and secular works.
BIOGRAPHY
Giovanni Martinelli was born in Montevarchi in 1600. He would later move to Florence, where he became an apprentice in the workshop of the painter Jacopo Ligozzi.
A few years later, in 1625, the two had a falling out, and Martinelli left Florence, possibly for Rome. The theory that he spent time in Rome is based solely on the style of his later works, which clearly demonstrate the influence of Caravaggio and his followers, especially in terms of composition and the use of light.
After returning to Florence, he opened his workshop. As well as altarpieces and frescoes in churches and monasteries, Martinelli painted several portraits and images of saints and ancient queens, which sometimes concealed allegorical meaning among their beautiful details.
Most of these paintings, like that in the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, date from 1640-1650. Giovanni Martinelli died in Florence in 1659.
