Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Plan your visit. 225 Madison Avenue at 36th Street, New York, NY 10016.

Nun or Widow with Veil

Lavinia Fontana
1552-1614

Nun or Widow with Veil

3 1/16 x 2 11/16 inches (78 x 68 mm)
Red and black chalk. Ruled border in pen and brown ink, laid down, simulated frame in pen and brown ink.
IV, 158f

Purchased by Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) in 1909.

Notes
One of 19 drawings in an album of portrait studies by Fontana (IV, 158a-s), including the artist's self-portrait (IV, 158). Album description: dark blue goatskin, tooled in gold, 14 3/4 x 11 1/4 inches (334 x 284 mm).
This drawing appears on folio 6. The present drawing is similar to IV, 15l. The headdresses of these two drawings differ from those of the same subject seen in IV, 158c and IV, 158i, suggesting perhaps a different level or rank, or differing religious orders.
Associated names
Palmerston, Henry Temple, Viscount, 1739-1802, former owner.
Palmerston, Henry John Temple, Viscount, 1784-1865, former owner.
Palmerston, Emily Lamb, Viscountess, 1787-1869, former owner.
Ashley, Evelyn, 1836-1907, former owner.
Murray, Charles Fairfax, 1849-1919, former owner.
Morgan, J. Pierpont (John Pierpont), 1837-1913, former owner.
Morgan, J. P. (John Pierpont), 1867-1943, former owner.
Bibliography
Cantaro, Maria Teresa, Lavinia Fontana, Bolognese: "Pittora Singolare" 1552-1614, Milan, 1989.
Classification
Century Drawings
School
Department