Museum number
A37
Object
Oil painting fragment: Female Head, Mantuan School, Oil on canvas, c. 1525
Description
Head of a young woman, with dark brown hair parted in centre and plaited; head inclined to the left and looking up; background of dark foliage. Dark line along right hand edge suggests figure is looking round doorway, window, or tree.In a heavy carved and gilded frame Mantuan, Circa 1525, Likely by Lorenzo Costa in his later period
Materials
Oil
Inscription
Labels none (1) Frame: recent card fillet: Head of a woman (fragment)MILANESE SCHOOL early 16 th century (2) Back: Holburne seal(3) Back: card label by TWH: This exquisite female head, BY LEONARDO DA VINCI, Was brought from Italy, nearly 70 years ago, by the late Thomas Barker, so celebrated for his Woodman, and sold amongst a collection of his pictures, at Lansdown Grove, Bath, belonging to Sir Edward Cockburn, Bart. in January 1861. A copy of this picture, by Benjamin Barker, his brother, made nearly 50 years since, painted on an old coach panel, is in the possession of Sir William Holburne, Bart., together with the original picture. Bath, April 8 th ., 1861. TWH 1. Label on reverse: 'This exquisite female head by Leonardo da Vinci was brought from Italy, nearly 70 years ago by the late Thomas Barker, so celebrated for his woodmen, and sold amongst a collection of his pitures at Landscown Grove, Bath, Belonging to Sir Edward Cockburn Bart., in Jan 1861. A copy of this picture by Benjamin Barker his brother, made nearly 50 years since, painted on an old coach panel, is in the possession of Sir William Holburne, Bart., together with the original picture.' TWH 2. Holburne seal on reverse
On display?
Yes

Further description

Simple name
Painting
Subject
Figure
Dimensions
framed: 8cm (d) x 48.5cm (h) x 45.5cm (w)
regular: 19.1cm (h) x 22.8cm (w)
Female Head Mantuan School Oil on canvas, about 1525 A37 Sir William displayed five of his most precious paintings in mahogany cases in the Drawing Room. The inventory lists this one as a ‘Female Head, very fine – Leonardo da Vinci’.

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