Woman with a Mirror is a c. 1520 oil painting by Giulio Romano, originally on panel and transferred to canvas by A. Mitrochin in 1840. [1]
Until the mid 19th century it was misattributed to Raphael. Frederick Hartt theorises that it was begun by the artist in Rome just before he moved to Mantua in 1524 and completed by Raffaellino del Colle. [2]
It entered the Hermitage Museum under the title Portrait of the Young Beatrice d'Este, Duchess of Ferrara, but this cannot be correct since she had died in 1497 and was duchess of Milan not Ferrara, whilst no noblewoman of that time would have allowed herself to be portrayed naked. It was later known as Portrait of Lucrezia Borgia , daughter of Pope Alexander VI and consort of the Duke of Ferrara Alfonso I d'Este. [3]
Isabella d'Este was the Marchioness of Mantua and one of the leading women of the Italian Renaissance as a major cultural and political figure.
Giovanni di Niccolò de Luteri, better known as Dosso Dossi, was an Italian Renaissance painter who belonged to the School of Ferrara, painting in a style mainly influenced by Venetian painting, in particular Giorgione and early Titian.
Renée of France, was Duchess of Ferrara from 31 October 1534 until 3 October 1559 by marriage to Ercole II d'Este, grandson of Pope Alexander VI. She was the younger surviving child of Louis XII of France and the duchess regnant Anne of Brittany. In her later life, she became an important supporter of the Protestant Reformation and ally of John Calvin.
Alfonso d'Este was Duke of Ferrara during the time of the War of the League of Cambrai.
Virginia de' Medici was an Italian princess, a member of the House of Medici and by marriage Duchess of Modena and Reggio.
Alfonso II d'Este was Duke of Ferrara from 1559 to 1597. He was a member of the House of Este.
Margherita Barbara Gonzaga, was an Italian noblewoman, Duchess consort of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio between 1579 and 1597 by marriage to Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio. She was a significant cultural patron in Ferrara and Modena.
Frederick Hartt (1914–1991) was an Italian Renaissance scholar, author and professor of art history. His books include History of Italian Renaissance Art, Art: A History of Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture (two volumes), Michelangelo , The Sistine Chapel and The Renaissance in Italy and Spain . He was also involved with cataloging and repatriating artwork looted and stolen by the Third Reich during World War II.
Ippolito (I) d'Este was an Italian Roman Catholic cardinal, and Archbishop of Esztergom. He was a member of the ducal House of Este of Ferrara, and was usually referred to as the Cardinal of Ferrara. Though a bishop of five separate dioceses, he was never consecrated a bishop. He spent much of his time supporting the ducal house of Ferrara and negotiating on their behalf with the Pope.
Obizzo II d'Este was Marquis of Ferrara and Ancona.
Lucrezia de' Medici was a member of the House of Medici and by marriage Duchess consort of Ferrara, Modena and Reggio from 1558 to 1561.
Giulio d'Este was the illegitimate son of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara. He is known for the conflicts he had with his half brother, Ippolito d'Este, which culminated in a failed conspiracy.
Isabella in Black is a portrait of a young woman by Titian. It can be dated to the 1530s and is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The artist and the date are undisputed. Beyond the museum documentation, there are repeated doubts about the person depicted.
The Galleria Estense is an art gallery in the heart of Modena, centred around the collection of the d’Este family: rulers of Modena, Reggio and Ferrara from 1289 to 1796. Located on the top floor of the Palazzo dei Musei, on the St. Augustine square, the museum showcases a vast array of works ranging from fresco and oil painting to marble, polychrome and terracotta sculpture; musical instruments; numismatics; curios and decorative antiques.
Portrait of Laura Dianti is a c. 1520–25 painting by Titian, now held in the H. Kisters Collection at Kreuzlingen. It is signed "TICI/ANVS F." The portrait features Laura Dianti, mistress, and later wife of the Duke of Ferrara Alfonso I d'Este and an African page. She is dressed in a blue dress with her hand placed on the shoulder of her page as he looks up at her. The painting is possibly associated with a portrait of Alfonso I d'Este. It is also controversial in that it was used to contest the legitimacy of the pair's marriage after the duke's death. It traveled through many locations and was initially thought to be one of many copies until a restoration uncovered a signature by Titian.
Angela Borgia or Borja, was an Italian noblewoman.
Sigismondo d' Este was the youngest son of Ercole I d'Este, Duke of Ferrara, and Eleanor of Aragon, daughter of Ferdinand I of Naples.
Rinaldo d'Este was a member of the House of Este.
The Lovers, Two Lovers or Love Scene is an oil painting by Giulio Romano, originally painted on panel and later transferred to canvas by A Mitrokin in 1834. Since it was poorly stored and kept off public display due to its subject matter until 1920, it has significant damage, including three large breaks in the canvas sealed with coarse plasters on the reverse and other damage to the paint and varnish layer both before and after the transfer It now hangs in the Hermitage Museum.