Portia wounding her thigh
| Support Type: | Canvas |
| Paint Type: | Oil Paint |
| Current Location: | Art and History Collections of the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna |
| Location History: | The painting’s provenance can be traced back to 1664, when it was commissioned by Simone Tassi in Bologna. Following Tassi’s death, it was acquired in 1675 by Ludovico Foschi from the Tassi estate, and by 1696 it had entered the Bonfiglioli collection in Bologna, as indicated by an old handwritten label on the reverse. In the modern period, the work passed through the hands of Wildenstein in New York before appearing anonymously at Christie’s, London, on 11 December 1984 as “The Property of a Lady” (lot 80). It was subsequently acquired by the Spencer A. Samuels Gallery in New York and, in 1988, entered the collection of the Stephen Warren Miles and Marilyn Rose Miles Foundation in Houston. Finally, in 2008, it was purchased by the Collezioni d’Arte e di Storia della Fondazione della Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna at the sale of the collection held by Sotheby’s. |
The Painting Portia Wounding her Thigh is not just a narrative depiction, but a rendition of a story about Portia, who was the wife of Marcus Brutus, he was a politician famously known as a conspired of the assassination of Julius Caesar. Portia, being a loyal, loving wife, did everything to save her husband, which is perfectly rendered with finesse by Sirani. Now, in the composition, we can see that the rendition of Portia has been done in a room setup with a close-up frontal position towards the viewers. Further, the expressions shown by the artist of Portia directly reflect her willpower and make viewers feel the pain and suffering with indirect emotions and the ultimate reflection of non-visible expressions of fear cum weekness. Also, the story of the painting belongs to the phase of ancient Rome, yet the compositional setting reflects the interiors of the 17th-century Italian style. Furthermore, the classic rendering of the fabrics done by Sirani shows her mastery of the textile practice and trade. Here, Portia has been shown as a courageous and supportive wife rather than being a passive character. This work of Sirani also reflects her personal interest in portraying women as strong, independent elements in her paintings. As in this painting, one could see the presence of women dominating, which reflects the concept of Sirani’s taking an interest in rendering women as strong protagonists surviving in the male-dominated society and culture. Therefore, lastly, this painting stands as a testament from the Italian Baroque art culture, which reflects drama with intense emotions along with ultimate refinement of the textile textures and harmony of colours with balance altogether.
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