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. |
A powerful depiction of female courage in Baroque art. Portia, wife of Marcus Brutus, realizes that her husband is hiding an important political secret. Brutus fears that she might reveal the assassination plan against Julius Ceasar, under torture. To prove her reliability, she stabs her own thigh and silently endures it. She argues with Brutus saying anyone capable of bearing such suffering can also keep a dangerous secret. The painting presents pain not as punishment but as evidence of inner power. In the background there is a group of women in the adjoining room spinning silk. The contrast between those women and Portia is vividly shown in this painting. Sirani visually distinguishes her heroine, emphasizing her uniqueness and resolve. Suggesting that virtue, intelligence, and bravery are not exclusively masculine qualities.