Ginevra Cantofoli was a talented artist, and she is now beginning to be known more widely. There are many great artists from the 17th century, women and men both, who are not sufficiently known today, and therefore the prices of their canvases are much lower than those of their most famous peers. I was able to study the Galatea by Cantofoli in person at Sotheby's NYC before it sold in January 2020 for $137,500. It is a fine work, worthy of this price, and there was much interest and excitement about it. More works by Cantofoli will likely become more visible, and there will be further sales. I have read Pulini's monograh, and he tries hard to form a plausible body of work for her, but he is well aware that his is a first attempt, undoubtedly with errors. However, I think he is on to something, and over time we should learn more.
Lavinia Fontana, Elisabetta Sirani, Ginevra Cantofoli, Antonia Pinelli, and Lucia Casalini Torelli, among others, all had professional careers as painters in Bologna, receiving both large and small commissions, and were all celebrated by the leading art historians of 17th- and 18th-century Bologna. During the course of the 19th century, many of them became largely forgotten, and many of their paintings became misattributed to other artists. Gradually, in the 20th century onwards, they have been rehabilitated, but we have lost a lot of the documentary evidence.
In our time, there is intense interest once again in these talented artists, and the Bolognesi of today are once again very proud of this artistic heritage.
What a privilege to be able to study closely the Sea-Nymph Galatea by Cantofoli. I would like to learn more about the amazing Bologna school of artists as I am intrigued by the number of women artists who worked there during that time. I do feel that given their talent their work still seems underpriced.
You may enjoy reading Women Artist, Their Patrons, and Their Publics, in Early Modern Bologna by Professor Babette Bohn (2021). It gives a nice introduction to what makes Bologna so special, presents the works of many women artists there with special emphasis on Elisabetta Sirani and her circle and legacy. Bohn is too quick to dismiss Pulini's effort to reconstruct Cantofoli's body of work, but otherwise, a very fine book.
Another wonderful insight into a little-known subject. I find it incredible that Renaissance paintings of this calibre are being sold for only $100,000 - a price tag found these days on many mid-level contemporary artists - when similar paintings by better-known Renaissance artists go for tens of millions of dollars. Is it because Cantofoli was a woman?
Merci pour cet article. Le mystère Cantofoli est fascinant
Merci beaucoup. J'espère vous continuez à aimer mon ecriture. (Mon francais est très mal parce que ne l'utilise.)
Ginevra Cantofoli was a talented artist, and she is now beginning to be known more widely. There are many great artists from the 17th century, women and men both, who are not sufficiently known today, and therefore the prices of their canvases are much lower than those of their most famous peers. I was able to study the Galatea by Cantofoli in person at Sotheby's NYC before it sold in January 2020 for $137,500. It is a fine work, worthy of this price, and there was much interest and excitement about it. More works by Cantofoli will likely become more visible, and there will be further sales. I have read Pulini's monograh, and he tries hard to form a plausible body of work for her, but he is well aware that his is a first attempt, undoubtedly with errors. However, I think he is on to something, and over time we should learn more.
Lavinia Fontana, Elisabetta Sirani, Ginevra Cantofoli, Antonia Pinelli, and Lucia Casalini Torelli, among others, all had professional careers as painters in Bologna, receiving both large and small commissions, and were all celebrated by the leading art historians of 17th- and 18th-century Bologna. During the course of the 19th century, many of them became largely forgotten, and many of their paintings became misattributed to other artists. Gradually, in the 20th century onwards, they have been rehabilitated, but we have lost a lot of the documentary evidence.
In our time, there is intense interest once again in these talented artists, and the Bolognesi of today are once again very proud of this artistic heritage.
What a privilege to be able to study closely the Sea-Nymph Galatea by Cantofoli. I would like to learn more about the amazing Bologna school of artists as I am intrigued by the number of women artists who worked there during that time. I do feel that given their talent their work still seems underpriced.
You may enjoy reading Women Artist, Their Patrons, and Their Publics, in Early Modern Bologna by Professor Babette Bohn (2021). It gives a nice introduction to what makes Bologna so special, presents the works of many women artists there with special emphasis on Elisabetta Sirani and her circle and legacy. Bohn is too quick to dismiss Pulini's effort to reconstruct Cantofoli's body of work, but otherwise, a very fine book.
Thank you Alan - I have just ordered a copy of this book and look forward to reading it.
Another wonderful insight into a little-known subject. I find it incredible that Renaissance paintings of this calibre are being sold for only $100,000 - a price tag found these days on many mid-level contemporary artists - when similar paintings by better-known Renaissance artists go for tens of millions of dollars. Is it because Cantofoli was a woman?
I suspect so. And the terrible gossip that persisted about Cantofoli murdering her mentor - I presume it took hold merely because she was a woman.