(Florence 1499–1572)
Portrait of a lady in green,
oil on panel, 64 x 49 cm, framed

Provenance:
Formerly Pearlman, New York;
E. and A. Silberman, New York;
sale Parke-Bernet, New York, 12 November 1952, Lot 21;
possibly sale, Sotheby’s Arcade, 16 July 1992, Lot 227 (as Manner of Francesco Ubertini, called Il Bacchiacca. On the basis of the catalogue illustration the lot appears to be an other similar version of the present painting);
European private Collection

Literature:
L. Nikolenko, Francesco Ubertini, called il Bacchiacca, New York 1966, p. 65, fig. 81 (under “attributed paintings”)

We are grateful to Robert La France for suggesting an attribution to a younger generation of the Bachiacca family workshop on the basis of a high resolution digital photograph.

In his recent monograph, Robert La France explains that works traditionally attributed to the artist known as Bachiacca are, in reality, painted by numerous hands within the same family (R. La France, , Florence 2008). The first and most accomplished artist to use the nickname “Bachiacca” was Francesco d’Ubertino Verdi (Florence 1494–1575), followed by his brothers, Bartolomeo and Antonio (Florence 1499–1572), and their children.

The present painting could possibly be attributed to Francesco’s brothers Antonio or Bartolomeo. Antonio, the youngest of the three brothers joined the painter’s guild in 1532. By 1542 he was working in the Medici Court of Cosimo I, as an embroiderer and designer of luxurious objects for the duchess; his work was praised by both Benedetto Varchi and Giorgio Vasari.