Copy of "The Bearded Woman" by Jusepe Ribera (lo Spagnoletto).
This is a portrait of Magdalena Ventura aged 52 with her husband Felici de Amici who not surprisingly doesn't look too Felice. At 37 she grew a long, thick beard. Obviously Mr Gillette was not around then, but she still had 3 children.
The Duke of Medinaceli, who owns this house, inherited the painting from the Duke of Alcala, Fernando Afan de Ribera y Enriquez who had commissioned it when Viceroy of Naples.
The tiles look remarkably modern.
I include a sculpture of the man who was told to wash all the tiles in the house.Read more
Tony HammondThe tile washer definitely doesn't look too happy especially when you beard him in his den...
Tony HammondThe tile washer definitely doesn't look too happy especially when you beard him in his den...