Florentine School. Pupil of Cosimo Rosselli, after whom he was called.
LONDON, NATIONAL GALLERY
THE DEATH OF PROCRIS She is lying on her right side, facing us, in a field of flowers, a red and orange mantle over her hips. On the left is a satyr kneeling at her head holding her left shoulder; on her right her hound Laelaps, the gift of Diana, sits watching her. In the background the sea.
Purchased in Florence in 1862.
CHANTILLY
“LA BELLA SIMONETTA” “A magnificent profile of a female (bust all but naked to the waist), with hair in tresses and twisted with pearls and hanging ornaments representing hearts, with a jewel on the top of it. A jewelled serpent is twined round her neck. A scarf with variegated stripes is about her form, and the head is detached on clouds topping a landscape of water and hills. This all but life-size portrait bears the inscription SIMONETTA JANVENSIS VESPUCCIA.” (C. and C.)
The modern editors give this to Piero di Cosimo as a picture of Cleopatra, pointing out that the inscription is a later addition.
Both this and the picture in the Pitti Gallery have, however, laid claim to be the portrait mentioned by Vasari as being in the palace of the Medici.
Simonetta appears to have been a Genoese (Janvensis) of noble family of whom Giuliano de’ Medici was enamoured.
FLORENCE, UFFIZI
THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION In the centre the Virgin in a green mantle over a red robe stands on a small stone pedestal, on the front of which is carved in low relief. She looks upward as the light from the mystic Dove overhead descends upon her. Her left hand is raised, her right at her waist. To left and right of the pedestal are kneeling in the foreground St. Catherine and 5t. Margaret, and behind them stand on the left St. Anthony holding a lily wand and St. John the Evangelist, and on the right St. Peter and St. Philip. Behind these groups the landscape background rises sharply to high rocks surmounted by palm-trees.
Painted for the chapel of the Tedaldi in the Annunciata.