Fashion & Costume · 19th century
€ 250
One of a kind: this is the sheet in the photographs. Ships from Langweer, the Netherlands.
Very good condition with light age toning and minor foxing in the margins. The image is crisp and the original hand coloring remains vivid.
This striking hand-colored lithograph depicts Bianca Maria, Countess of Cellant (Challant), a 15th-century Italian noblewoman known as much for her scandal as for her beauty. According to the Renaissance writer Bandello, she was executed for persuading one lover to murder two of her others. She is shown wearing a gold-embroidered turban and a flowing white silk simar adorned with golden bows and rich embroidery, embodying the dramatic elegance of late medieval Italian fashion.
The costume is based on a portrait taken from a fresco by Bernardino Luini, illustrating the beheading of St. Catherine in the church of Monastero Maggiore, Milan. This print was drawn and lithographed by Paul Mercuri, with accompanying text by Camille Bonnard**, and published by Levy Fils, Paris, circa 1860, as part of the series Historical Costumes from the 12th to 15th Centuries.
Condition:
Very good condition with light age toning and minor foxing in the margins. The image is crisp and the original hand coloring remains vivid.
Framing suggestions:
Pair with a soft cream or light ivory acid-free mat and frame in antique gold or walnut for a museum-quality presentation. UV-protective glass will help preserve the delicate hand-coloring and paper.
Keywords:
Countess of Cellant print Bianca Maria Challant Paul Mercuri 15th century costume historical fashion Italian nobility Monastero Maggiore Bernardino Luini hand-colored lithograph Camille Bonnard Paris 1860 Levy Fils
