Attributed to Domenico Robusti, called Domenico Tintoretto

William Holman Hunt, O.M. (1827-1910), by whom purchased in Venice in 1876 (as a portrait by Titian of his daughter Lavinia, according to an inscription on the reverse), Draycott Lodge, Fulham (London), and subsequently at 18 Melbury Road, Kensington (London);
Thence by descent to his son, Hilary Holman-Hunt (1897-1949); Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, 7 May 1937, lot 25 (as Jacopo Tintoretto, Portrait of Lavinia, Daughter of the Artist), for 72 gns. to P. de Boer;
With P. de Boer, Amsterdam, 1937-38 and in 1946 (as Jacopo Tintoretto);
Anonymous sale ('The Property of a Lady'), London, Christie's, 14 December 1990, lot 405 (as Attributed to Jacopo Tintoretto).

F. Heinemann, "Einige unveröffentliche Arbeiten des Jacopo Tintoretto," in Arte Veneta, 1961, XV, p. 236, reproduced fig. 287 (as Attributed to Jacopo Tintoretto);
P. Rossi, "I ritratti femminili di Domenico Tintoretto," in Arte Illustrata, March 1970, vols. 30/33, pp. 93-99, reproduced on p. 97, fig. 12 (as Domenico Tintoretto);
D. Holman-Hunt, "The Holman Hunt Collection, A Personal Recollection", in Pre-Raphaelite Papers, ed. L. Parris, London 1984, pp. 219 and 260, footnote 21, reproduced p. 217, plate 99.

The canvas has been backed with a wood panel, but has not been glued down. paint surface has been pressed, probably due to an old relining, and impastos have been flattened. the darks have sunken in areas and some parts of costume have lost some of their definition. despite this, the portrait still reads well and presents an impressive image. under ultraviolet: the old varnish is difficult to read through; an area of retouching can be seen in background above her head; there are small areas of retouching on collar, hands and some very small ones scattered throughout darks of costume. painting can be hung as is. In a carved and gilt wood frame with a few minor nicks.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

This lot is accompanied by a letter from Dr. Hermann Voss, dated June 15, 1953, confirming an attribution to Jacopo Tintoretto and dating the portrait to the 1560s.  According to a note in the 1990 auction catalogue, there were also a photocopy of a certificate by Prof. August L. Mayer, countersigned by Prof. Antonio Morassi and Prof. Giuseppe Fiocco of June 18, 1946, also confirming the attribution to Jacopo Tintoretto.

This portrait was once owned by the British painter William Holman Hunt who, together with the artist and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, formed the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848. They, together with John Everett Millais, sought to revitalise art by emphasising the detailed - and above all truthful - observation of the natural world. Holman Hunt eventually gave up painting due to his failing eyesight. His small collection of Old Masters included four Venetian paintings, amongst which a panel by Giovanni Cariani and the present portrait (considered by him to be by Titian). The portrait was published by Holman Hunt's grand-daughter Diana (see Literature) and for a general discussion of Holman Hunt's pictures see E. Waterhouse, "Holman Hunt's 'Giovanni Bellini' and the Pre-Raphaelites' own early Italian pictures", in The Burlington Magazine, vol. CXXIII, no. 941, August 1981, pp. 473-77.