Beatrice Cenci being painted by Guido Reni
signed, inscribed and indistinctly dated 'A Rolli/ Roma 18-' (lower left)
oil on canvas
89 x 136cm
Provenance
Private collection, UK
Estimate: | £2,000 - £3,000 |
Footnote
Beatrice Cenci (1577-1599) was the daughter of Count Francesco Cenci, a nobleman described as 'a man of great wealth but dissolute habits and violent temper.' Beatrice, along with her brothers and stepmother, suffered years of abuse from Count Cenci. Finally in 1598 Beatrice and her siblings drugged their father before bludgeoning him to death and throwing his body over a balcony in an attempt to make it look like an accident. An investigation ensued with Beatrice, her siblings and stepmother being sentenced to death. They appealed to Pope Clement VIII but this was rejected and Beatrice was beheaded on the Sant'Angelo Bridge on 11th September 1599. Beatrice has become a symbol against injustice and legend has it that, on the anniversary of her death, her ghost appears on the bridge, carrying her severed head.