As an avid art enthusiast, I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Art and Artifice exhibition at the esteemed Courtauld Gallery in London. The unique theme of showcasing fakes from their collection had piqued my interest, and I must say, the exhibition did not disappoint. This fascinating display challenged conventional notions of authenticity and offered a thought-provoking experience that left a lasting impression.

For the majority of visitors, this exhibition of sixty-seven objects constitutes an introduction to Lavinia Fontana (1552–1614). As introductions go, however, this one is a century and a half overdue, given that the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, has owned one of Fontana’s most spectacular works, Visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon (cat. no.51; Fig.14), since 1872.

In the third and final article of this series highlighting discoveries about the networks of artists and patrons in the sixteenth-century baptismal registers of Parma, the much-debated identity of the female sitter in one of Parmigianino’s most enigmatic portraits, known as ‘Antea’, comes into clearer focus.