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Reni’. It is a curious quirk of fate that the painting that

led to the attribution of the present picture should have

once hung in the same collection in an adjacent room.
Elena Fumagalli17 has pointed out that the dimensions

of our picture correspond perfectly with the painting

described under no. 69 in a list of the paintings belonging

to Cardinal Borghese variously dated between 1615-

30 by Corradini (and post-1620 by Fumagalli). It is

interesting that Corradini transcribes the phrase ‘alla

lombarda’ because the Marseille Fête Champêtre is also

called a Fête Milanaise. No Borghese inventory prior

to 1615-1630 has yet been published, only lists of

frames. Inventories post-1693 do indeed exist, namely

Fig. 15. Giuseppe Gambarini. Fondantico Collection. one dated 1760 for the pictures on the ground floor

of the palazzo, but the Country Dance is not described
as such18. There is also a nineteenth century description of the Palazzo Borghese and its furnishings (Archivio

Segreto Vaticano, Archivio Borghese 309) which has as yet to be examined. Further evidence regarding the

dating of the Country Dance is provided by an analysis of the costume made by Jane Bridgeman: ‘The salient

point in the women’s appearance is the design of the overgown and ruff… most commonly worn from 1590’.

She points to the particular hair styling being current between the 1590s and early 1600s. However, the men’s
breeches were in fashion c.1606 and more generally post-1620, as trunk hose was more common before19.

Erich Schleier confirmed the attribution upon first seeing the painting some time after Christiansen and compares
the Country Dance to an unpublished Preaching of St John on copper, 1596-97. Aidan Weston-Lewis, Daniele Benati,
Catherine Johnston, Richard Spear and Lorenzo Pericolo all also confirm the attribution and agree upon the dating.

17. Fumagalli, Ms.Communication.
18. There is an inventory variously dated 1760 or maybe closer to 1790. However this like so many inventories provides scarse

or no information relating to authorship. See ‘Documenti inediti per la storia della R. Galleria Borghese in Roma. III. Un
catalogo della quadreria Borghese nel palazzo a Campo Marzio, redatto nel 1760’, in Archivi, IV, 1937, 3-4, pp. 218-232. (I
am grateful to Elena Fumagalli for this information).
19. Ms.communication.

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