Venus at her toilet

Pier Francesco Cittadini first studied under Daniele Crespi in Milan and, when he was seventeen, entered the Bolognese workshop of Guido Reni; his early altarpieces inevitably demonstrate Reni's influence. Cittadini worked for most of his career in Bologna and his paintings are distinguished by a warm and direct naturalism.

We are grateful to Professor Daniele Benati for proposing the attribution to Cittadini on the basis of photographs.