Curators at the Science Museum are seeking to uncover the mystery of a rare painting in its collection, showing an Italian nobleman holding a stylish gold watch.
The painting, which may well be the oldest to show a true watch, was acquired by the Science Museum 33 years ago. It is now on public display in the Museum’s newly refurbished gallery Measuring Time.
Curator Rob Skitmore said, “On the basis of historical research we now believe we have uncovered a previously unknown portrait of Cosimo I de’ Medici, Duke of Florence and Grand Duke of Tuscany (1519-1574)”.
When Skitmore realised a seal containing the Medici coat-of-arms was on the back of the painting, he set out to establish whether the sitter could be a member of the legendary Medici family. The work is believed to be by the Renaissance artist Maso da San Friano, and on the basis of costume studies, to have been painted around 1560.
The main evidence comes from a study of known paintings of Cosimo I at different periods in his life. Skitmore adds, “The forehead, open gaze, eye details and nose show remarkable constancy in these portraits. In our painting Cosimo would have been about 41 and his appearance is entirely consistent with a later view of him by Bronzino from 1574 when he was 55. Throughout these portraits, the hairline moves as one would expect with the passage of years”. Maso da San Friano painted other members of the Medici family including his son Ferdinando.
”The watch itself would have been a virtuoso piece at that time, probably made in southern Germany, and the picture also shows its separate alarm mechanism that was used with it at night. As Cosimo was a great patron of science and technology, it is entirely likely he would have owned a watch of this kind which he displays here with pride. The picture shows the close linkage between science and art, especially in those days. The left hand shown resting on the head of a hound is also significant, as hunting was another of Cosimo’s great passions”.
The Science Museum has sent its findings to the Uffizi gallery in Florence and is awaiting their comments.
The newly refurbished Measuring Time gallery traces the history of time-keeping and contains one of the greatest national and international collections of clocks in Britain. The gallery is brought to life with the sounds and sights of some exceptional clocks including the 1392 Wells Cathedral Clock as well as an impressive display of external and internal parts of electro-mechanical clocks and rare and beautiful handcrafted clocks from different eras. Many of the clocks have been recently restored to working condition thanks to generous support from The Mercers’ Company.
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Notes to Editors
From June 2009 the Science Museum is celebrating its hundredth birthday with a year-long centenary programme to take the renowned institution into the future. For 100 years the Science Museum has been world-renowned for its historic collection, remarkable galleries and inspirational exhibitions. With 15,000 objects on public display, the Science Museum’s collections form an enduring record of scientific, technological and medical change. Aiming to be the best place in the world for people to enjoy science, the Science Museum makes sense of the science that shapes our lives, sparking curiosity, releasing creativity and changing the future by engaging people of all generations and backgrounds in science engineering, medicine, technology, design and enterprise. The Science Museum is proud to have been awarded the Gold Award for Visitor Attraction of the Year for 2008/09 by Visit London, and a Silver Award for Large Visitor Attraction of the Year by Enjoy England.
