Remarkable acquisition by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco , which on May 1 announced the acquisition of a significant work by Lavinia Fontana (Bologna, 1522 - Rome, 1614), the Ritratto di Bianca degli Utili Maselli e dei suoi figli, a rare and valuable family portrait, depiction of a mother with her children that demonstrates Lavinia Fontana’s skill in depicting elaborate clothing and jewelry as well as her models.

The work has been in private hands for more than 300 years, and in San Francisco it is being exhibited for the first time in a public institution. For the U.S. museum, it is also the first work in the collection created by a woman before the 18th century.