In this artwork, how is the Copy discussed?
There is an old copy of the painting in the collection of the Norton Simon Museum, Pasadena, entitled Portrait of a Venetian Nobleman, which is thought to be either a studio version or a later copy by Titian himself. As revealed by x-ray analysis, the copy was painted over another fully finished and cut-down portrait of a bearded, seated figure which was probably by another hand (perhaps Leandro Bassano).The painting was acquired by Joseph Duveen in 1928 and published in a German catalogue by Wilhelm Suida in 1939. It includes a type of cloth hanging or unfolded curtain behind the figure of Dolfin. The same type of cloth hanging was once in the original portrait but proved to be a later addition and was removed during a conservation effort in 1980.
Leandro Bassano Joseph Duveen Titian Norton Simon Museum Pasadena Wilhelm Suida