Pick of the week

First planned as live, Sotheby's mid-season Old Masters sale became its ‘highest-value online Old Master sale, attracting bids from more() by Bernardo Zenale (1464–1526) sold for a 10-times-the-estimate £225,000. Close behind, at £212,500 against £15,000, was a work that could hardly have been more of the moment. Not only was it by a woman, but the 11in by 15¾in canvas () included several of the birds that have become familiar to many of us recently-chiffchaff, chaffinch, blue tit, goldcrest and great tit-plus a marsh tit and a lapwing. It was painted by Orsola Maddalena (née Theodora) Caccia (1596–1676), a nun who was a daughter of the Mannerist painter Guglielmo Caccia. I must admit to never having heard of either, but Guglielmo must have been successful, as he established the convent at Moncalvo in Piedmont, which housed his six daughters. Orsola set up a studio there and painted still lifes and religious subjects to support the institution. Unsurprisingly perhaps, she became its Abbess. Birds, flowers and music seem to have been her favourite subjects and this example certainly showed her skill.