This picture was purchased by William George Armstrong, 1st Lord Armstrong of Cragside (1810–1900) for 40 guineas in 1869. Many of the paintings he acquired were sold at auction in 1910, making this a rare survival from Armstrong’s collection at Cragside.

Oil painting on canvas, An Italian Girl with Doves, by Raffaello Sorbi (Florence 1844 – Florence 1931), signed and dated 1866. A painting of a young woman, wearing medieval costume with roses in her hair, caressing two doves on a parapet, draped with a gold cloth.

Provenance: Armstrong collection. Transferred by the Treasury to The National Trust in 1977 via the National Land Fund, aided by 3rd Baron Armstrong of Bamburgh and Cragside (1919 – 1987).

Marks and inscriptions: On a feigned inscription on the stone, bottom left: Raf. Sorbi / 1866

Text from the National Trust website

Object description
Type: Easel painting
Location: Cragside, Rothbury, Northumberland
Material: Oil on canvas
Artist: Raffaello Sorbi (1844–1931)
Date: 1866

Image Details
Date: 21 April 2026
Camera body: iPhone Xs
Lens: Wide Camera 26mm ƒ/1.8
Focal Length: 26mm
Aperture: ƒ/1.8
Shutter Speed: 1/26s
ISO: 800
Licensing: Image of a National Trust asset. This image cannot be licensed.