“Portrait of a Woman”
Today I am sharing an Italian Renaissance portrait by one of the talented Pollaiuolo brothers.
“Portrait of a Woman” is an early Renaissance tempera on wood panel portrait attributed to the Italian artist, Piero del Pollaiuolo, from circa 1470-1480. This is a wonderful example of early Florentine Renaissance art with its clear lines, the pose of the woman, and the style of dress.
Piero del Pollaiuolo and his older brother, Antonio del Pollaiuolo, worked together for many years in the Pollaiuolo brothers’ workshop in Florence, Italy. This painting is believed to be by Piero, but he and Antonio often collaborated on the same pieces. There always remains a bit of obscurity as to who painted what.
The Pollaiuolo brothers’ workshop produced a large number of portraits from the mid-1460s until 1480, when Piero del Pollaiuolo opened his own workshop. The brothers were instrumental in developing the portraiture of women, particularly the solitary woman. It is sometimes difficult to distinguish which brother painted which part of the portrait.
As Antonio del Pollaiuolo practiced sculpture in addition to painting, the portraits with clear delineated lines and features are often ascribed to him. This portrait here was ascribed to Piero due to the similarities between it and three other portraits known to have been painted by him, one which of is “Portrait of Young Woman.” The exquisite patterns in the fabric as detailed in the shoulder sleeve of the woman suggests that Piero may have drawn from a swatch of fabric.
“Portrait of a Woman” has had some conservation issues over its lifespan. In the 1600s, the blue background was covered up with oil paint. Since then, much of the frame, the sitter’s dress, and the background have been restored. The only original paints are present in the woman’s hair and face.
Though the identity of the sitter is not definitively known, some scholars believe that she is Marietta Strozzi, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy Florentine. There are some visible similarities between this painted portrait and a sculpture bust of the woman made in 1460 by the Italian sculptor, Desiderio da Settignano. It is clear, from the necklace around her neck and the jewelry woven into her hair, that she is relatively wealthy with some level of social prestige.
“Portrait of a Woman” is currently in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, in the United States.
For more on Piero del Pollaiuolo, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
