Portrait of a Woman

Benedetto Ghirlandaio

c. 1495

Oil on panel (not tested)

Minneapolis Institute of Art

A woman is depicted in a three-quarter profile against a dark background. She wears a white head covering, a pearl necklace, and a pendant. This portrait of a prim blond lady is a mystery. It seems Italian, but the sitter possesses some northern European qualities. The headdress, although lacking a tall cone, is inspired by northern fashions, and the jewel is likely Flemish, although it is worn—suspended from a pearl necklace—in a Florentine manner. Her high forehead and plucked hairline and eyebrows reflect conventions of feminine beauty on both sides of the Alps. Yet her straight hair, worn framing her face, is closer to Italian taste. Her winter dress—a golden surcoat over a red gamurra with green sleeves—is also decidedly Italian, as is the choice of silk (rather th