Portrait of a Young Italian Lady
1550
unspecified
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
This painting shows a woman in a dark, plain background. She’s wearing a fancy ruff collar and a striped dress with pearl necklaces. In her hands, she holds a folded fan and a small object, maybe a letter or a glove. Her hair is styled neatly with a decorative pin. The dark background makes her face stand out sharply, almost like a spotlight. This kind of lighting was a common trick in older paintings to add drama. Look up *chiaroscuro* to learn more about this lighting technique.
