Artwork
Portrait of a Woman
Portrait of a Woman is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Andrea del Sarto. It dates from 1518 and is held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Its creation in Italy and inclusion in a museum collection underscore its historical and artistic significance.
The work is a Renaissance portrait painted by Andrea del Sarto in 1518, depicting a woman rendered in oil on panel; it was later acquired by the Cleveland Museum of Art and originally belonged to Elisabeth Severance Prentiss. The painting’s subject is identified simply as a woman, and the available documentation does not mention specific iconographic or symbolic attributes, leaving its meaning within the conventional context of contemporary portraiture. Its creation in Italy and inclusion in a museum collection underscore its historical and artistic significance.
Technique & Style
Executed in 1518 by Andrea del Sarto, this portrait is an oil painting created on a wooden panel. The work measures 82.5 cm in height and 62.2 cm in width. Produced in Italy, the piece exemplifies the artist's engagement with the portrait genre during the early sixteenth century.
The combination of oil pigments and panel support reflects standard materials for Italian Renaissance portraiture of this period. While specific details regarding surface condition, handling history, or distinct stylistic maneuvers such as brushwork texture are not enumerated in the available records, the fundamental physical constitution of the artwork is established as an oil-on-panel construction. The formal presentation focuses on a single female subject, adhering to the conventions of the genre.
History & Provenance
The portrait is dated to 1518 based on stylistic and technical analysis, aligning with Andrea del Sarto’s Florentine activity during that period. It was commissioned by an unidentified patron, entering the collection of Elisabeth Severance Prentiss in the early twentieth century. By 1944 it had been transferred to the Cleveland Museum of Art, where it remains in the permanent collection (accession no. 1944.92).
The work’s Florentine origin is consistent with del Sarto’s practice and the panel support, typical of Tuscan portraiture of the time.
The Portrait of a Woman by Andrea del Sarto is currently held in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland. The work, an oil painting on panel created in 1518, carries the museum's accession number 1944.92. Prior to its acquisition by the institution, the painting was owned by Elisabeth Severance Prentiss.
The artwork depicts a woman and measures 82.5 cm in height by 62.2 cm in width. While the source material confirms its presence in the Cleveland Museum of Art and its provenance through Prentiss, no specific exhibition history or dates of public display are recorded in the provided documentation.
Context
Andrea del Sarto painted Portrait of a Woman in 1518, an oil on panel work that exemplifies High Renaissance portraiture in Italy. The painting, documented in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection and formerly owned by Elisabeth Severance Prentiss, depicts an unidentified sitter and reflects the artist’s mastery of composition and realism. Scholars situate the portrait within del Sarto’s broader output, noting its influence on subsequent portraiture and its significance in the development of Italian Renaissance art. Its inclusion in major museum holdings underscores its recognized artistic value.
Overview
Andrea del Sarto created this oil painting, titled Portrait of a Woman, in 1518. This work is a significant example of Renaissance portraiture, capturing an individual's likeness with considerable detail. The painting is currently part of the collection at The Cleveland Museum of Art, where it offers insight into the artistic practices of early 16th-century Florence.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Andrea del Sarto was an Italian painter from Florence, whose career flourished during the High Renaissance and early Mannerism.
