Artwork
Woman with a Dove
Woman with a Dove is an oil painting by the Early Baroque Italian artist Cecco del Caravaggio. It dates from 1615 and is held in the collection of the Museo del Prado.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The painting depicts a woman accompanied by a dove and a common blackbird.
The painting depicts a woman accompanied by a dove and a common blackbird. As a portrait genre work, the inclusion of these specific birds suggests an iconographic program where the dove typically symbolizes love or peace, while the presence of the blackbird adds a layer of naturalistic detail or potential contrast in meaning. The composition presents these figures in a manner consistent with early 17th-century portraiture, focusing on the interaction between the human subject and the animals.
Technique & Style
The work is an oil painting on canvas measuring 66 cm by 47 cm, depicting a woman holding a dove alongside a Common Blackbird. Executed in 1615 by Cecco del Caravaggio, the piece exemplifies a naturalistic portrait genre with careful attention to the rendering of feathers and the subtle modeling of the figure’s hands and drapery. The composition balances intimate narrative detail with a restrained palette, reflecting Baroque tendencies in its handling of light and texture.
The painting has been part of the Museo del Prado collection since its acquisition from the Spanish royal collection.
History & Provenance
Woman with a Dove is an oil-on-canvas portrait painted in 1615 by Cecco del Caravaggio. It entered the Spanish royal collection through the patronage of Elisabeth Farnese, later passing to Charles III and Ferdinand VII of Spain. The work is currently housed in the Museo del Prado.
The painting is held by the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it entered through the Spanish royal collection. It is inventoried there as oil on canvas, measuring 66 cm in height and 47 cm in width.
The work is documented in the Prado’s holdings since at least the early nineteenth century, having descended through the Spanish royal line from Elisabeth Farnese to Charles III and then to Ferdinand VII before entering the museum’s collection.
Legacy
The painting's enduring reputation stems from its attribution to a major follower of Caravaggio and its presence in prominent royal collections, shaping scholarly views of early 17th-century portraiture. Its legacy is underscored by inclusion in major museum inventories and continued reference in studies of Caravaggisti influence, cementing its status as a notable example of the period's artistic exchange.
Overview
Cecco del Caravaggio’s oil painting Woman with a Dove, executed in 1615, portrays a seated woman surrounded by birds and modest floral elements. The work is part of the collection of the Museo del Prado in Madrid, where it is displayed among other early‑Baroque pieces.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Cecco del Caravaggio is the Notname given to a painter who worked in Rome in the early decades of the 17th century and was an important early follower of Caravaggio (1571–1610).
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