Artwork
Portrait of a young woman
Portrait of a young woman is a tempera painting by the Early Renaissance artist Domenico Ghirlandaio. It is held in the collection of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.
About this work
Overview
Domenico Ghirlandaio’s Portrait of a Young Woman (1496) is a tempera painting that presents a solitary female sitter against a dark backdrop. The work measures a modest size and is characterized by a crisp rendering of facial features, a modest smile, and a restrained compositional arrangement that reflects the conventions of Florentine portraiture at the close of the 15th century.
Subject & Meaning
The sitter is depicted with flowing red hair, a white headband, and a pink dress trimmed with a white collar and a single red button. Her neutral expression and direct gaze suggest a focus on individual presence rather than narrative content, a common aim of Renaissance portraiture to convey status, virtue, and personal identity through subtle visual cues.
Technique & Style
Executed in egg tempera, the painting displays the medium’s characteristic fine brushwork and luminous surface.
Executed in egg tempera, the painting displays the medium’s characteristic fine brushwork and luminous surface. Ghirlandaio’s handling of light creates a delicate modeling of the face and fabric, while the stark black background isolates the figure, emphasizing color contrasts and the tactile quality of the dress and jewelry. The style aligns with early Florentine portrait conventions, balancing realism with idealized elegance.
History & Provenance
Created in Florence during Ghirlandaio’s mature period, the portrait later entered the collection of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, where it remains on display. The painting’s provenance traces back to private ownership before its acquisition by the museum, providing a rare example of the artist’s secular portrait work amid his more extensive output of religious commissions.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Domenico di Tommaso Curradi di Doffo Bigordi (2 June 1448 – 11 January 1494), professionally known as Domenico Ghirlandaio (also spelt as Ghirlandajo), was an Italian Renaissance painter born in Florence.
