Artwork
Portrait of a Young Woman
Portrait of a Young Woman is an oil painting by the Early Renaissance artist Girolamo di Benvenuto. It dates from 1508 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Created in 1508, the Portrait of a Young Woman by Girolamo di Benvenuto is executed in oil paint on a poplar panel.
Created in 1508, the Portrait of a Young Woman by Girolamo di Benvenuto is executed in oil paint on a poplar panel. This support material aligns with traditional Sienese painting practices of the early sixteenth century. The work functions as a formal portrait, depicting a single female subject.
While the sources confirm the medium and support, they do not provide detailed descriptions of the artist's brushwork, surface handling, or the current physical condition of the panel. The painting remains part of the Samuel H. Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it is classified as a portrait genre work.
History & Provenance
Girolamo di Benvenuto created the Portrait of a Young Woman in 1508 as an oil on poplar panel. The earliest documented owner is Cav. Antonio Piccolomini Bellanti of Siena, recorded by 1811.
Upon his daughter Signora Ciaccheri's inheritance in 1895, the painting was sold to Charles Fairfax Murray, who immediately sold it to Thomas Agnew & Sons, Ltd. in November 1895. Agnew's sold it to George M. Salting, who returned it to Agnew's and Murray in 1903. It was sold to William Newall in 1905, then to Trotti et Cie. in Paris by 1911, who sold it to Arthur Sanderson.
Following Sanderson's 1911 London sale by Knight, Frank & Rutley (lot 621, catalogued as Petrarch's Laura), Agnew's purchased it for Robert Henry and Evelyn Holford Benson. Duveen Brothers acquired the work in 1927, selling it to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation in 1937, which gifted it to the National Gallery of Art in 1939.
The painting is held in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., within the Samuel H. Kress Collection.
Legacy
The painting's entry into the National Gallery of Art in 1939 through the Samuel H. Kress Foundation gift cemented its status as a representative example of early sixteenth-century Italian portraiture within a major American museum. Its documented ownership, from Cavaliere Antonio Piccolomini Bellanti in 1811 through sales to Charles Fairfax Murray, Thomas Agnew & Sons, Duveen Brothers, and finally to Kress, illustrates a recognized market value that persisted into the twentieth century. Scholarly references and catalogues highlight ongoing academic interest and its role in shaping the narrative of Renaissance portraiture.
Overview
Girolamo di Benvenuto's Portrait of a Young Woman, created around 1508, is an oil painting rendered on a poplar panel. This work captures the likeness of an unidentified woman, presented in a direct and engaging manner. The artist's meticulous attention to detail in her attire and expression suggests a deliberate and thoughtful approach to portraiture during the early 16th century, characteristic of the Sienese school.
Subject & Meaning
The painting features a young woman whose gaze meets the viewer directly, conveying a sense of quiet composure. Her simple attire is rendered with notable precision, particularly in the delicate folds of her garment and the intricate styling of her hair. This careful depiction of personal details implies a significant connection between the sitter and the artist, suggesting she held a particular importance to Girolamo di Benvenuto.
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