Artwork
Portrait of a Lady
Portrait of a Lady is an oil painting by the High Renaissance artist Luini Bernardino. It dates from 1522 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Technique & Style
Stylistically, the painting functions as a portrait depicting a woman, reflecting the artist's approach to female portraiture during the High Renaissance.
Bernardino Luini's Portrait of a Lady, dated to approximately 1520, is executed in oil paint on a wooden panel support. The work measures 77 centimeters in height and 57.5 centimeters in width. Stylistically, the painting functions as a portrait depicting a woman, reflecting the artist's approach to female portraiture during the High Renaissance.
The medium of oil on panel was a standard technique for Italian paintings of this period, allowing for the detailed rendering of the sitter's features and attire. The physical object remains part of the Andrew W. Mellon collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., where it is currently located. No specific details regarding the painting's current conservation status or surface handling are provided in the available records, but the work is classified as a painting within the genre of portraiture.
History & Provenance
Dated to 1520, this oil panel by Bernardino Luini likely originated in the collection of Queen Isabel II of Spain. Following her abdication, the work possibly passed to Frederick Richards Leyland of Liverpool, appearing in his Christie's sale on May 28, 1892. Charles Fairfax Murray subsequently acquired the piece before it entered the collection of Robert Henry and Evelyn Holford Benson by 1893.
The Bensons sold the painting to Duveen Brothers, Inc. in 1927. Andrew W. Mellon purchased the work in April 1928, later deeding it to the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in March 1932. The painting was ultimately gifted to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., in 1937 as part of the Mellon collection.
Portrait of a Lady by Bernardino Luini is held by the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., as part of the Andrew W. Mellon Collection. Its documented provenance traces through several owners, beginning with a possible early history involving Queen Isabel II of Spain and Frederick Richards Leyland of Liverpool, whose 1892 sale at Christie's included the work (lot 103). It subsequently passed through Charles Fairfax Murray in London and Florence before being acquired by Robert Henry and Evelyn Holford Benson by 1893.
The Bensons sold the painting in 1927 to Duveen Brothers, from whom Andrew W. Mellon purchased it in April 1928. Mellon deeded it on 30 March 1932 to The A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust in Pittsburgh, and it was given to the National Gallery of Art in 1937.
Overview
This oil on panel painting, titled Portrait of a Lady, was created by Bernardino Luini in 1522. It presents a solitary female figure seated within a serene interior space. The artwork is characterized by its meticulous rendering of details and the subject's composed demeanor, offering a glimpse into early 16th-century portraiture.
Subject & Meaning
The painting centers on the figure of a woman, whose presence dominates the composition. She is depicted with a tranquil and understated expression, neither overtly joyful nor sorrowful, which invites contemplation. Her elegant attire and the quiet backdrop of the room contribute to an atmosphere of refined introspection, emphasizing her individual character.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Bernardino Luini (c. 1480/82 – June 1532) was a north Italian painter from Leonardo's circle during the High Renaissance. Both Luini and Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio were said to have worked with Leonardo directly; he…
