Who painted Portrait of a Woman?

Portrait of a Woman was painted by Pier Francesco Foschi in 1550-01-01.

Where can I see Portrait of a Woman?

Portrait of a Woman is held by Rijksmuseum.

What movement is Portrait of a Woman?

Portrait of a Woman is associated with Mannerism.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of a Woman?

Museum-quality prints of Portrait of a Woman are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Portrait of a Woman

Pier Francesco Foschi , 1550

Portrait of a Woman is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Pier Francesco Foschi. It dates from 1550 and is held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting is a portrait of a woman, identified as its main subject, executed by Pier Francesco Foschi in 1550.

The painting is a portrait of a woman, identified as its main subject, executed by Pier Francesco Foschi in 1550. Rendered in oil on panel, the work belongs to the portrait genre and offers no further iconographic detail in the available records: the sitter's identity, social role, attributes, or symbolic objects are not specified. Because the sources do not document any emblematic elements, inscriptions, or allegorical program accompanying the figure, the painting's meaning is limited to its straightforward function as a mid-sixteenth-century female portrait rather than a devotional, mythological, or commemorative image.

Technique & Style

Executed in 1550, this portrait by Pier Francesco Foschi is an oil painting applied to a wooden panel. The work measures 114 cm in height and 82 cm in width. As a formal portrait, the composition focuses entirely on the depiction of a female subject.

The piece is classified within the genre of portraiture and is currently held in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, specifically within the Augusteum location associated with the Grand ducal collection of Oldenburg.

History & Provenance

Pier Francesco Foschi created the oil-on-panel portrait titled Portrait of a Woman in 1550. The work was originally part of the Grand Ducal collection of Oldenburg. Provenance records indicate the painting was owned by Auguste du Blaisel before entering the possession of Peter II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg.

It subsequently passed to Frederick Augustus II, Grand Duke of Oldenburg, who maintained it within the family holdings. The painting currently resides in the Rijksmuseum, having been transferred from the Augusteum location associated with the Oldenburg collection.

Overview

Created circa 1550 by Florentine painter Pier Francesco Foschi, this oil portrait presents a seated woman in a restrained pose. The work belongs to the Rijksmuseum’s collection and exemplifies the mid‑sixteenth‑century Mannerist aesthetic that Foschi cultivated after training with Andrea del Sarto and absorbing influences from Bronzino and Pontormo.

Context

Foschi’s career included assisting Pontormo on the Careggi frescoes in 1536 and working under Andrea del Sarto, situating him within a network of leading Florentine artists. This portrait illustrates the diffusion of courtly portrait conventions beyond the Medici circle, catering to private patrons who desired a dignified representation of their status.