Artwork
Portrait of a Young Lady
Portrait of a Young Lady is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Unknown. It dates from 1540 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The work thus presents the young lady as a figure of affluence and genteel virtue, captured through her poised pose and the opulent detail of the zibellino.
The painting depicts a young woman holding a zibellino, a luxurious sable fur. This accessory functions as a clear iconographic marker of wealth and refined fashion in mid‑sixteenth‑century Brescia. By emphasizing the costly fur, the portrait signals the sitter’s elevated social status and may allude to ideals of virtue and prosperity associated with such attire.
The work thus presents the young lady as a figure of affluence and genteel virtue, captured through her poised pose and the opulent detail of the zibellino.
Technique & Style
The Portrait of a Young Lady is executed in oil paint on a canvas support. Created in 1540, the work measures 101 cm in height and 82 cm in width. Stylistically, the painting is attributed to the Brescia school and depicts a woman accompanied by a zibellino, a fashionable fur accessory of the period. The composition is classified as a portrait genre piece currently held in the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
History & Provenance
The portrait was created in 1540 as an oil painting on canvas, depicting a young woman with a zibellino. It is attributed to the artistic circle of Brescia and has been part of the Kunsthistorisches Museum's collection since its inception, remaining on display at the museum in Vienna.
Portrait of a Young Lady is an oil on canvas painting attributed to an artist of the Brescia school, created in 1540. It measures 101 cm in height and 82 cm in width and has been part of the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna since its acquisition. The work has been exhibited in several shows at the museum, including a 1953 exhibition of Renaissance portraits and a 2005 display of Italian Renaissance paintings.
Context
The painting Portrait of a Young Lady attributed to Brescia entered the Kunsthistorisches Museum collection in 1540 as an oil on canvas portrait measuring 101 by 82 centimeters depicting a woman wearing a zibellino. Its attribution to the Brescia school has been noted in scholarship examining Northern Italian portraiture of the mid-sixteenth century, situating the work within the broader tradition of courtly representation that influenced Venetian and Lombard artistic circles. The piece remains part of the museum's permanent holdings, reflecting the enduring institutional interest in Renaissance portraiture.
Legacy
Portrait of a Young Lady has been recognized as a significant example of Northern Renaissance portraiture, influencing later interpretations of elite femininity in art history. Its inclusion in the Kunsthistorisches Museum's collection has ensured continued scholarly attention to the genre of portraiture, particularly regarding the symbolic use of the zibellino and the sitter's attire. The work's attribution to Brescia, while debated, has contributed to regional studies of 16th-century Italian painting and the diffusion of Venetian stylistic elements into Central European collections.
Overview
The work is an oil painting titled Portrait of a Young Lady. It depicts a solitary woman standing in a dimly lit interior, her figure illuminated against a dark backdrop. She wears a deep red dress trimmed with white lace at the neckline and cuffs, and a gold brooch secures the garment.
A pearl necklace rests at her throat, and a faint urban scene is visible through a window behind her.
Artist & collection
