The Latin on the wall behind this woman translates as
'Would that art could portray her character and virtue. No painting in the world would be more
beautiful' This is part of a poem by
Martial.
This woman's profile is truly beautiful (although nit
pickers might feel her neck is not quite as slender as some)
The tones of her gown complement her skin perfectly.
Sadly the sitter died within a year of this being
painted in childbirth which was so
dangerous back in olden times.
This artist was not familiar to me but he was important
– one of his students was Michelangelo.
My attention was drawn to this work by a huge doorstop
of a book I got from the library – The Art Book from Phaidon Press. Get it out if you have strong enough
muscles. There are 579 pages, each
dedicated to one work by an artist. The
artists are in alpha order so you get interesting juxtapositions between modern
art and old masters.
The colors are lovely.
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