Titian
Our painting today portrays an idealized beautiful woman, a model established in the Venetian school by Titian's master Giorgione with his Laura. Her left hand holds a pink-shaded mantle, while another holds a handful of flowers and leaves.
The woman was portrayed by Titian in numerous other works of the period, including the Woman at the Mirror, the Vanity, Salome, and Violante, as well as some Holy Conversations. The meaning of the painting is disputed: some, based for example on inscriptions added to the 16th century reproductions, identify the woman as a courtesan; others consider it a symbol of nuptial love. The identification with Flora, the ancient goddess of Spring and vegetation, derives from the presence of spring flowers in her hands.
The Flora theme was popular among painters - here you can watch Rembrandt's version for which his wife Saskia posed.