Portrait of Giovanna degli Albizzi Tornabuoni

This superb panel is a fine example of 15th-century Florentine portraiture. Artists of the time followed classical dictates: body proportions were idealized while faces left devoid of expression were expected to convey character. This is evident both in the lines that create the slender neck and shape of the body and in the expressionless and perfect features. In this half-length portrait, the sitter appears in strict profile, with her arms bent and her hands clasped together. In the background, a selection of personal belongings appears within a simple architectural frame. The cartellino to the right bears part of an epigram by Martial and the date of her death in Roman numerals. The model has been identified as Giovanna Tornabuoni, based on a medallion by Niccolò Fiorentino showing her likeness and her name. She is also portrayed full length in the Visitation fresco painted by Ghirlandaio for the Tornabuoni chapel in the church of Santa Maria Novella in Florence.

- Mar Borobia

We present today's work thanks to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid.

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