Antonio d'Ubertino Verdi, called Bachiacca
The portrait we present today owes a great deal to Leonardo da Vinci's celebrated Lady with an Ermine, which you can check in our Archive. In both, a beautiful young woman holds an animal while turning to look over her left shoulder. Leonardo's portrait almost certainly represents Cecilia Gallerani, the famed mistress of Ludovico Sforza, the Duke of Milan. Bachiacca's model directly engages her viewer with a coquettish and confident glance, which is delightfully echoed by her cat. Unlike the ermine, which Renaissance authors associated with virginity, purity, and moderation, the female cat was understood to be an overtly libidinous animal. This erotic overtone is underscored by the sensual manner in which Bachiacca's woman caresses her pet. Read as an object of sexual temptation, Bachiacca's model, with her seductive expression, elaborate jewelry, and perhaps most importantly, her bright yellow dress, has been thought by some scholars to represent a courtesan.
P.S. What did cat ladies represent in art? Were they just crazy or, on the contrary, strong and independent?
P.P.S. Well, today it's my birthday! :) I've chosen this painting without knowing much about it; I just loved the idea of having a portrait of a woman with a cat. I would love to have a one like this with my cat, Pimpek! :D Because it is my birthday, dear DailyArt users, please check my thank-you gift for you, a FLASH SALE! Thank you for being such an important part of my life. :)
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