Lady Holding a Book

Bernardino Licinio was a Venetian painter of the early sixteenth century who specialised in portraits and devotional works. A woman holding a book was a common subject in northern Italian portraiture, suggesting learning or piety — the book could signal literacy, aristocratic cultivation, or devotion to sacred texts. Licinio's female portraits are notable for their directness and careful attention to dress and accessories, placing his sitters within the fashionable milieu of the Venetian patriciate.

The sitter is rendered in three-quarter view against a neutral dark ground typical of Venetian portraiture. Licinio's handling of the sitter's dress shows careful attention to textile texture. The book is held with quiet authority, and the gaze carries a composed directness characteristic of his best portrait work.