Profile Portrait of a Young Lady
Piero del Pollaiuolo·1465
Historical Context
Piero del Pollaiuolo's Profile Portrait of a Young Lady, painted around 1465 and now in the Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, is one of the finest female portraits of the Florentine Renaissance. The profile format derives from ancient coins and medals, presenting the sitter as an ideal of beauty and social refinement. The elaborate pearl-studded hairstyle and jeweled neckpiece indicate the high social status of the young woman, possibly depicted for a betrothal.
Technical Analysis
Piero achieves extraordinary decorative elegance in the rendering of the elaborate pearl ornaments and the delicate profile, using precise linear technique against a light blue sky that enhances the silhouette effect.
