ticketsMember | Make a donation

Portrait of a Woman

mid-16th century
Not on view
Seated in an elaborately decorated folding chair, this young woman is an image of self-possession and demure elegance (note her sidelong glance and the way she holds the linen handkerchief and the gold waist chain). The architectural background appears in many Florentine portraits of the period, complicating the attribution. It has recently been suggested that the picture was painted by the young Francesco Zucchi, who was employed in the decoration of the studiolo (private study) of Francesco de’ Medici in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence. An assistant of Vasari, Zucchi later had a Roman career working for Cardinal Ferdinando de’ Medici.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of a Woman
  • Artist: Italian (Florentine) Painter (possibly Jacopo Zucchi, Florence 1541–1590 Rome)
  • Date: mid-16th century
  • Medium: Oil on wood
  • Dimensions: 38 1/2 x 30 in. (97.8 x 76.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Friedsam Collection, Bequest of Michael Friedsam, 1931
  • Object Number: 32.100.66
  • Curatorial Department: European Paintings

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Venus and Cupid, Lucas Cranach the Elder German, Oil on wood
Venus and Cupid
Lucas Cranach the Elder
ca. 1525–27
Portrait of a Man with Gloves, Corneille de Lyon Netherlandish, Oil on wood
Portrait of a Man with Gloves
Corneille de Lyon
ca. 1535
The Holy Family with the Young Saint John the Baptist, Andrea del Sarto (Andrea d'Agnolo) Italian, Oil on wood
The Holy Family with the Young Saint John the Baptist
Andrea del Sarto (Andrea d'Agnolo)
ca. 1528
Portrait of a Young Man, Antonello da Messina (Antonello di Giovanni d'Antonio) Italian, Oil on wood
Portrait of a Young Man
Antonello da Messina (Antonello di Giovanni d'Antonio)
ca. 1470
The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist, Perino del Vaga (Pietro Buonaccorsi) Italian, Oil on wood
The Holy Family with the Infant Saint John the Baptist
Perino del Vaga (Pietro Buonaccorsi)
ca. 1524–26

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.