Portrait of a Noblewoman, like most of those painted by Lavinia Fontana, is startling in its attention to detail and in the sumptuousness of the subject's clothing. The contrast between the woman and the picture's plain, dark background is especially strong and ensures that the viewer's attention will be focused on the figure.
The artist depicted every bit of light reflected off the facets of each jewel, the differences in texture among satin, velvet, and lace, and the delicate gold threads of the embroidery. But more than Fontana's technical skill is evident here.
Recent scholarship has established that this painting of an unidentified, very young Bolognese noblewoman is almost certainly her marriage portrait. Studies of account books and family diaries from this period show that the clothes and gems depicted here correspond precisely to the items that made up a typical highborn bride's corredo (trousseau). The dowry of a young noblewoman in late-sixteenth-century Bologna comprised a sum of money, plus an assortment of lavish garments and jewels, which established her own inherited wealth and the financial contribution she would bring to her new family.
Red was the color of most Bolognese wedding dresses; the small dog was a common symbol representing marital fidelity. Suspended from the woman's belt is a curious item mentioned in numerous family records of that time. It is the pelt of a marten-a slender, minklike creature-whose head and paws are elaborately decorated with jewels. It serves as an additional adornment and symbol of her wealth.
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