Portrait of a Lady

The panel shows a three-quarter length portrait of a young woman in courtly attire. She is wearing a red cap and a green dress trimmed with gold. Her gloved hands are clasped in front of her and her fingers are decorated with rings. She has a gold choker around her neck as well as two large linked chains. Over several decades Cranach and his workshop painted a large number of similar portraits of young women in lavish costume, which may have been embodiments of female charm and allure, rather than specific likenesses. The same types occur in his depictions of Judith, Lucretia, and other classical heroines.

[cda 2020]