16TH CENTURY TUSCAN PAINTER
Portrait of a girl
tempera grassa on panel, cm 45×37
date: 1500 – 1510 ca
This graceful portrait, attributed to an anonymous 16th-century Tuscan master, is an admirable example of tempera grassa on panel. The work depicts a serene and composed young woman, painted in profile against a subtle sfumato landscape. Her delicate features, framed by flowing coppery hair, partially covered by a white veil, exude a discreet and refined elegance.
The figure is wrapped in a warm reddish-orange dress that contrasts harmoniously with the dark blue cloak draped over her shoulders. The artist’s skilled use of tempera grassa produces a luminous and vibrant colour palette, enhancing the realistic quality of the portrait. The background depicts a tranquil pastoral scene, creating a serene and harmonious ambience that perfectly complements the subject’s calm expression.
The painting, set in a simple but elegant gilded frame, has retained its liveliness and charm over time, offering a glimpse of the refined art of the Tuscan Renaissance. The young woman in the portrait recalls a figure in the fresco with the Visitation scene in the Tornabuoni Chapel, painted by Domenico Ghirlandaio (Florence, 1448–1494) in the basilica of Santa Maria Novella, suggesting a possible inspiration or link with the Florentine master.