''La Schiavona'' ('the woman from Dalmatia'), also known as ''Portrait of a Lady'', is a 1510–1512 portrait by

Titian Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian (Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, nea ...

of an unknown woman.

Identity of the sitter

The painting was being referred to as ''La Schiavona'' before the beginning of the seventeenth century. However, this name is traditional, given to the painting by someone in recognition of the style of her dress and her physiognomy. In reality, the lady portrayed would have been part of the nobility of the time, with a costume compatible with that of the wealthy women of the territories controlled by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice ( vec, Repùblega de Venèsia) or Venetian Republic ( vec, Repùblega Vèneta, links=no), traditionally known as La Serenissima ( en, Most Serene Republic of Venice, italics=yes; vec, Serenìsima Repùblega de Venèsia, ...

. Some people have tried to identify the woman as

Catherine Cornaro Catherine Cornaro ( el, Αικατερίνη Κορνάρο, vec, Catarina Corner) (25 November 1454 – 10 July 1510) was the last monarch of the Kingdom of Cyprus, also holding the titles of the Queen of Jerusalem and Armenia. She was queen ...

, a hypothesis without any confirmation. Previously assigned to

Giorgione Giorgione (, , ; born Giorgio Barbarelli da Castelfranco; 1477–78 or 1473–74 – 17 September 1510) was an Italian painter of the Venetian school during the High Renaissance, who died in his thirties. He is known for the elusive poetic quali ...

, the painting is today commonly accepted as a youthful masterpiece by Titian; further evidence is provided by the absence of the modulated sweetness of the painter from

Castelfranco Veneto Castelfranco Veneto ( vec, Casteło) is a town and '' comune'' of Veneto, northern Italy, in the province of Treviso, by rail from the town of Treviso. It is approximately inland from Venice. History The town originates from a castle built he ...

, replaced rather by a pulsating vitality. There are also close similarities with the woman protagonist of the ''Miracolo del neonato'', a Paduan fresco by Titian dating back to 1511.

Description

The subject is shown three-quarter length against a plain grey background. Her curvaceous form is portrayed with exceptional realism and accuracy, and is accentuated by the wide drapery of her earth-coloured dress. The body is rotated slightly, while the head looks frontally at the viewer, in a pose of remarkable naturalness and ease. What appears to be the same woman is seen in relief (inspired by ancient cameos) on a raised section of the parapet. The lower part of the parapet is original, though the raised section appears to be a revision by Titian himself, with the drapery painted under it still being visible through subsequent layers of paint. The painting is signed TV on the parapet, which probably stands for Tiziano Vecellio.

History

The portrait was presented to the

National Gallery The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of over 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current Director ...

in London in 1942 by Sir Francis Cook, Bt, in memory of his father

Herbert Herbert may refer to: People Individuals * Herbert (musician), a pseudonym of Matthew Herbert Name * Herbert (given name) * Herbert (surname) Places Antarctica * Herbert Mountains, Coats Land * Herbert Sound, Graham Land Australia * Herbert ...

, via the Art Fund – it is still in the Gallery's collection, as NG5385. From October 2009 to January 2010, ''La Schiavona'' was loaned to the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds to be shown as part of an exhibition called "Sculpture in Painting".

References

Bibliography

* Francesco Valcanover, ''L'opera completa di Tiziano'', Rizzoli, Milano 1969.

External links

Catalog nr. 536
in Herbert Cook's collection catalog, 1913, on archive.org
High definition image on Google artNational Gallery website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schiavona 1510 paintings Paintings by Titian in the National Gallery, London Portraits by Titian Portraits of women