Lucrezia Borgia

ArtDaily has posted a better graphic of the possible Lucrezia Borgia portrait attributed to Dosso Dossi, plus a far better explanation of the thinking involved, than in yesterday's BBC News item. I've improved the ArtDaily graphic (title link) by making the background darker and by slightly increasing the gamma setting (CLICK for a larger version). The sombre garment worn by the subject is revealed as an expensive fur! (Renaissance sitters liked to show off their wealth.) The notion that the sitter was a youth comes from what seems to be the pommel of a sword in "his" hands; but it could also be the hilt of a dagger the sitter is pointing at herself! Why? A previous Lucretia. a heroine of ancient Rome, killed herself with a dagger to save her family's honour after she had been raped. Renaissance patrons and artists loved symbolism. The myrtle bush and flowers represent the goddess Venus and the Latin inscription reinforces this connection with its reference to Virtue and Beauty. So, this is a very rich young woman making serious claims to nobility. Dosso Dossi is known to have painted a set of oval paintings - rare - around 1515 to 1520 in the Este court in Ferrara, where Lucrezia Borgia lived. I'm convinced. Click the title link to read more.