Domenico Tintoretto (Venice, 1560 - 1635, Venice)
Portrait of a Lady in Black, about 1590-1599
Oil on canvas, 115.5 x 96.7 cm (45 1/2 x 38 1/16 in.)
This oil painting is a portrait of a lady dressed in black, who stares intently at the viewer. She has light skin, rosy cheeks, red lips, brown eyes, and brown hair in a pearl-studded updo. She wears small gold earrings, a stiffly starched white lace collar and a plain black dress. Her large gold necklace is heavily encrusted with pearls and red stones. Hanging from the center is a gold medallion that has red stones and pearls hanging from it. She faces slightly to our right. She has her left arm bent with her hand resting at her waist and her right hand hangs at her side. A white lace cuff is visible at both of her wrists. She wears a ring on both hands, a bracelet on each wrist and holds a lace handkerchief in her right hand. To our left in the background, a mountainous landscape and cloud-filled sky is visible through a window. Behind her, to our left, hangs a richly brocaded red and gold drapery fringed with gold.
Third Floor Stairhall And Stairway
Commentary
Isabella Stewart Gardner kept meticulous records of many of her acquisitions. In keeping with this legacy, object information is continually being reviewed, updated, and enriched in order to give greater access to the collection.