2-738-285 - Heritage Art/Heritage Images

Portrait of a Woman, c. 1490-1495. This portrait represents a woman in her later middle years holding a handsome rosary made of coral with gold medals. Her identity remains unknown, but the richness and elegance of her black woolen gown with fur-trimmed cuffs and her coif of white sheer linen attests to her comfortable social standing. The prominence of her rosary is perhaps meant to suggest her personal devotion. In addition to a stylistic affinity to the work of this prominent Colognese painter, recent scholarship also points to the colourful patterned cloth background and the specific medals on the rosary as additional evidence the portrait was painted in Cologne.