Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Woman with a Lap Dog
(Renaissance Europe )
The identity of this richly dressed lady is unknown. The composition of the portrait, including the lady's faithful lap dog—probably a beloved pet but also a symbol of the importance of a wife's being faithful to her husband—is typical of Florentine conventions of the 16th century.
The inscription in the upper right corner of the painting translates as: "By yourself you see her appearance; from her appearance you may infer her character." This saying is derived from a common Renaissance belief that an individual's soul is reflected in his or her physical appearance.
Inscription
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Don Marcello Massarenti Collection, Rome; Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1902, by purchase; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2006-2009 | Bedazzled: 5,000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum. Frist Center for the Visual Arts, Nashville; The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota; The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. |
Geographies
Italy, Florence (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Painted surface H: 36 5/8 x W: 29 5/16 x D excluding cradle: 3/8 in. (93 x 74.5 x 1 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters with the Massarenti Collection, 1902
Location in Museum
Not on view
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
37.1681