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Sebastiano del Piombo, 'Portrait of a Lady', mid-1520s

About the work

The sitter's assured stance, proud gaze and magnificent costume suggest that she was a prominent figure of her time.

In the pieces of cloth she holds out is concealed a Latin inscription warning the viewer of the risks of love: 'Sunt Laquei Veneris Cave' ('These are the snares of Venus: beware'). These words may be an allusion to Venus' magic girdle, which had the effect of making its wearer irresistibly desirable and was borrowed by Juno to seduce Jupiter. The inscription refers more broadly to the power of love to capture and enslave its victim.

This portrait, admired for its compelling subject and superb quality, may date from the last seven years of the artist's life. The style of the costume, and particularly the head-dress, evoke the fashion of the 1540s.

In this painting Sebastiano returned to the three-quarter length format of his earlier works, which confers to the figure a strong sense of monumentality. Although the identity of the sitter is uncertain, various names have been suggested, such as the countess Giulia Gonzaga, famed throughout Italy for her intellect and beauty.

Key facts

Full title
Portrait of a Lady
Artist
Sebastiano del Piombo
Artist dates
about 1485 - 1547
Date made
mid-1520s
Medium and support
Oil on wood
Dimensions
117 × 96 cm
Acquisition credit
On loan from Longford Castle collection
Inventory number
L1059
Location
Not on display
Image copyright
On loan from Longford Castle collection, © Private collection. Used by permission
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

More works by Sebastiano del Piombo

Judith (or Salome?)
Judith (or Salome?)
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A young woman is moving towards an open window or door through which a hilly landscape can be seen. She turns to look back at us over her shoulder, her arm parallel with a stone parapet on which the date 1510 is written. On a metal salver she carries the greyish-green severed head of a man. The w...
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Portrait of a Lady with the Attributes of Saint Agatha
Portrait of a Lady with the Attributes of Saint Agatha
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The lady in the picture is shown with the attributes of Saint Agatha, the third-century Sicilian martyr who was reported to have been tortured for rejecting the marriage proposal of the Roman governor. A dish with Agatha’s severed breasts and the pliers used to remove them are depicted on the rig...
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The Madonna and Child with Saints and a Donor
The Madonna and Child with Saints and a Donor
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The Virgin Mary turns to look down at the kneeling man beside her and extends a protective arm around his shoulder. Saint John the Baptist points at the lively Christ Child, while Saint Joseph sleeps with his head on his arm. The diagonals in the composition draw the viewer’s eye to Christ’s gaze...
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The Raising of Lazarus
The Raising of Lazarus
Sebastiano del Piombo, incorporating designs by Michelangelo
At the request of Martha and Mary, Jesus visited the grave of their brother Lazarus and raised him from the dead (John 11:1–44). Sebastiano shows Christ standing with one hand raised to invoke the power of God and the other pointing to Lazarus, who is seated on the edge of his stone tomb.Christ s...
Not on display