Italian, North, 'Woman at a Window', probably 1510-30

This young blonde lady appears to be drawing back a green curtain to look out of an open window. At a time when women’s movements were strictly controlled, one of the few places for a man to encounter an unmarried young lady from outside his own family, other than in church, was at her window. The effect of looking out of a window is enhanced here by the framed dark interior in which the lady is standing, which contrasts with the brightly lit exterior space into which she is looking. When displayed on a wall, the painting would appear as a trompe l'oeil window – an illusionistic effect to trick the viewer’s eye.

The lady does not look directly at us, but sidelong at something or someone else. She holds an object in her hand which she may be about to drop over the window ledge as a token to an admirer below. It appears to be a golden ball with a flower attached to it, but cannot be identified with any certainty.

The provocative character of the lady’s dress, revealing her nipples, and her sly sideways glance from behind the curtain suggest that she may be a courtesan attracting lovers at her window. However, this may not necessarily be the portrait of a specific individual. Such images of beautiful ideal women or courtesans were popular in Venice in the early years of the sixteenth century and many were produced, especially by Titian and Palma Vecchio. Palma Vecchio’s A Blonde Woman of about 1520 reveals her charms in an even more provocative manner, while offering the viewer a posy of flowers. The colour scheme is a similar gold, green, white and black.

In the past this painting, which is in oil paint on wood, has been attributed to Pordenone who worked mainly in Friuli, Cremona and Venice. The costume is comparable to that in other Italian works of about 1515. The painting probably dates from the second or third decade of the sixteenth century.