Cleveland Museum of Art

Portrait of a Woman, Possibly a Novice of San Secondo

Jacometto Veneziano

Date

c. 1490

Medium

oil on wood

Culture

Italy, 15th century

Department

European Painting and Sculpture

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

Scholars have recently speculated that this work does not actually depict a nun, although it has been described as such since 1543. A beautiful young woman presented as saintly, a regular occurrence, the sitter may be the wife or daughter of Alvise Contarini. Her attire, particularly the head garb, may be secular, while some scholars consider it to be Benedictine or Dominican. The San Secondo convent was reserved for daughters of the wealthiest Venetians and conventions of dress were fairly loose until 1515 when strict reforms were enforced by religious and political authorities in Venice.

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