LAURA, 1506, ART HISTORY MUSEUM, VIENNA.
Giorgione – LAURA, 1506, ART HISTORY MUSEUM, VIENNA.
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Painter: Giorgione (Giorgio Barbarelli)
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This portrait of a beautiful stranger was painted a very long time ago, back in the 16th century. If you compare its size with other famous paintings of those times, you will notice that it was quite small. Both the length and the width of the canvas were less than half a meter. It was painted with oil. And now let’s put aside the technical side of drawing and move directly to the content and composition of the canvas. When we see such light and shade transitions, we immediately associate them with Leonardo’s sfumato.
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Description of Giorgione’s painting "Laura"
This portrait of a beautiful stranger was painted a very long time ago, back in the 16th century. If you compare its size with other famous paintings of those times, you will notice that it was quite small. Both the length and the width of the canvas were less than half a meter. It was painted with oil. And now let’s put aside the technical side of drawing and move directly to the content and composition of the canvas.
When we see such light and shade transitions, we immediately associate them with Leonardo’s sfumato. This was indeed something similar, because in Leonardo we see a similar coloristic and softening of halftones. In general, if you study the work of these two great artists, it is impossible to do without comparison.
They interestingly solved the problem of depicting the image transitions in the picture from soft to sharper and harder. It is this technique that we can see on this canvas. This kind of animates the picture, gives it a sense of movement, breathing. When you look at the canvas, it seems so real that there is no doubt the presence of the viewer somewhere in the picture itself as a secret observer. With the soft shimmers, Giordano managed to portray the fullness and softness of the female body.
There is a certain prosaicism in this image, but all the same the girl is beautiful in spite of her simplicity. She is portrayed on a black background, which contrasts with her pale skin to the maximum and emphasizes the harshness of her expression. The girl’s head is covered with a kerchief that carelessly hangs over her chest, enveloping the young beauty’s waist like a snake. Her attire is quite at odds with the bloom and riot of greenery behind her. She is wearing a red fur coat. But what can clothes mean when we have such a contradictory image of the face itself? Those stubborn eyes, the focused gaze, the thin pursed lips... What is the girl so offended by, or perhaps hardened by fate?
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The artist rendered the subject with a focus on naturalism; skin tones are carefully observed, conveying a sense of volume and texture. The lighting appears to originate from the left, illuminating her face and upper body while leaving portions in shadow, contributing to the three-dimensionality of the figure. Her hair is partially concealed beneath a dark head covering, revealing only strands that frame her face.
The woman’s attire consists of a rich red garment lined with fur, indicative of status or wealth. A white band encircles her neck, adding another layer of visual interest and highlighting the contours of her shoulders. A significant element is the presence of laurel branches flanking her on either side. Laurel was frequently employed in Renaissance art as a symbol of victory, honor, and virtue. Their inclusion here suggests an association with these qualities for the portrayed woman.
The overall impression conveyed by this painting is one of quiet dignity and understated elegance. The lack of overt ornamentation or dramatic gesture contributes to a sense of restraint and seriousness. While her expression appears somewhat melancholic, it avoids sentimentality, maintaining a composure that speaks to an inner strength. The composition’s simplicity, combined with the symbolic use of laurel, elevates the portrait beyond a mere likeness, hinting at a deeper narrative about the subjects character or position within society.