Portrait of a Lady
by BOTTICELLI, Sandro, Tempera on panel, 65,7 x 41 cm
If the inscription on the window jamb, possibly dating from the 16th century, is to be believed, this is a portrait of Smeralda Bandinelli (Brandini), who was a member of a respected Florentine family, the grandmother of the Florentine sculptor Baccio Bandinelli. A sign of her rank and respectable status is the handkerchief which she is holding in the hand placed across her body.