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The image shows a woman standing with a slight turn to her right. Her left hand rests on her hip while her right hand holds a feathered fan. Her profile features a slightly prominent nose and closed lips. Her hair is styled elaborately, pulled back and adorned with curls. She wears an ornate gown with intricate patterns, including a detailed bodice and flowing skirt. The gown is richly decorated and layered. She wears a necklace and earrings that complement her attire. The background is a plain surface with handwritten text in a calligraphic style using Latin script.
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The image shows a woman standing with a slight turn to her right. Her left hand rests on her hip while her right hand holds a feathered fan. Her profile features a slightly prominent nose and closed lips. Her hair is styled elaborately, pulled back and adorned with curls. She wears an ornate gown with intricate patterns, including a detailed bodice and flowing skirt. The gown is richly decorated and layered. She wears a necklace and earrings that complement her attire. The background is a plain surface with handwritten text in a calligraphic style using Latin script.

National Gallery of Art · Drawing

A Noble Lady of Pisa

Jean-Jacques Boissard

Date
in or before 1581
Medium
pen and brown ink with brown wash, with incising throughout, on laid paper
Dimensions
overall: 19.3 x 13.1 cm (7 5/8 x 5 3/16 in.)
Classification
Drawing
Accession number
1985.1.18
Credit line
Julius S. Held Collection
Time span
1551 to 1600
Department
CG-E
Original NGA record Wikidata

Subjects and terms

  • incised (indented with stylus)
  • French
  • female
  • figure
  • Standing
  • Costume study
Provenance

Julius S. Held [1905-2002], by 1970; gift 1985 to NGA.

Inscription

by artist upper left in pen and brown ink: Dame Pisana (crossed out) / 52.; another hand (publishers?) upper left: 1.Nobilis femina Pisana. / Edele Fraw von Pis a (crossed out) / 2. Dame Pisane / Fraw von Pisa (smudged) / Edele Fraw von Pisa; 1Cr//in brown ink: De Itaeliaenen gebrechen inden / nommer. 2. plaeten te weten XXII.

Watermarks

Crown over shield w/2 fleur-de-lis (partial)

NGA object ID 65734. Collection metadata is reproduced under CC0. This work is included because its NGA published-image record is marked open access; visitors should recheck the source record before substantial reuse.