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Portrait of an Unknown Woman, by Lucas Cranach

Portrait of an unknown woman, by Lucas Cranach the Younger (1472-1553), dated 1564. Portrait of an unknown woman, by Lucas Cranach the Younger (1472-1553), dated 1564. Courtesy Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria, acc. no. AT_KHM_GG886.

'Portrait of an Unknown Woman' is a painting, dated 1564, by the German artist, Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586). It portrays a rich, but now unknown young woman wearing an elaborate outfit with many heavy golden chain necklaces. Her elaborate gown in black, red and white includes various items of embroidery, notably her sleeve cuffs and matching front waist band.

These items are decorated with repeating, highly stylised floral and foliage motifs worked in black, orange and white. There is no indication of the embroidery technique used. The foliage is worked in two wide bands separated by some form of white lace. Given the date of the painting, it is likely that embroidered lace is being indicated. The woman's red cap is embroidered with stylised foliage motifs in gold, while her coif is in black with red embroidery and applied pearls

The painting is now in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, Austria, acc. no. AT_KHM_GG886.

Lucas Cranach online archive (retrieved 8 June 2016).

GVE

Last modified on Sunday, 14 August 2016 19:00