Ritratto di donna nelle vesti di Flora
Historical Context
This portrait of a woman dressed as Flora — the Roman goddess of flowers — belongs to a tradition of mythological portraiture popular in eighteenth-century Venice, where women of good family had themselves painted in the guise of classical deities. Tiepolo painted this around 1760, late in his Venetian career before departing for Spain. The identification of portraiture with mythological beauty served both as flattery and as a display of the sitter's classical education.
Technical Analysis
The sitter's features are individualized enough to suggest a real portrait despite the mythological costume and floral attributes. Luminous, warm flesh tones and fluid brushwork in the drapery and flowers demonstrate Tiepolo's late Venetian manner.
Look Closer
- ◆Notice how the sitter's features are individualized enough to suggest a real portrait despite the mythological costume as Flora, the goddess of flowers.
- ◆Look at the luminous, warm flesh tones and fluid brushwork in the drapery and flowers, demonstrating Tiepolo's late Venetian manner.
- ◆Observe the tradition of mythological portraiture popular in eighteenth-century Venice, where women had themselves painted as classical deities.
