Portrait of Olimpia Maidalchini Pamphilj (1591–1657), half length, wearing black

Olimpia Maidalchini Pamphilj, the powerful sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X who effectively controlled the papal court, is the subject of this portrait attributed to Velazquez from around 1650. Known as "the Papessa" for her influence, Olimpia was both feared and despised by Roman society. Velázquez's uncompromising naturalism and psychological penetration, combined with his revolutionary loose handling of paint in his late work, made him one of the most admired painters in history, his technique anticipating Impressionism and influencing Manet, Sargent, and countless others.

The sitter's dark clothing and severe expression project the formidable personality that contemporaries described. Velazquez captures the sharp intelligence and imperious bearing that made Olimpia one of the most powerful women in mid-17th-century Rome.