Portrait of a Lady with the Attributes of Saint Agatha

This Portrait of a Lady with the Attributes of Saint Agatha, around 1540, in the National Gallery London, combines portraiture with hagiographic imagery. The sitter is depicted with the saint's attribute (severed breasts on a plate), possibly indicating her name or a special devotion. Sebastiano's late female portraits maintain the rich coloristic tradition he absorbed from Giorgione in Venice before his move to Rome in 1511, combining Venetian warmth with the Central Italian monumentality he developed under Michelangelo's influence.

The elegant lady is rendered with Sebastiano's mature Roman manner—monumental proportions, smooth modeling, and rich color. The disturbing attribute is presented with matter-of-fact naturalism that contrasts with the sitter's serene beauty.