PISANELLO
(b. 1395, Pisa, d. 1455, Roma)

Portrait of a Princess of the House of Este

1436-38
Tempera on wood, 43 x 30 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

To categorize as Gothic or Renaissance certain Italian painters active at the beginning of the 15th century is rather difficult. Pisanello used medival patterns in a 'modern' way, through the composition, the 'pictorial architecture' of Masolino or Masaccio, though without being familiar with their mathematical model of perspective. As a consequence, he sometimes fell back on medieval techniques. This portrait of a young woman (assumed to be Ginevra d'Este) is flat, and its flowers and butterflies, though drawn from nature, seem like ornamental patterns from French or Flemish tapestries.




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