Portrait of a Woman, Possibly a Novice of San Secondo

Portrait of a Woman, Possibly a Novice of San Secondo by Jacometto Veneziano: Scholars have recently speculated that this work does not actually depict…

What to notice

In Portrait of a Woman, Possibly a Novice of San Secondo by Jacometto Veneziano, start with classical, figurative, complex. Then look closely at this museum-described detail: A beautiful young woman presented as saintly, a regular occurrence, the sitter may be the wife or daughter of Alvise Contarini.

Discover

Scholars have recently speculated that this work does not actually depict a nun, although it has been described as such since 1543. A beautiful young woman presented as saintly, a regular occurrence, the sitter may be the wife or daughter of Alvise Contarini. Her attire, particularly the head garb, may be secular, while some scholars consider it to be Benedictine or Dominican.