Pisanello: Portrait of a Princess (1435-1441)

(Louvre, Paris, France)

A painting made by the Italian artist Antonio di Puccio Pisano (1395-1455), better known as Pisanello. This piece shows a young woman set against a greenery with flowers. The identity of the girl is never fully realized. Several names have been suggested: Margherita Gonzaga (wife of Leonello d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara and Duke of Modena), Ginevra d'Este, a Gonzaga princess etc. The butterfly on the painting is a symbol of the soul, the columbines refer to Venus, the goddess of love, and was later the symbol of the Holy Spirit in Medieval Europe. On her left shoulder the woman has a sprig of juniper: this either is a pun on the name of Ginevra D’Este or it is a symbol of happiness. Painting from 1435-1441.