Portrait of a Woman
Andrea del Sarto
c. 1518
King Francis I’s deep interest in Italian Renaissance culture manifested itself not only through acquiring important works of art but also by bringing leading architects, scholars, and artists to Paris. Chief among these figures was the Florentine painter Andrea del Sarto. The sitter’s distinctively French hood and black veil suggest that someone talented closely connected to the artist painted this work during his brief time in France.