Portrait of a woman, half-length turned to the right 1578 - 1630

Ottavio Mario Leoni rendered this half-length portrait of a woman with graphite. The ruff collar, a symbol of status and formality, encircles her neck, drawing our attention to her face. This collar, which frames the face, echoes through art history, from regal portraits of the Renaissance to more modern, secular representations. Think of the elaborate lace collars in Dutch Golden Age portraits; these ornate circles around the face denote not just fashion, but societal rank and moral rectitude. The face, so framed, becomes a stage. Here, it is interesting to consider how the ruff, historically a symbol of power, is softened by the woman's gentle expression, creating a tension between formality and intimacy. This tension reflects the enduring human struggle to reconcile our public personas with our private selves, a drama played out across the ages, resurfacing in different forms, each bearing the weight of its historical predecessors.