Ginevra de' Benci [obverse]

Ginevra was a Florentine banker's daughter and a poet. The portrait dates around her marriage, but its commissioner is uncertain. Leonardo turned her into a three-quarter view beyond the profile then common for women. Juniper behind her alludes to her name through the Italian word ginepro.

Ginevra turns in three-quarter view. This offers more scope to model both sides of the face than the previously common female profile.

Juniper darkens the area behind her head. Its Italian name echoes Ginevra's, while the dense foliage sets off her pale skin.

A bluish landscape opens at the right. Gradually weaker color separates the distance from the nearby bush.

A small blue tie fastens the dress. This clothing detail retains a clear material form beside the softly painted face.

Small curls frame the cheek. Their separate lines can be compared with the smoother transitions of light across the skin.

Leonardo trained in Verrocchio's Florentine workshop, which practiced painting, sculpture, and metalwork. In the portrait he explored soft paint transitions, at times using a finger. A separate emblematic composition survives on the reverse; the image here shows the portrait side.