Fontana, Lavinia (1552-1614)
Ritratto di Ginevra Aldrovandi Hercolani (Portrait of Ginevra Aldrovandi Hercolani)
c.1595
Oil on canvas, 114.62 x 94.62 cm
Walters Art Museum, Baltimore
Ginevra Aldrovandi’s husband, the Bolognese senator Ercole Hercolani, died in 1593. Her elaborate mourning costume-with costly brocade, lace, and pearls-indicates her high social status. She holds a handkerchief, suggesting the tears she shed at her husband’s death. The lapdog is her pet, but it also carries symbolic significance. During the 16th century, a widow who did not re-marry, staying faithful to her husband’s memory, was often compared to a dog that was faithful to its master. (Walters)