Girlandayo creates a composition with a clear geometry and balance that characterizes the Florentine portrait. The model is placed against a niche of objects, indicating the fine taste and delicate nature of Giovanni Thornabuoni. Her face is filled with precise detail, and the artist uses soft light that illuminates her tenderness and subtlety. Special attention is paid to clothing and accessories: the luxury of the head, ornaments and the richly decorated dress represent the status and marital status. For example, a brooch with two pearls and a ruby in the form of a mythological dragon, as well as a necklace on the thread, reflect the secular life of its owner. Jewelry rhymes with a prayer worker in a niche and hanging beads. Here, secularism compares with the spirituality and piety of the model, reveals its inner world, and there is also a sign in the deepening of the epigram of the Roman poet Mark Valerie Marcial, dedicated to the portrait of General Mark Antony. The tablet says: «Art, if you could show character and soul, it wouldn’t be more beautiful in the world. 1488».
The position and view of the model are calm and collected, reflecting the ideals of a virtuous woman of the time. The portrait is not too emotional; rather, it expresses dignity and internal harmony. Girlandayo is a master of balance between realism and symbolism, creating an image that combines the individuality and the archaetype of the women’s beauty of the Renaissance era. This portrait is an important source for understanding the cultural and social norms of the Florentine elite of the fifteenth century, as well as showing the outstanding skill of Girlandayo in the portrait genre, which at the time was of particular importance as an instrument of family and social reputation. Author: Michael Arutyunyan
