Who painted Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music?

Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music was painted by Francesco Bacchiacca in 1540.

Where can I see Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music?

Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music is held by J. Paul Getty Museum.

What movement is Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music?

Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music is associated with Mannerism.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music?

Museum-quality prints of Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music

Francesco Bacchiacca , 1540

Portrait of a Woman with a Book of Music is an oil painting by the Mannerist artist Francesco Bacchiacca. It dates from 1540 and is held in the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum. Francesco d’Ubertino Verdi, known as Bacchiacca, executed this oil painting in 1540.

About this work

Overview

Francesco d’Ubertino Verdi, known as Bacchiacca, executed this oil painting in 1540. The work portrays a seated woman at a table, her right hand opening a music manuscript while her left rests on the surface. Dressed in a pink gown with puffed sleeves and a blue headband, she is set against a green cloth patterned with birds.

Subject & Meaning

The composition highlights a cultured pastime: the study of music, a popular humanist pursuit in Renaissance Florence. By presenting the sitter with a book of scores, the artist underscores the intellectual leisure associated with educated women of the period, linking personal refinement to broader artistic and scholarly interests.

Technique & Style

Rendered in the mannerist idiom, the painting displays refined elegance through elongated forms and a polished surface. Bacchiacca’s handling of oil creates subtle modeling of fabric folds and delicate rendering of the manuscript’s pages, while the crisp delineation of the bird‑patterned cloth adds textural contrast and a sense of tangible realism.

History & Provenance

Created in mid‑sixteenth‑century Florence, the portrait entered the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum, where it remains on view. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s focus on Renaissance works that illustrate the period’s intersection of art, music, and domestic representation.

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Artist & collection

Artist

Francesco Bacchiacca

Francesco d'Ubertino Verdi, called Bachiacca (say "bah ki ah cka"). He is also known as Francesco Ubertini, il Bacchiacca (1494–1557). He was an Italian painter of the Renaissance whose work is characteristic of the…