Portrait de Dona Isabel de Requesens

The Portrait de Dona Isabel de Requenses was created by Raphael Sanzio (Raphael) and was executed by one of Raphael’s pupils, Giulio Romano on the basis of Raphael’s design. The painting which was formerly known as the Portrait of Jeanne d’Aragon was intended as a gift for Francis I, King of France. The oil on canvas painting was created in 1518 and can be viewed on display at the Louvre Museum.

            Raphael Sanzio, more commonly known as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. His famous works were admired for his clarity of form.  He achieved the Neoplatonic ideal of human grandeur in many of his paintings. His most popular work, The School of Athens, is in the Vatican. Raphael’s work is held high in status alongside Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci. He lived a short life, dying at the age of 37; however his career as an artist has been categorized into three phases. The first phase consisted of his early years in Umbria. Next, his second phase took place between the years of 1504-1508 when he was heavily influenced by the artistic traditions of Florence. Finally, his last phase occurred during the twelve years he spent in Rome working for two Popes and their associates. After his early years in Rome, much of his work was designed by him, but executed by his own workshop (consisting of around 50 pupils) from his drawings. One of his most important pupils was Guilio Romano.

 Isabel de Requenses (1500-cerca 1535), the woman shown in Portrait de Dona Isabel de Requenses, was the Vice-Queen of Naples. She was born in Catalonia to the Admiral of Catalonia, Galceran de Requesens, and his wife Beatriz Enriquez. In 1506, her father died and she inherited his County of Palamos and the great wealth that came with it.  She was made the ward of her cousin, Ramón de Cardona (Duke of Soma), one of the most powerful aristocrats in Catalonia. Isabel married Ramón and moved to Naples once Ramon became Viceroy in 1509. She served as the Vicereine of Naples during her husband’s many absences as Commander of the armies of the Holy League. She was admired by many for her beauty, grace, and support of the arts. It is believed that Isabel was either 18 or 20 years old in the painting by Raphael and Guilio. It is also said that Raphael painted her face and Guilio painted the rest of the portrait.

Isabel grew up during the Renaissance in Italy. With the Renaissance came a lot of changes in women’s dress.  Italian fashion during the 15th and 16th centuries was primarily influenced by the art of the time. Masterpieces by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael and Botticelli all had a major impact on Italian fashion. Humanism and the idealism of the human body were prevalent during the Renaissance. Clothing was natural in its shape, enabling women to move freely with grace and elegance. Lines were simple and they hugged the figure.  Though the lines were basic, clothing was extravagantly decorated. The elegant richness of dress was highly encouraged. The wealthier you were, the more expensive the fabrics were that were used in your clothing.  Silk, brocade, and velvet were considered prestigious fabrics. Isabel was wealthy, which can be easily seen through the velvet fabric that her dress is made from. 

Dresses gradually lost their long trains, and flowing skirts became increasingly popular. Clothes of servants and farmers (people of lower stature) were a lot shorter than those of the upper classes. In the painting, Isabel’s dress is long, which is also another indication that she is wealthy. Another big change that occurred during the Renaissance was that women began showing their hair again. Women’s headdresses were the most intricate, ever-changing part of women’s fashions during the Renaissance. Women actually spent hours plucking hair from their foreheads and sides of their faces in order to achieve the look of a high forehead. High foreheads were considered fashionable. Women would wear their hair down and their heads would be adorned with coiffures with shimmering veils and jewels. The more jewels your headdress had, the higher your status. In the portrait, Isabel’s hair is shown, and her forehead does appear to be fairly large. This is a definite indication that she was current with the new trends of the time. Her headdress is also adorned with jewels and pearls, yet another indication of her high status.

During the Renaissance, Italy was famous for velvets, laces, brocades, silk, gold and silver cloth, and embroidered fabrics with pearls and jewels (manufactured in Genoa, Milan, Bologna, and Venice). The use of fur for collars, much like the collar on Isabel’s gown, also became popular. The Renaissance brought belts (cinctures) and girdles, earrings, finger rings, and brooches. You can see the belt on Isabel’s gown, enhancing her womanly, natural figure. Handkerchiefs were also introduced. They were made of linen or cambric, richly embroidered, and edged with lace or fringe.

In the early 16^th century, women’s gowns were characterized by a square neckline edged with embroidery or velvet banding.  A long, full skirt was often held up at the sides or fastened at sides/back to display the lining and the under-gown. Sleeves consisted of two sections. The long chemise sleeve could be seen by the material that was puffed out between the two sleeve parts. This technique can be seen in the portrait of Isabel. Over the chemise and under the under-gown, a fitted linen bodice was worn to preserve the slender silhouette.

Color was also very important in clothing during the Italian Renaissance. The color red indicated power, prestige, royalty, and high social status. Isabel wears red in the painting, which is fitting because she was of high social ranking.  Orange was used by many of the peasants and middle class people in attempt to imitate upper class reds. They dyed their clothes with cheaper orange-reds and russet dyes. Green meant love and joy, and also youth. If a woman wore light blue, it meant she was a young, marriageable woman. Grey was considered a color of poverty in the early Renaissance times, while black meant nobility and wealth.

            In conclusion, when studying a portrait, it is very important to understand what was happening during the time period the piece was created. By studying Renaissance costume, and the biographies of Raphael Zanzio and Isabel de Requesens, we are able to gain a better understanding of the costume displayed in Portrait de Dona Isabel de Requesens.

Post by: Erica Dixon