LORENZO LOTTO’S PORTRAITS OF WOMEN: A CASE STUDY OF INNOVATIONS IN CINQUECENTO FEMALE PORTRAITURE

This thesis argues that the Cinquecento Venetian artist Lorenzo Lotto, inspired by the innovations in female portraiture of Leonardo da Vinci and Giorgione, sought to imbue single-sitter portraits of women with a higher level of individualism and personality, resulting in a sense of agency and autonomy not typical of other portraits of women in the period. Through a case study of Lotto’s Portrait of a Lady as Lucretia, with additional analysis of his Lucina Brembati and Laura da Pola portraits, I explore the ambiguity tied to gender and sexuality often present after the rise of new categories of female portraits, especially the new genre depicting mistresses and courtesans in sixteenth century Italy. Further, I propose an alternative identity for the sitter in the Lucretia portrait than the conventional one, which identifies her as a noblewoman named Lucrezia Pesaro. I argue rather that she is a cortigiana onesta, or honest courtesan, who adopted the pseudonym Lucrezia (the vernacular version of Lucretia) in order to convey humanistic learning and ironic wit concerning the theme of chastity in relation to her profession. Courtesans occupied an ambiguous place in Renaissance society; this could at times threaten to upset conventional gender roles in society. Part of my argument is that the artistic traditions of Venice and Northern Italy, along with the unique culture of courtesans in Venice, spurred Lotto’s ingenuity in crafting an ambivalent and multi-dimensional portrait that showcased his sitter’s identity in a novel way. I will also argue that this ambiguity was not limited to portraits of courtesans, and with the additional interpretive layers of various paragone, extended to other portraits of women. This thesis asserts that Lotto should be considered among the most innovative artists of the sixteenth century in the genre of female portraiture.