oil on panel
Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti, Bergamo
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Lucina Brembati, c. 1518 oil on panel Accademia Carrara di Belle Arti, Bergamo |
Lotto included clues to the woman's identity: a ring with the Brembati coat-of-arms on her forefinger, and a moon (luna, in Italian) inscribed with the letters "CI." As the "ci" inside "luna" becomes "Lu-ci-na," she is probably the noblewoman mentioned in documents of the time, Lucina Brembati. Lotto typically chose not to idealize her plain features, but his clever use of a rebus suggests that he knew her to be a quick-witted woman who enjoyed such games.