ABSTRACT
Of particular note, the accompanying stage set, known from a design by Baldesare Lanci, an architect in Cosimo's court, depicts an identifiable civic site. By such an account, the role of women within the death ritual can be interpreted as a strategy of continuation, of guaranteeing masculine memory. Already in 1373, Petrarch had advocated the banishment of women's vocal mourning practices, what he called 'loud and indecent wailing,' from the public streets. The category of widow portraiture can be generally characterized as follows: the widow is depicted in a three-quarter or bust-length pose; she is set in profile or frontally against a plain, dark background; she is depicted with a sober or severe expression; and, most importantly, she is simply veiled and dressed in dark colors. Portraits on panel, after religious pictures, accounted for the most numerous type of painting found in domestic interiors.
