The bust, in 15th-century style, is slightly turned towards the spectator, so as to favour the view, and her shoulders are wrapped in a richly embroidered cloth. According to Schneider, her naked breasts would not have caused any offense to contemporary viewers. They were rather an allusion to Venus Pudica, or the "chaste" Venus, and in Paris Bordone's allegories of lovers (c. 1550) toplessness is a symbol of the wedding. Her features have a surprising purity. The forehead is high, according to the fashion of the time which included a shaved hairline. The hairstyle is that of a married woman, gathered up in braids and richly decorated with ribbons, beads, and pearls. Subject's identity It is uncertain how closely the painting resembles Simonetta Vespucci, particularly since if it is a portrait of her, it is posthumous, having been painted about 14 years after her death. When she died, Piero di Cosimo was only 14 years old, so it is possible that it could be a copy of a work by an earlier artist. The Musée Condé questions the identification of the subject, titling the painting Portrait of a woman, said to be of Simonetta Vespucci, and stating that the inscription of her name at the bottom of the painting may have been added at a later date. References External links Official website of Musée Condé Paintings by Piero di Cosimo 1480s paintings Paintings in the collection of the Musée Condé Snakes in art