Italian painting

in 1440 through 1540 female portraiture in Florence thrived beyond the realm of rulers and their consorts to encompass women of the merchant class, who figure in a number of panel paintings, medals, and marble busts.
The Renaissance portraits differ in many ways from portraits today. First of all, they lack the psychological dimension which is characteristic for modern portraiture. A Renaissance portrait represents a different conception of identity of a model. In the case of women, they were seen in light of their social status and familial roles as wives and mothers.