The portrait of Margherita Aldobrandini, Duchess of Parma

Margherita Aldobrandini (Capodimonte, Viterbo, 1588 - Parma 1646), was Pope Clement VIII's nephew and married Duke Ranuccio I Farnese when she was just twelve years old in May 1600, in order to sanction the peace between the two respective families. This marriage guaranteed to Ranuccio a rich dowry and, above all, the autonomy of the duchies. The painting is the counterpart to the portrait of her husband. The Duchess is depicted standing and slightly turned to the right; the dark hair is gathered in a hairstyle embellished with jewels. The dark mourning dress with a gorget is richly and sumptuously embroidered and adorned with precious stones and jewels. She's also wearing a large baroque-style necklace and i sholding a fan in her right hand. The style of the two characters, the style of the clothes and the choice to display themselves suggest that the two portraits were painted after the death of the Duke, in 1622, and it was destined to celebrate an important political event, perhaps the marriage of his son Odoardo. with Margherita de 'Medici in 1628.