Isabella Gardner bought this work at a Paris auction in 1897. It was called a work of the Renaissance, but some critics noted that the woman’s hair and jewelry seemed strikingly timeless or even modern. Standards of beauty, especially of dress and hairstyle, change very quickly and even careful artists find it nearly impossible to escape the fashions of their own time. The way the figure is cut off through the chest is typical of 15th-century busts, as can be seen in other portraits in the museum.

Once thought to be made of terracotta or stucco, this bust is made with an unusual combination of wood and plaster. The necklace is composed of individual pieces of wood nailed into the base.