How does Portrait of Laura Dianti elucidate its Description?
The painting depicts a woman with brown hair wearing an ornate headpiece made of cloth and jewels and earrings in the shape of a teardrop pearl. Her gaze looks directly at the viewer. At the center of the headpiece lays a small brooch with the appearance of a figure draped in a red garb. Her dress is a sweeping satin-like blue adorned with delicate gold embellishments and white layered sleeves of a chemise that drapes through to her wrist. Across her chest lays a golden colored sash that goes around to her back. The woman's hand is placed on the shoulder of a small African child as he looks up towards her in response to her touch. The child is dressed in a colorful jacket of yellows, oranges and greens with a green sash tied at the waist. He is wearing a curled gold earring. In his hands, he holds a pair of gloves. The background of the painting is a warm darkness that has a soft illumination around the figures, but does not portray any specific location.
This piece is commonly thought to be a companion piece to the Portrait of Alfonso I d'Este, as evidenced by the similar composition. When displayed next to each other, both figures would  face inward towards one another and they both portray a similar sense of balance. Laura leans on an African page boy while Alfonso leans into a piece of military artillery. This theory is contested, however, by the fact that the two portraits are differently sized with the Portrait of Laura Dianti being the larger canvas.
Alfonso I d'Este Portrait of Alfonso I d'Este Portrait of Laura Dianti Laura Dianti