Ginevra de' Benci (1478-1566) was an Italian noblewoman from a prominent Florentine family. She was married at the age of sixteen to Luigi Niccolini, a wealthy man twice her age. She was a subject of one of da Vinci's earliest portraits.
Ginevra de' Benci is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci of the eponymous Florentine noblewoman. The work is an oil painting on wood and dates from 1474–1478. It is one of only four known paintings by Leonardo; the others are the Mona Lisa, the Belvedere Torso, and Leda and the Swan. The painting is in the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C., which acquired it in 1967.
In Ginevra de' Benci, Leonardo used a pyramid composition, with the sitter's body at the center and her gaze directed outwards. She is shown in profile, with her left hand on her chest and her right hand resting on the juniper branch. Her hair is pulled back in a simple bun, and she wears a pearl necklace and earrings. Her clothing is billowing and appears to be caught in a breeze. The overall effect is serene and calming.
The meaning of the painting's symbolism is unclear, but it has been suggested that the juniper branch refers to Virginity, while the laurel wreath may represent Fame. Alternatively, the laurel wreath may refer to the fact that Ginevra de' Benci was married to a prominent politician, Luigi di Bernardo Niccolini, while the juniper branch may allude to the Niccolini family's coat of arms, which featured a juniper tree.