Pierozzi was one of the exceptionally few women admitted to the Florentine Accademia del Disegno, and was particularly favoured and supported by the Grand Duchess Vittoria della Rovere. Until now, only one other work by her was known, today held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington. The present portrait is therefore a particularly rare addition to her small known oeuvre, made all the more fascinating by its subject: Pierozzi’s own patron, Vittoria della Rovere, here portrayed as Saint Helena.

A highly cultured and influential patron, Vittoria devoted considerable attention to the education and economic support of women, and her circle included several important female artists, among them Giovanna Garzoni. This portrait thus offers a fascinating glimpse into the networks of female patronage at the Medici court, bringing together an exceptionally rare female artist and her patron.