Giorgione’s portrait speaks on aging and time

An elderly woman stands behind a railing, gazing directly ahead. She wears a white hat and shawl and points to herself with her right hand. A small white paper slips from her sleeve, and her slightly parted lips suggest she is about to speak. Who is she, and what message does she carry?

Giorgione’s La Vecchia (1506) is one of the most evocative portraits of the Italian Renaissance. Though Giorgione died young at 33 and left relatively few works, he is celebrated as a pioneer of Venetian Renaissance art for his poetic landscapes and portraits. This painting is especially remarkable as his only known portrait of an ordinary elderly person rather than a monarch or noble. The model is believed to be his mother, but the painting’s meaning transcends her identity. From her sleeve protrudes a white slip of paper inscribed in Latin with the words Col Tempo, meaning “With Time.” This phrase encapsulates Giorgione’s message. The portrait is a meditation on time, aging, and mortality.

The woman does not appear fearful or despairing. Instead, she meets the viewer’s gaze with quiet sorrow and tenderness, embodying the wisdom of one who understands the natural order through long life.

Though painted over 500 years ago, her solemn expression seems to speak to us today: “Nothing in this world remains unchanged. In the end, all fades — wealth, power, youth, beauty.” In death, all are equal. Her message is simple yet profound: do not cling too tightly.