RA: A grotesque old woman

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/cgi-bin/WebObjects.dll/CollectionPublisher.woa/wa/largeImage?workNumber=NG5769&collectionPublisherSection=work

"A Grotesque Old Woman"
What are the consequences of extreme materialistic attitudes on old women?
The enthymeme: Extreme materialistic attitudes degrade old women because extreme materialistic attitudes cause old women to unnecessarily embellish.
The audience being addressed in this picture was the upper class. More specifically, those who attempt to use wealth and materialistic things to make themselves seem more desirable. The assumption is that anything that causes women to over embellish degrades them. The argument is that extreme materialistic attitudes cause old women to over embellish.
The picture is believed to have come from an original drawing by Leonardo Di Vinci. His name alone draws people to his work and to think about the messages he presents. This picture is interesting because he uses some humor to illustrate his point. Rather than use an actual individual to make his statement, he over emphasizes that which he is saying. This can both ease the impact of the his message, as well make it a bit more cutting. People can laugh it off if they don't wish to accept it's implications regarding materialism, or they can take responsibility for it. The picture is so unattractive that it draws viewers into it, which makes them think about it.
The nature of the picture makes it plenty sufficient. The person is so very old and so very ugly that there is no chance the point of the picture would be missed. This painting is both typical and atypical at the same time. During the era in which this piece of art was made, many high class individuals commissioned painter to paint glamorized portraits, and this is using that same medium to make a mockery. Whether the message that overly materialistic upper class people embellished too much is true or not, I'm not sure. I'm not an expert of this time period, but when it was painted, I would say that it was relevant because the extreme class distinctions that were prevalent.