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Portrait of a Woman known as The Courtesan

Jacopo Palma il Vecchio1520 circa

Museo Poldi Pezzoli

Museo Poldi Pezzoli
Milano, Italy

The painter Jacopo Palma il Vecchio (the Elder) was renowned for his half-length portraits of prosperous and provoking women, thus continuing a pictorial tradition started by Titian.
Similar to other erotic images produced in Venice, this painting, datable to around 1520, was traditionally considered to be the portrait of a courtesan.
Power of seduction is indeed the main characterisation given to the woman; this is evident in the exhibition of the body, but also in the woman's gestures and gaze. However, the 17th century Venetian genre to which this portrait belongs bears specific references to marriage. This is pointed at by various elements of the painting: the exhibition of a naked breast combines its erotic value with the allusion to the breast as a love offering and as a symbol of fertility. In addition, the fact that one breast is partially covered while the other is uncovered stands for the idea of moderate and controlled sexuality, as it is in marriage.
Moreover, the woman's hair is long and loose on her shoulders, as it was custom among Venetian brides. She wears a white blouse, a typical element of the bride's trousseau and a symbol of chastity.

Details

  • Title: Portrait of a Woman known as The Courtesan
  • Creator: Jacopo Palma il Vecchio
  • Creator Lifespan: 1480 - 1528
  • Creator Nationality: Italian
  • Creator Death Place: Venezia
  • Creator Birth Place: Serina
  • Date Created: 1520 circa
  • Physical Dimensions: 87,4 x 73,5 cm
  • Type: Painting
  • Rights: Fondazione artistica Poldi Pezzoli "Onlus"
  • External Link: http://www.museopoldipezzoli.it/#!/en/discover/collections/864
  • Medium: Oil on canvas

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