Who Is the Woman Behind Parmigianino's 'Schiava Turca'?

  • 10 years ago
Who Is the Woman Behind Parmigianino's 'Schiava Turca'?
The Frick Collection - The Frick Collection
Parmigianino's exquisite Schiava Turca (Turkish slave) is shrouded in mystery. Who is this woman whose elaborate, almost theatrical, costume inspired an early eighteenth-century writer to give the Renaissance beauty her fantastical name? In this lecture, the guest curator of the special exhibition The Poetry of Parmigianino's "Schiava Turca" will present a new interpretation of the work. Ng's new research suggests that the sitter likely held a special status as a poet in the court culture of Northern Italy.
―This lecture is made possible by the Robert H. Smith Family Foundation.