Two Venetian Ladies
Encyclopedia
Two Venetian Ladies is a painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Vittore Carpaccio
.
The painting, believed to be a quarter of the original work, was executed around 1490 and shows two unknown Venetian ladies. The top portion of the panel, called Hunting on the Lagoon is in the Getty Museum, and another matching panel is missing. The painting was formerly considered to show two courtesan
s. Modern art historians think them more likely members to be of the patrician Torella
family, as suggested by their fine clothes and the pearl necklaces, but academic debate continues, as with other similar Venetian paintings of the period. Several objects - the white kerchief
, the pearl
s and the animals (the dove
s, Venus
's bird) are symbols of chastity
. Note the chopine
s, or platform clogs, on the left.
Another painted panel, now in the Getty Museum http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=801, was published in 1944, and it was later realized that this is part of the same work, fitting above this part: it portrays several boats in a lagoon, and would explain the meaning of the scene, as two women awaiting their husbands' return after an expedition hunting, or fishing with cormorant
s, in the Venetian lagoon.http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?handle=tech&artobj=801&artview=55515 This discovery was verified by an in depth technical analysis, comparing the two fragmentary panels. Another panel the same size as these two combined would have been on the left; probably the two were hinged together to make a diptych
, or a folding door or shutter. The Getty panel has an illusionistic letter rack painted on the back of the panel, which was presumably matched on this panel. This appears to be the earliest small-scale trompe-l'œil painting since antiquity.
Vittore Carpaccio
Vittore Carpaccio was an Italian painter of the Venetian school, who studied under Gentile Bellini. He is best known for a cycle of nine paintings, The Legend of Saint Ursula. His style was somewhat conservative, showing little influence from the Humanist trends that transformed Italian...
.
The painting, believed to be a quarter of the original work, was executed around 1490 and shows two unknown Venetian ladies. The top portion of the panel, called Hunting on the Lagoon is in the Getty Museum, and another matching panel is missing. The painting was formerly considered to show two courtesan
Courtesan
A courtesan was originally a female courtier, which means a person who attends the court of a monarch or other powerful person.In feudal society, the court was the centre of government as well as the residence of the monarch, and social and political life were often completely mixed together...
s. Modern art historians think them more likely members to be of the patrician Torella
Torella
Torella may refer to two Italian municipalities:*Torella dei Lombardi, in the Province of Avellino, Campania*Torella del Sannio, in the Province of Campobasso, MoliseSee also*Torello *Torelli*Toro...
family, as suggested by their fine clothes and the pearl necklaces, but academic debate continues, as with other similar Venetian paintings of the period. Several objects - the white kerchief
Handkerchief
A handkerchief , also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
, the pearl
Pearl
A pearl is a hard object produced within the soft tissue of a living shelled mollusk. Just like the shell of a mollusk, a pearl is made up of calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form, which has been deposited in concentric layers. The ideal pearl is perfectly round and smooth, but many other...
s and the animals (the dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
s, Venus
Venus (mythology)
Venus is a Roman goddess principally associated with love, beauty, sex,sexual seduction and fertility, who played a key role in many Roman religious festivals and myths...
's bird) are symbols of chastity
Chastity
Chastity refers to the sexual behavior of a man or woman acceptable to the moral standards and guidelines of a culture, civilization, or religion....
. Note the chopine
Chopine
A chopine is a type of women's platform shoe that was popular in the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. Chopines were originally used as a patten, clog, or overshoe to protect the shoes and dress from mud and street soil....
s, or platform clogs, on the left.
Another painted panel, now in the Getty Museum http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?artobj=801, was published in 1944, and it was later realized that this is part of the same work, fitting above this part: it portrays several boats in a lagoon, and would explain the meaning of the scene, as two women awaiting their husbands' return after an expedition hunting, or fishing with cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s, in the Venetian lagoon.http://www.getty.edu/art/gettyguide/artObjectDetails?handle=tech&artobj=801&artview=55515 This discovery was verified by an in depth technical analysis, comparing the two fragmentary panels. Another panel the same size as these two combined would have been on the left; probably the two were hinged together to make a diptych
Diptych
A diptych di "two" + ptychē "fold") is any object with two flat plates attached at a hinge. Devices of this form were quite popular in the ancient world, wax tablets being coated with wax on inner faces, for recording notes and for measuring time and direction.In Late Antiquity, ivory diptychs with...
, or a folding door or shutter. The Getty panel has an illusionistic letter rack painted on the back of the panel, which was presumably matched on this panel. This appears to be the earliest small-scale trompe-l'œil painting since antiquity.