Aimee Ng: "A Portrait and Its Mysteries: Parmigianino's Schiava Turca"

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"  presents a new interpretation of the work. Ng's 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.