Host: National Gallery
Date: May 9th to May 23rd
Quinten Massys's ‘Ugly Duchess’ is arguably one of the most popular and most intriguing paintings in the National Gallery’s collection. The distinctive appearance of the sitter raises many questions: is this a lifelike image of a real person, or have her features been exaggerated for comic or grotesque effect? What is the significance of the body language and accessories in the painting, and are the clothes in keeping with the fashions of 1513?
To address these questions, we will consider the wider context of image-making between 1400-1600, interrogating notions of beauty in relation to conceptions of gender, national identity and ethnicity. The concepts of the ‘real’ versus ‘the ideal’ will be discussed in relation to satire, as we focus on decoding dress, decorum and deportment in paintings produced both north and south of the Alps.
