Perhaps the painting that provides the most evidence that scholars have indeed been mistaken about identifying types of women in female portraiture is Carpaccio’s Two Venetian Ladies on a Terrace, formerly known as Two Courtesans. The two women depicted in this portrait were previously thought by scholars to be courtesans waiting for clients. However, Fortini Brown explains that,
Now in the Correr Museum in Venice, the painting is the lower half of a dismembered panel that was recently re-united, if only in a photo-montage, with a painting known as Hunting in the Lagoon. Technical analysis proves conclusively that the two paintings were originally a single panel, with the maiolica vase in the lower panel holding the lily that protrudes into the upper. With the two panels juxtaposed, Carpaccio’s original intentions begin to merge: to join the confined domestic recreation space of women to the more public recreation space of their male counterparts. The young boy, probably a page, provides a link-both visual and conceptual- between the two domains.[1]
With this new discovery, one can conclude that this portrait actually shows two aristocratic women who happen to be waiting for their loved ones as they sail in the lagoon. Nevertheless, it is understandable why scholars initially thought these two women were courtesans. For instance, based on the image of a woman labeled a courtesan in A Venetian Courtesan Assisted by Two Maidservants, one would assume that only courtesans wore clogs even though other sources tell us that clogs were worn by both aristocratic women and courtesans. However, if scholars labeling Carpaccio’s women as courtesans were not familiar with the documentation that other women wore clogs, but had only seen this illustration of a courtesan wearing clogs, it is understandable that they would think Carpaccio’s women were courtesans because they are shown wearing clogs.[2] Scholars could have not based their assumptions purely on their attire either because both women of the nobility and courtesans wore the same gowns. According to Fortini Brown, these women are indeed modest because the woman in the rear is holding a handkerchief that signifies chastity. She is also sitting between two vases, one holding lilies, which symbolize both purity and myrtle, both references to marriage. The dog biting the stick represents vigilance while the smaller dog sitting in front of the woman in the foreground represents fidelity.[3] Based on this example, it is clear that scholars tend to speculate and jump to conclusions way too quickly when it comes to female portraiture. Because one tenth of the population in sixteenth century Venice was comprised of courtesans, scholars might easily assume that most of the female portraiture is of them as well. However, with the evidence that both aristocratic women and courtesans looked very similar, the notions that many of these portraits might well be high class women has come to light.
