The Ugly Duchess

Quinten Massys An Old Woman (The Ugly Duchess) is one of the Renaissances most famous faces. In a fresh review of the iconic image, this book unveils the paintings original context: its status as a pioneering work of satirical art, its debt to Leonardo da Vincis grotesque drawings, and what it tells us about the periods complex attitudes towards women, age and normative beauty. The painting and its partner, An Old Man, are parodic portraits that mock the supposed lust and vanity of older women. Yet a closer look also reveals a figure defiantly flouting conventions and a painter subverting artistic expectations. The publication traces the eventful afterlife and enduring power of this seminal image: how she gained her nickname The Ugly Duchess and inspired John Tenniels much-loved illustrations of Lewis Carrolls Alices Adventures in Wonderland (1865), capturing the imagination of generations of readers. Published by National Gallery Global/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: National Gallery, London, 16 March11 June 2023