[EN] Antea - Parmigianino (1527) [Analysis]

Antea, Parmigianino Parmigianino of Antea was a fascinated art historian for centuries and is considered by many to be one of the finest examples of Italian female portraiture, arguably the second most enchanting and mysterious portrait of the Renaissance after the Mona Lisa. This work intrigues art fans and critics as very little is known about why the painting was commissioned or the identity of the sitter. All that is known is that the artwork was painted when Parmigianino made his final return to Parma. Antea is rich in symbolism, from the fine clothing and jewelry to the odd proportions and subjectiveness of the subject's body. Parmigianino has created an odd and boldly confident beauty that fixes the viewer with the audacious gaze. Like the Mona Lisa, Antea has the same almost first-eyes contact with the viewer and she too appears enigmatic and unattainable. The painting was only given the name Antea in the 17th century after Parmigianino's death. Giacomo Bari named the portrait after a famous Roman sculptor in his 1671 work, The Painter's Voyage Through Italy. In classical mythology, Antea also related to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, but there is no evidence to suggest Parmigianino would have chosen his name for his painting. It is not only Antea's skin and complexion which appear unnatural, her boldly proportioned are out of sync. A tiny, yawful head is set upon an impossibly large, curvy, woolly body and her shoulders are too wide and slop off at unfeasible angles. Her one hand is elongated and tepid in the typical monastery style. If you examine her carefully, the different parts of her body don't seem to match. Her eyes are so wide that you can't even see the whiteness below her irises. Parmigianino has given the viewer a strange interpretation of beauty. Yet, despite her physical disproportion and how normal is, her presence still dominates the picture and a forceful beauty shines through. Parmigianino was a gifted portrait artist and could easily convey the emotion and personality of his subject. Antea's gaze seems to be ambiguous, her piercing eyes are almost haughty and nonchalant. Her cool demeanor makes the viewer question what she would think of the viewing world. The viewer feels as through the subject indirectly looking at them and judging what she sees and her critical gaze brings delightful about status and position in society. The relationship between viewer and subject becomes blurred. Once again, Parmigianino has managed to create an interesting illusionary effect in this painting. Antea is looking at the viewer in equal measure and intensity as that which they are looking at her. Parmigianino has manipulated the space in the painting so nothing interrupts the interaction between Antea and the viewer. The background is bare and dark, expect for the shadow and light that emulating her body. The outline of her figure is sharp and strong as if she could pop out of the picture at any moment. Her hands, breasts and face are almost naturally smooth and of a marble-like quality. And of a marble-like quality, you'd get the impression that Antea could have been sculpted.