Selvaggia Sassetti (born 1470) 1487 - 1488

Curator: What immediately strikes me is the sitter’s almost otherworldly composure against that inky black background. It’s a captivating contrast. Editor: I agree. She certainly projects a quiet strength. For our listeners, we are looking at the oil painting “Selvaggia Sassetti (born 1470)” crafted circa 1487-1488 by Davide Ghirlandaio. It’s an early Renaissance portrait, a period where individualized likenesses were increasingly valued and used as statements about identity and family. Curator: Absolutely. And here, at the Met, this portrait acts as a valuable document in understanding Florentine society and familial identity in the late 15th century. Sassetti was, of course, a member of a very powerful banking family. Editor: We can glean insights into the status and expectations placed upon women of her class, just by observing her garments, hair, and expression. Her elaborate beaded jewelry, her crisply folded, delicate cap, all speak to her social position. Curator: Indeed, Ghirlandaio was a very popular portraitist, known for capturing the likenesses of Florence's elite with accuracy, but with a particular touch toward idealization that his patrons clearly appreciated. He's presenting a view of an individual that's simultaneously realistic and carefully constructed. Editor: It makes me wonder what expectations Selvaggia herself had for her future and life, beyond marriage, as well as whether or not she saw or had input on how her representation in the family history would be perceived. Curator: Those remain questions, of course, for us to keep considering. The act of commissioning and displaying portraits like this one functioned within specific networks of power and prestige. The painting would have signaled her family's status within Florence's competitive social environment. Editor: Looking closely, one also gets a sense of her relative youth; she appears to be a teenager. So, it might have played a part in reinforcing that familial lineage, indicating prosperity, continuity and perhaps hinting at suitable marriage prospects. Curator: This painting stands as an intimate view of a young woman embedded within broader social currents, doesn’t it? Editor: Yes, absolutely! A window into one person’s identity viewed in context of a complex world.