La Fornarina c. 19th century

Curator: Ah, "La Fornarina," engraved by Filippo Cenci. She has this cool, detached gaze, doesn't she? It's almost as if she's challenging the viewer. Editor: The gaze certainly commands attention. She holds a fur wrap, a status symbol. It’s tough to ignore the racial politics implicit in representing beauty in this way. Curator: Absolutely. You see this in so much art of the period. You can’t help but wonder about the artist’s intentions. What's being valorized? Editor: What exactly is valorized? A very precise social order, yes. But also, the possibility of beauty in the face of so much exclusion. Curator: It’s all so complex. Editor: Indeed. "La Fornarina" invites many questions, and demands we ask them. Curator: Well said!