Coquette 2013

Carlos Sablòn created this painting entitled ‘Coquette’ in 1981. The woman’s elaborate headwear and jewelry link her to Renaissance portraits of wealthy women, where adornment signified status and wealth. Consider how this portrait echoes the headdresses in Ghirlandaio’s paintings from the late 15th century. The 'coazzone' style of elaborate braids and adornments, as we see here, was a display of artistry and affluence. But note the jarring contrast: the woman's piercing gaze, confronting the viewer, set against an abstract background that throws the past into the present. The coazzone, in its original context, signified elegance and status. Here, it becomes a charged symbol in the language of modern art. The image invites us to reflect on how symbols recur, morph, and find new life, and how visual memory shapes our interpretation of art across centuries.