Profile Portrait of a Young Beauty 

Vittorio Matteo Corcos captured this Profile Portrait of a Young Beauty with delicate precision. At first glance, the blue ribbon stands out, an intriguing motif that winds its way through art history. The ribbon, a seemingly simple adornment, has roots stretching back to antiquity. In ancient Greece and Rome, ribbons denoted status and affiliation. But here, in the context of late 19th-century portraiture, it speaks more to an idea of decorum and femininity. We see echoes of this symbolic use in earlier Renaissance portraits where ribbons and elaborate hairstyles signified marital status. Consider, too, how ribbons evolved into coded messages in the Victorian era, where the colour of a ribbon could convey specific sentiments. The cyclical progression of these symbols, surfacing, evolving, and taking on new meanings is worth contemplating. It’s a testament to how emotional expression and cultural memory are embedded in visual symbols.