The Ugly Duchess

The painting, The Ugly Duchess is a satiric mannerist portrait of an old woman. The woman has a very unappealing appearance. She has a wrinkly body and her face is unbelievably unattractive, almost inhuman. And yet, we can see she’s wearing youthful outfit with her décolletage on display. The woman is holding a flower in her hand, like a young girl ready to fall in love. Metsys is trying to show to the audience the Duchess’s ridiculousness through demonstrating her apparent lack of self-criticism. This painting may be a rare example of this subject in mannerist art, but it shows the modern viewer that the problem of aging with dignity isn’t as new as we may think.