Docent Note: Getting to Know La Velata

Getting to Know La Velata

Suppose someone finds a picture of you 500 years from now. What could they figure out about you? This picture is almost 500 years old. It is a portrait . Do you know what a portrait is? Let’s try to figure out something about this lady. She is called La Velata, which means ‘The Veiled One’, and sometimes she is called Incognita, the ‘Unknown One’..

• What can you tell us about her?

• Who painted her?

• Where did they live? Where is that?

• Did they have electric lights? TV? Computers?

• How old is she?

• Is she wealthy, or poor? Why?

• Why do you think she is wearing a veil?

• How much of her can we see?

• Does she look happy?

• What words would you use to describe her?

• Why do you think she had her portrait made?

• Do you think she has a job?

• Would she wear those clothes to work?

• Do you think she ever wore jeans?

• Why is this painting special?

• Have you ever had a portrait made?

• Did you wear something special?

• Can a photograph be a portrait?

-- Kathleen Durham