Funny mistake

[frualeydis]

I was browsing through Sotheby's recent catalogue and found this portrait from 1596 (you have to register to view it) by Lorenz Strauch. In the description it is listed as a portrait of a young gentleman, but I'm quite sure young men didn't wear braids in the 16th century. The cap is also a woman's cap. The final proof that it is a woman and not a man is however the inscription "Aetatis suae 25". Suae is the feminine form.

Edited: It has been pointed out that suae reflects the genus of aetas and not of the sitter. It's grammatically weird, but latin is weird in many ways. My grammar knowledge apparently isn't what it should be. But to be fair;I haven't studied latin since 1987. I use it quite a lot in my research, but I just read it, I don't construct sentences. It still is a portrait of a woman though.

Comments

[katarinaw.livejournal.com]

Ytterligare en laddning med mönster har kommit fram! De är superfina! Jag ska ta med mig dem till en-viss-persons jobb och kopiera bilderna i färgkopiatorn, sen ska jag rita av mönstrena på lite mönsterpapper. Jag vill sy allt....

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Bra att de kom fram. Jag vet att jag ska ha något mer mönster någonstans men hittade det inte. Det kanske dyker upp någon gång.

Eva

[myladyswardrobe.livejournal.com]

That is most certainly a girl! There's a distinctive curve to the bodice (doublet style) which shows a bust line, there is a ribbon in the hair (hair taping?) and the necklace seems to be worn in the feminine way but this is the very least evidence.

The clincher is certainly the latin inscription. I am very surprised that Sotheby's haven't picked that one up!

[gea-gilwen.livejournal.com]

But why does "AETATIS SUAE" also appear on the man's portrait?
I don't doubt that the "young gentleman" is most certainly a woman, but I can't explain the inscription on the man's portrait either.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Which man's portrait?

Eva

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

It was actully the gold necklace that made me look at it twice. Then I saw the braid with the ribbon and the bust line. The inscription came last.

Eva

[gea-gilwen.livejournal.com]

There are two portraits, the one is the "young gentleman", the other just a "gentleman". See under "Additional images", number 2 is the "gentleman".
I almost overlooked it, too.

[witandwisdome.livejournal.com]

aetatis suae can refer to a man or a woman as the suae refers to aetatis not to the person in question as aetas is a feminine noun. You see this in other portraits of men (eg Thomas, 2nd Baron Wentworth, 1568, Walter Raleigh)
Hope this helps
Tamsin

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

That's odd, the genitive defintely should connect to the person. It is her or his age. Aetas shouldn't decide the form of the adjective. But weird things happened to latin after the classical age.

Eva

[guyelfkin.livejournal.com]

I missed it too - looks like they are a pair - probably husband and wife.

Teddy

[witandwisdome.livejournal.com]

It's fairly standard, I think (need to dig out my Latin Primer to check...) If written out in full, I imagine that it would be anno 25 aetatis suae ie in the 25th year of his age.
In the same way that a man has 'female' hands (manus suae), 'neuter' head (caput suum) and 'male' toes (digiti sui), so also a 'female' age (aetas sua)

[witandwisdome.livejournal.com]

which isn't much help in identifying the sex of the portrait...
Sorry

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

Does make sense.
I haven't studied any latin for years. I read it a lot, but only imperfect medieval latin.

Eva

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

But, inscription or no, the portrait is clearly of a woman. I think the person who wrote it didn't look carefully and possibly wasn't familiar with dress styles in late 16th century souhtern Germany. That cap really is typical for a woman.

Eva

[liadethornegge.livejournal.com]

A little amusing - I agree, this is a woman. In the same auction, check out lot 768 - portrait by a follower of Lavinia Fontana.