"As far as representations of slaves are concerned, ancient historians have isolated factors such as smallness of stature, shortness of hair, and posture of the body that they claim denoted slaves in representations from ancient Greece, but it is not possible to do this in Renaissance Europe. Occasionally, the depressed or despairing expression of the African indicates that the person depicted was probably a slave. This is the case with the portrait in silverpoint by Albrecht Durer of a young black African woman called Katharina..., whom Durer encountered in Antwerp in the house of one of his patrons, the Portuguese factor Joao Brandao.
Described by Durer in his diary as Brandao's Mohrin, or Moor, she was very probably his slave rather than simply his servant, although as we shall see, slavery was not legal in the Low Countries, and the word does not convey any legal meaning. Katharina was black, as is shown by Durer's drawing, but his diary entry does not make this clear. Durer himself inscribed the year, her name, and her age -- twenty years old -- on the drawing, so these are not in doubt. Katharina's infinitely faraway expression, her downcast eyes, and her hair covering are movingly captured by Durer. The artist also drew a second black African, a man, at around the same date.... Although the date "1508" appears on the drawing, alongside Durer's monogram, the date is not considered secure. Nothing is known of this man, and it could be that he is the Diener or servant of the same Joao Brandao whom Durer writes he drew after 14 December 1520. With a moustache and beard in addition to close, curly hair, this African is less likely to have been a slave than Katherina, as beards were usually forbidden to slaves, and his expression is less obviously despairing."
Revealing the African Presence in Renaissance Europe, pgs. 16-17.
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