Her curls worn in a centre parting are just visible beneath her cap. There is unfortunately no indication of her name or identity. The individuality of the girl’s facial features suggests that Zuccaro made the drawing having seen her in person. The direct connection between Africa and Europe across the Mediterranean Sea meant there were Black people in southern European cities long before they came to the Netherlands. We can therefore conclude that this is an early realistic depiction of a Black woman in Europe.
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