Why this Black Woman and White Woman Have Symbols On Their Faces

Decoding a rare painting with a lesson to impart

British School Allegorical Painting of Two Ladies wearing Beauty Patches (c.1650s) by unknown artist. Oil on canvas. 64 × 75 cm. Image courtesy of UK.gov

Here’s a rare and intriguing painting. It shows two women in a double portrait. One is Black, the other is white.

Their postures and station appear in parallel. They look out to us side-by-side, both with the same high fashion, wearing pearl…