"Slave girl for sale" by Jose Jimenez Aranda, 1892

Back to Slave Markets

In the Museum of Malaga. With a Greek inscription but a vaguely oriental carpet, this shares the "Greek Slave's" ambiguity between the Ancient and Orientalist worlds. Is she being exposed for sale during the Greek wars of independence from the Ottomans, or is she instead waiting to be bought in an Ancient Greek marketplace?

The inscription is Ancient Greek, and she is aged 18 ("IH"), called "Rose" ("Rhodon") and her price is "800 coins". The long fingenails clearly seen on her right hand, and the way she is idly look at her left hand, suggest she hasn't spent the last few months doing manual work. Is she a rich man's daughter, reduced to slavery, or has her seller recently been preparing her for a life spent serving her master in some non-menial and, by implication, sexual capacity?

(I've written a short blog post about this painting.)

Last modified 15 Jul 05, 1:05 PM by Tanos