Tag: Mercury
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16 Works, Today, June 6th. is Diego Velázquez’s day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #155
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez was a 17th-century Spanish painter who produced “Las Meninas” and many renowned portraits as a member of King Philip IV’s royal court… Please follow link for full post
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19 Works, September 11th. is Artist Gerard de Lairesse’s day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #201
Gerard or Gérard (de) Lairesse (11 September 1641 — June 1711) was a Dutch Golden Age painter and art theorist. His broad range of skills included music, poetry, and theatre. His importance grew in the period following the death of Rembrandt… Please follow link for full post
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19 Works, September 11th. is Gerard de Lairesse’s day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #201
The theme comes from the famous apologue of Prodicas, transmitted by Xenophon, often represented by painters (Raphael, Carrache, Rubens, etc., cf. Panofsky). Vice is embodied by the provocative Voluptuousness, accompanied by an old woman in the role of matchmaker. The attribute of chaste Virtue is a horse bit, a symbol of restraint and moderation. Behind…
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16 Works, Today, June 6th. is Diego Velázquez’s day, his story, illustrated with footnotes #155
Traditionally, it was believed that the painting depicted women workers in the tapestry workshop of Santa Isabel. In 1948, however, Diego Angula observed that the iconography suggested Ovid’s Fable of Arachne, the story of the mortal Arachne who dared to challenge the goddess Athena to a weaving competition and, on winning the contest, was turned…