Here we have yet another Leda and the Swan, this one by Hans Baldung Grien (1480-1545), who has probably gotten more space on this blog than any other artist. (I wonder if I should be embarraassed by that.)
Staying with mythological themes, here is The Rape of Europa as depicted by Jan-Erasmus Quellinus (1607-1678). I've been on the hunt for nice cattle paintings since I put up that pretty cow for Imbolc. I'm amazed at the number of artists who seemed to do little but paint cows. Who knew?
Someone please explain to me what was up with Félicien Rops (1833-1898). His work is fascinating, but so deeply weird that I am a little worried about how much I like it.
Hans Baldung Grien and Félicien Rops illustrations from A World History of Art. Jan-Erasmus Quellinus painting from Ciudad de la Pintura.
10 comments:
Whoa, that butterfly-pelvis is so cool! Thank you for the art. You do love Leda, don't you sistah?
It's your fault, Mary--you got me hooked on Leda with that post!
I hope you had a joyful Imbolc. Any sign of spring there?
M,
the Félicien Rops illustration is AMAZING!!! I hadn't seen it before.
So many detais: The pelvis being part of the butterfly, the man's head on the skeletal hand, the wig on the woman's skeleton torso over that eroticized waist and behind, the wings as if it's an angel of death...It's MAGNIFICENT, no words, no words...
One sign of Spring - my neighbor has a witch hazel shrub that has blossomed with spiky little flowers. The early crocuses and snowdrops will be next!
I love Leda, too. :)
I see something new every time I look at that Rops, E. I wish I knew the source. I would love to read the book that inspired it!
It's been feeling a lot like spring here, Mary, but no flowers yet. They'd get zapped by the cold tonight if they had arrived. It's suddenly freezing again. I suppose crazy weather is actually a sign of spring hereabouts.
That Rops is called Sentimental Initiation, and was drawn for a book of the same name. The illustration is held by the Musee d'Orsay; you can read more about it here: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/collections/works-in-focus/graphic-arts/commentaire_id/sentimental-initiation-16271.html?tx_commentaire_pi1[pidLi]=848&tx_commentaire_pi1[from]=845&cHash=450bbb3836
Come on Maria, let's go to Paris and see it in person!
I'm ready, let's go! Can Dave come?
Many thanks for hunting down that link. ;-)
Of course he can come - someone has to haul the luggage and carry our shopping. :)
The temperatures are still nippy here, but the quality of the light has changed, no doubt about it. It's early Spring.
Isn't that change in the light a joy to see? I never fail to marvel at it as the seasons shift.
If you really want to go to Paris, Mary, we might be able to make it happen. Dave's partner is in Europe right now, and he's been emailing photos, inducing wanderlust. Dave just sent me a message lamenting that it's been 30 years since he's been to Paris ...
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