7.26.2009

Gabrielle d'Estrées et une de ses soeurs- what the fuck is going on here?














This beautifully painted French work from 1594 is spiked with rich color and sensual symbolism.

And I'm sure you've noticed that one chick is squeezing the other chick's nipple. I mean, I
figured you had. It's pretty distracting. Seriously, though, what is up with that?

More strange things about this painting:

They're sisters.
The one on the right is King Henry IV's mistress.
She's holding his coronation ring.
She's pregnant.
Everyone is left-handed.
The painting in the background is of a naked dude.
The artist is unknown.

4 comments:

erthdic said...

I heard that in many of the paintings from that era the people were left-handed due to a kind of projector the painters used to plow up small sketches, reversing them in the process.
Were they sisters or 'Sisters'?

ladylazarus said...

Yes! I heard that, too..

They were sisters, although if they were "sisters" that would have possibly been even cooler .

madcarl said...

I was in france and I saw that painting, I actually took a photo of it

Nuspickle said...

Damn! erthdic beat me to the comment! Ill just fade away quietly now.