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Sunday, August 23, 2020

Agnès Sorel

      

Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels by Jean Fouquet. The right wing of the Melun Diptych features Sorel painted as the Virgin Mary at Charles VII request. Circa 1450

Agnès Sorel (1422 – 9 February 1450) was the first officially recognized royal mistress of the European Courts. She was the mistress of King Charles VII of France. She became incredibly powerful, gaining Charles favor after bringing him out of a great depression. She popularized low cut gowns at court, which saw women's breasts basically falling out of their dress. People both imitated her and scorned her at the same time. She met Charles when she was 20 or 21, and died in 1450. Initially it was believed she died of dysentery, but it was later found out as science developed that she had died of poisoning. But was it one of her many enemies at court, who hated her political influence over the king, or was it due to the makeup that she wore. At the time, makeup worn by women contained a myriad of toxic ingredients. She was referred to as the Dame de beauté (Lady of Beauty). 

Friday, August 21, 2020

Monsterous Fish

 https://www.library.wales/discover/digital-gallery/printed-material/monsterous-fish#?c=&m=&s=&cv=&xywh=-670%2C-1%2C3762%2C3200


I took a photo of the image of the 'monsterous fish' seen and described at the link above when I visited the National Library of Wales when I stayed in Aberystwyth. A photo of the pamphlet was featured on an interactive display, and I took a photo of it to remind myself to look up later. Something I tend to do when I visit museums. Something I also tend to do when I do this is to not look up the things I photograph when I get home.

 Tonight I was looking at the library website, and stumbled upon the entry for the pamphlet! I was happy to be reunited with it again.




Wednesday, August 12, 2020

The Cabin Under the Mountain and Beside the Lake

 

The Cabin Under the Mountain and Beside the Lake

Inspired by this photo I took of Tryfan in Snowdonia.

Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Sardinian Traditional Dress


I am very into these Sardinian Traditional Outfits. Instead of having one outfit for the entire island, each village/community has their own variation. Such colors and textures. Lace and ribbons. 

Monday, August 3, 2020

Anansi

Anansi is a Akan folk character that often takes the shape of a spider and is considered to be a god of all knowledge of stories. He also can be representative of the trickster spirit. His (though Anansi energy is androgynous, spirit often is depicted as a man) stories survived through the destruction of culture that was slavery and became particularly prominent in Jamaica and the Caribbean. There were alot of webs in my world this weekend. The momma spider that has been living in my bathtub for the last couple months gave birth. And in the morning I stared out the window from the kitchen and watched another friend make a beautiful cloud and misty river web.  Yesterday I made another 🐊 top from the free Isabelle Schultz pattern out of an old t-shirt. The back strings fit theme I thought.