Worn by the figure of death to obscure its face, as a cowl on a monk’s robes, in religious and academic uniforms, as a chaperon on Dante, and for the traveller when migrating.
Dadd
Axes for human sacrifice, execution, demolition of a bridge to save the city of Rome, as symbols of authority leading to Fascism, and cleaving a hazelnut for fairies.
With ancient origins, and relatively unusual in wooden panels, round canvases became popular in the Renaissance. Examples by Raphael, Poussin, Tiepolo, Girodet, Richard Dadd and others.
At the end of the Golden Age, he specialised in painting the Dark Arts, with astrology, rejuvenation, witchcraft, and faerie allegories.
Venus born surrounded by colourful fish, in the element water, in a feeding frenzy by Turner’s Slave Ship, with mermaids, and brought ashore ready to eat.
A dance to the music of time, the hours, Muses, sirens, winged putti, faeries, maidens fearing death, mid-summer feasts and folk dancing.
Popularised with large-format colour printing in the middle of the 19th century, there appear in several paintings where they contribute to the reading.
Beauties by William Holman Hunt, Gustave Doré, Bruno Liljefors, Vincent van Gogh, Odilon Redon, Richard Dadd and others.
Views from outside looking up and in, including David and Bathsheba, Romeo and Juliet, an early plein air landscape, and Goya’s majas.
Medea tricks the daughters of King Pelias into trying to rejuvenate their father, and they end up killing him. She splits up with Jason, then murders their two sons.
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