Bare feet as a sign of rural poverty, among irregular peasant volunteer soldiers, and striking miners. But what about the kissing of feet?
Malczewski
Starting a new series, looking at paintings of the first modern European novel. With its deep humour, Cervantes’ masterpiece has been extensively painted.
Little-known now, she was painted by Rubens (twice), Rembrandt (possibly), Lagrenée, and Jacek Malczewski.
Classical expectations are reinforced in the Bible, but clearly fade by New Testament times, when Jesus uses attitudes towards Samaritans in his teaching. By the 19th century, hospitality has been lost.
Sisters at the heart of the myth of Perseus, Medusa and Andromeda. In painting by Burne-Jones, Caravaggio, Malczewski, Klimt and others.
His portraits aren’t simple likenesses, but personal narratives which can be difficult to read now because loss of their context.
Brilliant paintings of Poles exiled to Siberia, Thanatos as a woman, Medusa, and the story of Tobias and the angel.
Epitomising human attitudes to life and death for millennia, they spin the thread of life, measure the length allotted to each person, and cut that length with shears.
Rarely painted, particularly in classical form, until the 19th century, the Grim Reaper is based on Father Time, not Thanatos.
As narrative painting went into decline, Ophelia became even more popular. From Henrietta Rae through sub-aqua views to Waterhouse’s obsession.
