How the term spinster came about, the thread of life, the feminisation of Hercules, and Velázquez’ baffling Las Hilanderas.
spinning
Paintings showing women spinning from around 1000 CE to the early 20th century, by Eakins, Tanner, Courbet, van Gogh, Breton, and others,
There have been four different readings of this well-known painting. Does any of them work, or should we look to a different account?
The Greek Fates transferred to Norse legend, to Shakespeare’s three witches, even to Terry Pratchett. But you may have misread a lovely Velázquez.
