Like eyes and the rest of the face, hands are most usually seen uncovered in figurative paintings. These paintings show gloved hands which have special purposes and meaning.
Velázquez
Paintings by Botticelli, Raphael, Velázquez, Gerard ter Borch, and Vermeer, including an unusual Madonna in which the Virgin Mary is writing the Magnificat.
From bizarre origins as his mother was consumed by fire, and he completed gestation in Zeus’ thigh, to his marriage to Ariadne on the island of Naxos.
Seldom shown in lead roles, superb paintings by masters including Botticelli, Blake, Renoir, and Velázquez, and one strange myth to finish.
Wisdom, crafts including weaving, and warfare, she’s a popular figure in paintings from Mantegna to Klimt, and a contestant in the Judgement of Paris.
Most popularly painted in his lovemaking with Aphrodite, Ares developed a life of his own in painted allegories, particularly those of Rubens.
Famous for discovering his wife Aphrodite making love with Ares, he is blacksmith to the gods, and selected mortals.
Sleeping figures painted by Rubens, Poussin, Velázquez, William Blake, Richard Dadd and other masters.
Much more than just a court painter, Velázquez rose from the ranks to become the King’s friend, and ultimately died as a result of his royal duties.
Two illusions used extensively by painters for centuries before they were recognised. Glare used to accentuate brightness, and Venus for reflection in a mirror.
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