Paintings of this story from Hans Memling to the first of Rembrandt’s show Bathsheba bathing in the foreground while the king looks on as voyeur.
von Aachen
Before photography, the only opportunity to see your face, painters took advantage of the Venus Effect to break optical rules and show faces that couldn’t have been seen in the mirror.
Easily confused with Artemis (Diana), her sign is the crescent moon, and her lover is Endymion, who despite sleeping forever, fathered her 50 daughters.
Two illusions used extensively by painters for centuries before they were recognised. Glare used to accentuate brightness, and Venus for reflection in a mirror.
The story of Bathsheba and King David involves adultery and murder, and ultimately the triumph of power not virtue. Early paintings up to Artemisia Gentileschi.
The Eclectic Light Company 