#court painter rachel

[artemx746]

"You can't possibly expect me to not be mad" for court painter au hihihihi

(What am I gonna do? Send you prompts. Champ. XD)

Drabble ask game

Ethan stared at the painter, without Alabaster around, she seemed oddly quiet. Her hands fiddled with a paintbrush while she seemingly refused to look Ethan's way.

He needed to say something, this wasn't like silence with Alabaster, where it felt like the rise and fall of the tides, this felt strange like a sky too dark with too little stars and a moon far too dim for the time, odd and unnatural. He settled on "Are you settling in well, being back here?"

She jumped "Oh, uhm, yes! I have. Thank you."

"Have you spoken to your parents? I'm not all too familiar with most members of the queen's court but I believe I've seen your parents, have I not?"

Rachel wilted, she looked like Ethan had stabbed her through the chest with his sword. He should've kept his mouth shut. "You probably have."

The silence was back again and it felt even worse than last time.

Rachel took a deep breath. "Can I tell you something?" With a bit of hesitation, Ethan nodded. "My father wants me to marry Alabaster and I wouldn't really mind it if it weren't for his insistence on it. I don't want to be too rash but, since he's always been quite desperate for more power, I assume he may be trying to get more power through me."

Ethan felt a pit in his stomach, both at the idea of Rachel marrying Alabaster and the idea of Rachel's father using her for that. He seemed wealthy enough, there was no reason for him to need more.

Rachel noticed Ethan glaring, he didn't even know he was doing that, she looked worried. "Are you mad?"

"You can't expect me to not be mad," He paused at her distraught expression and realised she was asking if he was mad at her. "That isn't right of him to do."

She nodded. "I didn't think you of all people would get mad about this."

"Excuse me?"

"Uhm, well, I've just heard rumours, y'know, about your...mother." Ethan froze. "I'm not trying to accuse you or her of anything but–" She held her hand out "–if they have any truth to them, we've got each other."

There was a long moment of hesitation before Ethan shook her hand. "We've got each other." He repeated.

[acotars]

books read in 2024

⋆ ⭒˚.⋆ january ⋆.˚⭒ ⋆

one dark window (the shepherd king #1) by rachel gillig

the murder on the links (hercule poirot #2) by agatha christie

pageboy by elliot page

house of sky and breath (crescent city #2) by sarah j. maas

rogue protocol (the murderbot diaries #3) by martha wells

cult classic by sloane crosley

malibu rising by taylor jenkins reid

the beauty of your face by sahar mustafah

exit strategy (the murderbot diaries #4) by martha wells

animal farm by george orwell

everyone in this room will someday be dead by emily austin

carrie soto is back by taylor jenkins reid

a court this cruel & lovely (kingdom of lies #1) by stacia stark

the rules do not apply by ariel levy

poirot investigates (hercule poirot #3) by agatha christie

yellowface by rebecca f kuang

every heart a doorway (wayward children #1) by seanan mcguire

house of flame and shadow (crescent city #3) by sarah j. maas

read: 18

* · ✦ · * february * · ✦ · *

beautyland by marie-helene bertino

bride by ali hazelwood

network effect (the murderbot diaries #5) by martha wells

fugitive telemetry (the murderbot diaries #6) by martha wells

faebound (faebound #1) by saara el-arifi

the raven boys (the raven cycle #1) by maggie stiefvater **

read: 6

.✦.· *. march .*· .✦.

interesting facts about space by emily austin

penance by eliza clark

the book that no one wanted to read by richard ayoade

pride and prejudice by jane austen

unlikeable female characters: the women pop culture wants you to hate by anna bogutskaya

the shame by makenna goodman

greta & valdin by rebecca k. reilly

read: 7

✷ · ✶ · ✧ april ✧ · ✶ · ✷

this spells love by kate robb

out on a limb by hannah bonam-young

gwen & art are not in love by lex croucher

a lady's guide to scandal by sophie irwin

the friendship study by ruby barrett

the boyfriend candidate by ashley winstead

the pumpkin spice cafe by laurie gilmore

business or pleasure by rachel lynn solomon

how to end a love story by yulin kuang

this could be us (skyland #2) by kennedy ryan

the honeymoon crashers (the unhoneymooners #1.5) by christina lauren

we could have been friends, my father and i by raja shehadeh

how to stop time by matt haig

how to fake it in hollywood by ava wilder

with love from cold world by alicia thompson

funny story by emily henry

love radio by ebony ladelle

old flames and new fortunes by sarah hogle

just for the summer by abby jimenez

don't want you like a best friend by emma r. alban

love interest by clare gilmore

the exception to the rule (the improbable meet-cute #1) by christina lauren

worst wingman ever (the improbable meet-cute #2) by abby jimenez

with any luck (the improbable meet-cute #5) by ashley poston

last call at the local by sara grunder ruiz

happily never after by lynn painter

the ex talk by rachel lynn solomon

i kissed shara wheeler by casey mcquiston

the love wager by lynn painter

morning glory milking farm by c.m. nacosta

will they or won't they by ava wilder

read: 31

.　° * ☆ may ☆ * °　.

when the sky fell on splendor by emily henry

on earth we're briefly gorgeous by ocean vuong

blizzard by marie vingtras

bright young women by jessica knoll

the age of magical overthinking: notes on modern irrationality by amanda montell

the flatshare by beth o'leary **

read: 6

⋆ ˚.⋆ june ⋆.˚ ⋆

not in love by ali hazelwood

the way of kings (the stormlight archive #1) by brandon sanderson

words of radiance (the stormlight archive #2) by brandon sanderson

read: 3

. · ☆ . july . ☆ · .

edgedancer (the stormlight archive #2.5) by brandon sanderson

blue iris: poems and essays by mary oliver

woman, eating by claire kohda

oathbringer (the stormlight archive #3) by brandon sanderson

a novel love story by ashley poston

chlorine by jade song

how to read now by elain castillo

please stop trying to leave me by alana saab

beautifully broken life by catherine cowles

the god of the woods by liz moore

edgedancer (the stormlight archive #3.5) by brandon sanderson

the dead and the dark by courtney gould

a most agreeable murder by julia seales

the murder of roger ackroyd (hercule poirot #4) by agatha christie

read: 14

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁august ݁. ⊹ ₊ ݁.

the bluest eye by toni morrison

more, please: on food, fat, bingeing, longing, and the lust for "enough" by emma specter

the ministry of time by kaliane bradley

system collapse (the murderbot diaries #7) by martha wells

emily wilde's encycolpedia of fairies (emily wilde #1) by heather fawcett

emily wilde's map of the other lands (emily wilde #2) by heather fawcett

catalina by karla cornejo villavicencio

roadside picnic by arkady strugatsky and boris strugatsky

read: 8

·.★ ° ·. ✶ september ✶ .· ° ★.·

the most by jessica anthony

rhythm of war (the stormlight archive #4) by brandon sanderson

we were the universe by kimberly king parsons

read: 3

.• ★ ₊ ݁. • october • . ݁₊ ★ •.

creation lake by rachel kushner

small rain by garth greenwell

spells for forgetting by adrienne young

normal people by sally rooney

there there by tommy orange

read: 5

.·　✶ november ✶　·.

:(

read: 0

· ⊹ * · december · * ��� ·

two can play by ali hazelwood

happy medium by sarah adler

read: 2

⋆ ˚. ⋆ ✶ reading goal: 103/100 ✶ ⋆ .˚ ⋆

add me on goodreads !

[smithlibrary]

Crossover Artist An author who writes for YA and adult

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

Why Fathers Cry at Night by Kwame Alexander (BIO)

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo (Fiction)

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez (Fiction)

The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer (Fiction)

Zero-sum by Joyce Carol Oates (Fiction)

Red at the bone by Jacqueline Woodson (Fiction)

City of Orange by David Yoon (Fiction)

Along Came a Spider by James Patterson (Mystery)

Dial A for Aunties by Jessie Q. Sutanto (Mystery)

Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy (Romance)

Frigid by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Romance)

No Judgments by Meg Cabot (Romance)

The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest (Romance)

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (Romance)

Twice a Quinceañera by Yamile Saied Méndez (Romance)

Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter (Romance)

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston (Romance)

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston (Romance)

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (Romance)

Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell (Romance)

Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon (Romance)

A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair(Romance)

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling (Romance)

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld (SFF)

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo (SFF)

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake (SFF)

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi (SFF)

Immortal longings by Chloe Gong (SFF)

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (SFF)

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas (SFF)

Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco (SFF)

Rooms by Lauren Oliver (SFF)

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth (SFF)

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson (SFF)

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (SFF)

A Wilderness of Stars by Shea Ernshaw (Thriller)

Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow (Thriller)

Nowhere like home : a novel by Sara Shepard (Thriller)

Till Death Do Us Part by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn (Thriller)

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins (Thriller)

One of Our Kind by Nicola Yoon (Thriller)

[brookstonalmanac]

Birthdays 11.15

Beer Birthdays

Grant Wood (1962)

Five Favorite Birthdays

J.G. Ballard; English writer (1930)

Daniel Barenboim; Argentinian-Israeli pianist & conductor (1942)

Georgia O'Keeffe; artist (1887)

Wayne Thiebaud; artist (1920)

Sam Waterson; actor (1940)

Famous Birthdays

Franklin Pierce Adams; journalist & author (1881)

Eusebius Amort; German poet (1692)

Edward Asner; actor (1929)

Gemma Atkinson; actor, model (1984)

Joanna Barnes; actress (1934)

Cynthia Breazeal; computer scientist (1967)

Kevin S. Bright; director (1954)

Carol Bruce; singer & actress (1919)

Mary E. Byrd; astronomer (1849)

Văn Cao; Vietnamese composer, poet & painter (1923)

Jimmy Choo; Malaysian fashion designer (1948)

Petula Clark; country singer (1928)

Gerry Connolly; Australian comedian & actor (1957)

Beverly D'Angelo; actress (1951)

Emma Dumont; actress and model (1994)

Tibor Fischer; English author (1959)

Gloria Foster; actress (1933)

Felix Frankfurter; U.S. Supreme Court justice (1882)

Judy Gold; comedian and actress (1962)

René Guénon; French-Egyptian philosopher (1886)

Arthur Haulot, Belgian journalist and poet (913)

Gerhart Hauptmann; German writer (1862)

William Herschel; German-English astronomer (1738)

Joe Hinton; singer (1929)

Rick Kemp; English singer-songwriter, bass player (1941)

Yaphet Kotto; actor (1937)

Emil Krebs; German polyglot (1867)

Johann Kaspar Lavater; Swiss poet & physiognomist (1741)

Virginie Ledoyen; French actress (1976)

Joe Leeway; English pop singer-songwriter (1955)

Curtis LeMay; air force general (1906)

Anni-Frid Lyngstad; pop singer (1945)

Mantovani; Italian composer (1905)

C.W. McCall; country singer (1928)

Clyde McPhatter; singer (1932)

Bill Melendez; Mexican-American animator & director (1916)

Jonny Lee Miller; English-American actor (1972)

Marianne Moore; poet (1887)

Kevin J. O'Connor; actor (1963)

Ol' Dirty Bastard; rapper and producer (1968)

Daniel Pinkwater; author & illustrator (1941)

William Pitt "the Elder"; English politician (1708)

Alvin Plantinga; philosopher (1932)

Seldon Powell; jazz saxophonist, flautist (1928)

Joseph Quesnel; French-Canadian poet, playwright & composer (1746)

Erwin Rommel; German field marshall (1891)

Randy Savage; wrestler (1952)

Madeleine de Scudéry; French author (1607)

Johannes Secundus; Dutch poet & author (1511)

Sacheverell Sitwell; English author (1897)

Antoni Słonimski; Polish journalist, poet & playwright (1895)

Randy Thomas; singer-songwriter, guitarist (1954)

Rachel True; actress (1966)

Joseph A. Wapner; television judge (1919)

James Widdoes; actor & director (1953)

Thomas Williams; author (1926)

Shailene Woodley; actress (1991)

[the-paintrist]

Rachel Ruysch (3 June 1664 – 12 October 1750) was a Dutch still-life painter from the Northern Netherlands. She specialized in flowers, inventing her own style and achieving international fame in her lifetime. Due to a long and successful career that spanned over six decades, she became the best documented woman painter of the Dutch Golden Age.

It is unknown whether Ruysch was a member of the Amsterdam Guild of Saint Luke, but early signed works by her in the 1680s show the influence of Otto Marseus van Schrieck. By 1699 she and her family had moved to The Hague, where she was offered membership in the Confrerie Pictura as their first female member. In 1701 she and her husband became members of The Hague Painter's Guild. In 1708, Ruysch was invited to work for the court in Düsseldorf and serve as court painter to Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine. She obtained a contract for works painted at home that she periodically brought to Düsseldorf. She continued working for him and his wife from 1708 until the prince's death in 1716.

Art historians consider Ruysch to be one of the most talented still life artists of either sex. By the time of her death at age 86 she had produced hundreds of paintings, of which more than 250 have been documented or are attributed to her. Her dated works establish that she painted from the age of 15 until she was 83, a few years before her death. Historians are able to establish this with certainty because she included her age when signing her paintings.

Vase with Flowers (1700) by Rachel Ruysch

[pintoras]

Women painters from the seventeenth century and before

I have compiled a small, incomplete list of women painters, working mainly in Europe, who were born before the year 1700. You can find works by all of them by searching for them on my blog or by looking through my early women artists tag. Alternatively, here is a post featuring self-portraits by some of them.

Artemisia wasn’t the only one. We have always been here.

Lucia Anguissola (Italian, 1536 or 1538 - c. 1565, before 1568)

Sofonisba Anguissola (Italian, c. 1532 - 1625)

Mary Beale (English, 1633 - 1699)

Marie Blancour (French, 17th century)

Cornelia toe Boecop (Dutch, 1551 - 1629)

Mechteld toe Boecop (Dutch, c. 1520 - 1598)

Alijda Boelens (Dutch, 1557 - 1630)

Gesina ter Borch (Dutch, 1633 - 1690)

Madeleine Boullogne (French, 1646 - 1710)

Eufrasia Burlamacchi (Italian, 1482 - 1548)

Margherita Caffi (Italian, 1650 - 1710)

Ginevra Cantofoli (Italian, 1608 - 1672)

Joan Carlile (English, ca. 1606 - 1679)

Elizabeth Dormer, Countess of Carnarvon (English, 1633 - 1678)

Rosalba Carriera (Italian, 1675 - 1757)

Elisabeth-Sophie Chéron (French, 1648 - 1711)

Maria Giovanna Clementi (La Clementina, Italian, c. 1692 - 1761)

Suzanne de Court (French, active ca. 1600)

Anna Folkema (Dutch, 1695 - 1768)

Lavinia Fontana (Italian, 1552 - 1614)

Fede Galizia (Italian, 1578 - 1630)

Giovanna Garzoni (Italian, 1600 - 1670)

Artemisia Gentileschi (Italian, 1593 - c. 1656)

Maria de Grebber (Dutch, 1602 - 1680)

Guda (German, 12th century)

Margareta de Heer (Dutch, c. 1600 - before 1665)

Catharina van Hemessen (Flemish, 1528 - ca. 1587)

Johanna Helena Herolt (Johanna Helena Graff) (German, 1668 - 1723)

Sarah Hoadly (English, 1676 - 1743)

Louise Hollandine of the Palatinate (German, 1622 - 1709)

Antonina Houbraken (Dutch, 1686 - 1736)

Anna Maria Janssens (Belgian, before 1620 - after 1668)

Henrietta Johnston (American, c. 1674 - 1729)

Gisela von Kerzenbroeck (German, 13th century)

Ann Killigrew (English, 1660 - 1685)

Katherina Van Knibbergen (Dutch, 17th century)

Anna Maria de Koker (Dutch, 1640 - 1698)

Giulia Lama (Italian, c. 1685 - after 1753)

Herrad of Landsberg (Alsatian, c. 1130 - 1195)

Judith Leyster (Dutch, 1609 - 1660)

Barbara Longhi (Italian, 1552 - 1638)

Elisabetta Marchioni (Italian, active 17th century)

Diana De Rosa, called Annella di Massimo (Italian, 1601 - 1634)

Maria Sibylla Merian (German, 1647 - 1717)

Princess Mitsuko (Gen’yo) (Japanese, 1634 - 1727)

Louise Moillon (French, 1610 - 1696)

Maria Monninckx (Dutch, 1673 or 1676 - 1757)

Jacoba Maria Nickele (Dutch, c. 1690 - 1749)

Plautilla Nelli (Italian, 1524 - 1588)

Josefa de Óbidos (Portuguese, 1630 - 1684)

Maria van Oosterwijck (Dutch, 1630 - 1693)

Arcangela Paladini (Italian, 1596 - 1622)

Geronima Cagnaccia Parasole (Italian, c. 1569 - 1622)

Magdalena van de Passe (Dutch, c. 1600 - 1638)

Catharina Peeters (Dutch, 1615 - 1676)

Clara Peeters (Flemish, 1584 - 1657)

Angela Maria Pittetti (Italian, 1690 - 1763)

Elena Recco (Italian, active 17th - 18th century)

Cornelia de Rijck (or de Ryck, Dutch, 1653 - 1726)

Marietta Robusti (Italian, c. 1550 - c. 1590)

Geertruydt Roghman (Dutch, 1625 - 1657)

Anna Elisabeth Ruysch (Dutch, 1666 - after 1741)

Rachel Ruysch (Dutch, 1664 - 1750)

Maria Schalcken (Dutch, 1645 - 1699)

Anna Maria van Schurman (Dutch, 1607 - 1678)

Elisabetta Sirani (Italian, 1638 - 1665)

Levina Teerlinc (Flemish, c. 1510-1520 - 1576)

Maria Verelst (English, 1680 - 1744)

Johanna Vergouwen (Flemish, 1630 - 1714)

Charlotte Vignon (French, before 1639 - after 1685)

Anna Waser (Swiss, 1678 - 1714)

Michaelina Wautier (or Woutier, Woutiers, Belgian, d. 1689)

Alida Withoos (Dutch, 1670 - 1715)

Aleida Wolfsen (Dutch, 1648 - after 1692)

Margaretha Wulfraet (Dutch, 1678 - 1760)

Kiyohara Yukinobu (Japanese, 1643 - 1682)

[audreydoeskaren]

Thank you for posting a review on the book Evolution & Revolution Chinese Dress 1700s - 1990s. It’s so disappointing how the book potentially could’ve been good. What are your favorite books on Chinese fashion history?

Hi, great that you found the review useful! To be completely honest, I haven't really read any books on Chinese fashion before I started this blog, because I mostly used online resources like museums' websites, archaeology reports and other blogs. I actually started this blog in the hopes that people might recommend me some books😅 And I only ever read about the Ming, Qing and republican era so my knowledge is very limited.

Anyway, here are some books people recommended to me that I found great, some that I'm currently reading and some I know to be objectively good:

Ming Dynasty

Q版大明衣冠图志 (2011) 董进著

A classic made by the popular fashion history blogger 撷芳主人 (real name Dong Jin), this book is the ultimate compilation of Ming Dynasty looks illustrated by the most adorable drawings. It has basically everything you need to know about Ming Dynasty garments from informal civilian fashion and theater costumes to the most formal court dress and military uniforms. My only quibble with this book is that it doesn’t specify the decade/year each look is from, giving the false impression that everything could be worn throughout the Ming Dynasty (I heard that he did specify some eras in the new version? I don’t have it so I’m not sure). You can follow the author on Weibo where he regularly posts stuff about the Ming Dynasty, or check out other books and articles written by him. Even if you don’t have the book, you could probably find images of individual entries on the internet. Unfortunately all of it is in Chinese and no English version is available :(

华夏衣冠 中国古代服饰文化 (2016) 孙机著

More of a collection of essays Sun Ji wrote on historical Chinese clothing from a variety of eras, I got it for the chapters on Ming Dynasty xiapei 霞帔 and headwear. Professional, academic language that is still easy to read, plenty of references and neatly traced line drawings of artifacts. Useful diagrams on the structure of 狄髻 diji. However if I remember correctly, Sun had some beef with Dong Jin on the terminology of parts of diji, not sure if that was ever resolved; here’s an article about that. Also only in Chinese (that I know of).

Qing Dynasty

Chinese Reverse Glass Painting 1720-1820 (2020) by Thierry Audric

This is the book form transcript of a dissertation given by the author in 2016. It's more Chinese painting than Chinese fashion but has a lot of wonderful images of 18th century export paintings (with dates even), which depicted fashion realistically. I love 18th century export art in general, they're really beautiful and unusual so I would recommend everybody to check them out. I love this because Chinese oil painting outside of a court context (and all other forms of art that were not literati painting e.g. woodblock print, lithograph, pen and ink illustration) gets very little attention from Chinese art historians. This book could be downloaded for free in pdf form the publisher Peter Lang.

A Fashionable Century: Textile Artistry and Commerce in the Late Qing (2020) by Rachel Silberstein

This book focuses on the 19th century and has some interesting insights on the impact of commercial workshops on Qing fashion, which is a welcome break from the “dragon robes” and women’s domestic work stereotyped in most literature on the Qing. It has rich descriptions of the decoration patterns and fabrics used in the 19th century, accompanied by paintings and photographs. It did kind of fall into the trap of “the late Ming continued into the early Qing” and just dismissed the 18th century altogether, which is a shame. Silberstein’s dating of several prints also appears somewhat incorrect, but it’s still a very useful analysis of the 19th century nonetheless. I read this for free on JSTOR through my university login.

Cinderella’s Sisters: A Revisionist History of Footbinding (2005) by Dorothy Ko

This book is absolutely epic and an undeniable classic on the subject. Ko masterfully avoids all the surface level problematic takes on footbinding and offers an extremely nuanced, extremely well researched overview on the history of footbinding in the Ming, Qing and republican eras, the reasons for its popularity and demise, with a most interesting analysis of the problems with the way people in the republican era went about the abolition of it. The book is more heavy on the social analysis side but also contains a lot of factual description of the process of footbinding, styles popular in different eras etc. I just love how she approaches the topic in the most factual and non-emotionally charged way possible, which is refreshing considering the sheer volume of literature on footbinding that is just brainless condemnation without any nuance, a lot of which also unconsciously perpetuate misogynistic ideas rather than combat them. I don’t know of a way to read this for free, I bought it from Amazon.

Every Step a Lotus (2001) by Dorothy Ko

I haven’t read this yet but apparently it works well as a supplement to Cinderella’s Sisters. Also on footbinding.

China Trade Painting 1750s to 1880s (2014) by Jack S C Lee / 中国外销画 1750s - 1880s 李世庄著

Another book on export art, focusing more on the established painters. Lee digs a bit more into the painters’ experiences and biographies, with big portions on George Chinnery and Lam Qua, but also includes plenty of portraits and scenery paintings depicting men’s clothing and the architecture of the studios at the Guangzhou factories (十三行). It’s great because the paintings included were super realistic and well made with accurate proportions and anatomy----the quality on a par with those produced by the European academies----so they contemplate conventional Chinese portraits made in the same era in showing how the clothing fits on the body. Again I bought this book second hand from Amazon.

----

I don’t know of any reliable books for republican era fashion because for some reasons most discourse on it is centered around the glorification and mystification of the cheongsam... Fortunately, due to the abundance of extant originals and photographs, books are largely not necessary for the research of republican era fashion :3

There are some other books and articles that were recommended to me but I haven’t yet read: x, x

@fouryearsofshades also made a post recently recommending books and it covers other time periods as well.

If anyone knows any other books on the Ming, Qing or republican era please tell me regardless of good or bad. I need to read more😅

[books0977]

Mary, Wife of Henry Thompson of Kirby Hall, as Rachel at the Well (1775). Benjamin West (American, 1738-1820). Oil on canvas. Chrysler Museum of Art.

In this theatrical blend of portraiture and history painting, Benjamin West presents his sitter, English aristocrat Mary Thompson, within a biblical scene from the book of Genesis. Such portraits in costume bespeak both the sophistication of the client and the cosmopolitan training of the artist. Born in Pennsylvania, West studied in Italy and eventually settled in London, where his talent in figure painting helped him become President of the Royal Academy and the official court painter to King George III.

[art-now-india]

BOUQUET FOR YOU ONLY, Baljit Chadha

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose is a Rose (Gertrude Stein, from the poem Sweet Emily, Geography and Plays, 1913) A contemporary, timeless perspective of a subject dearly beloved to artists, poets, horticulturalists and beings throughout epochs, flora depictions range from botanical illustration (for example, the German Baroque naturalist and illustrator Maria Sybill Merian, d. 1717) to Old Master still-lives, from illuminated manuscripts and miniature paintings, to classic East Asian ink paintings, to Surrealism, Fauvism, to pop-art and graphic media. Flowers have always fascinated artists owing to their pureness, and provided a wonderful way for them to express themselves. Traditionally, flowers in life and in art imbue their appreciators with symbolic sense. The still-life in this day and age has lost much of its memento mori or vanitas meaning, and many contemporary artists shallowly forsake the intense discipline and attention to detail required by this genre for mere technical slights of hand and machine. Fortunately, there are still devotees of the love for the rose! In the floral work of Baljit Chadha, his pathway began with basic flowers, in pen and ink due to the inspiration of classic sumi-e (ink painting) during his sojourn in Japan. He understood this as the simple, basic embrace of nature –“to pluck a flower and paint it!” Pursuing this spirit further, he declares that “I do not believe in straight lines, rather a spontaneous use of colour.” He is more known in artistic circles to date in India for his abstract paintings. This series, thus introduces his 11,000 flower oeuvres. Earlier he added colour and then fexicol to bind the ink. Currently, he has incorporated the following materials into his process: watercolour, acrylic paint, as well as oil and wax pastels. This melange enables a broader depiction of the living element of his floral subjects, such that these blossoms spring to life off the standard sized Chinese imported paper upon which he steadfastly works. From the most mannered to the most abstract, passing through each field, medium, technique, genre and school of painting, the realms of flora bespeak individual expression. Such iconic images abound as the Iris and the Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), the Water Lilies of Claude Monet (1840-1926), the pop art flowers based on photographs with a simple motif by Andy Warhol (1928-1987), and fecund depictions by Georgia O’Keefe (1887-1986) who synthesized abstraction and representation in her myriad paintings of natural elements. One of the great painters of flowers, the Belgian painter Pierre-Joseph Redoute (1759- 1840), court painter for Marie Antoinette, eventually emphasized the aesthetic over botanical accuracy or depiction, having been inspired by the Dutch masters (Jan Breughel and Rachel Ruysch). Ruysch (1644-1750) was the most celebrated classical female flower painter. [For reference, the seminal tomes by Sam Segal of Flowers and Nature: Netherlandish Flower Painting of Four Centuries (1991) and Jan van Huysum, 1682-1749: The Temptation of Flora (2007)] In China, bird and flower painting constituted a special genre from the 9th century onwards, rising to great levels in the Song dynasty (960-1279 A.D.). It heralded a marvellous deployment of ink and brush. The individual finesse of the artist conveyed the spirit (qi) of plum blossoms, peonies, chrysanthemums, bamboo, pines and cypresses, each symbolic of aspects of existence. In 2004, the BBC Four hosted a four part series entitled Painting Flowers examined personal artistic themes associated with different species/genres of flora. The following year, the Flower Myth exhibition in Switzerland at the Fondation Beyeler examined the evolving approach to floral representation from the late 19th century to the present day. Ulf Küster, one of the two curators of the exhibition, maintains that "Any painter reveals his true self by painting flowers.” Chadha incorporates his personal embrace of abstraction within the depiction of the ‘divine flower’. Thereby extending the spatial component and fertilising the surrounding air with colour and stroke. His idiosyncratic method, reminiscent of spin/ action painting, is to squeeze the paint from plastic bottles. A pansy, gladiolas, lilies, asters, hyacinth, to cite but a few, each painting is unique. In spirit they are homage to Chadha’s passion to paint. Just as for the Old Master painters of still-lives and floral subjects, each flower imparts his personal connection and interpretation. The Mother of the Sri Aurobindo Society also penned a tome on the significance and meaning of flowers. Chadha earlier had photographed flowers all over the world, as part of his journeys and daily life. The kinetic nature of his paintings departs from the photographic lens. In consideration of the palette and use of materials, Chadha’s works bear a shimmering sensibility akin to that of stained glass, a sort of translucence reflecting his rhythm of life. One which he shares with the facets of nature he so consecrates on a daily basis, a true immersion in this realm of his natural imagination. For Chadha, this lexicon of intimate and universal beauty celebrates the diversity and complex, ever startling web of interconnectivity of life. At its core, a true marvelling of the adavaita, non-duality of humanity and the natural world which surrounds us, one which we must heed to protect and admire. Elizabeth Rogers February 2011

https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-BOUQUET-FOR-YOU-ONLY/392880/2600721/view

[the-dewofthesea]

a lovely anonymous person asked me:  Hey! I’m always on the lookout for new historical movies/series to watch. Do you have any recommendations? 🕯️

I’ve watched so many the past months, most of them you might probably already know, but here is a list of probably more things then anyone asked for. (ordered chronologically by time period, also includes non-english films/series)

based on real events: - Knightfall (2017-2019) Knights Templar 14th century - Kenau (2014) 1573, Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer defends Haarlem with her women army against the Spanish troops [Dutch] - Jamestown (2017-2019) 1619, women join men in the colony of Jamestown - Tulip Fever (2017) 17th century Dutch Tulip Mania - Michiel de Ruyter (2015) Dutch 17th century admiral [Dutch] - Frontier (2016 -) 18th century North American fur trade - Mr. Turner (2014) J.M.W. Turner, painter from the Romanticism - Gentleman Jack (2019-) Anne Lister, 19th century lesbian industrialist and landowner - Ammonite (2020) Mary Anning, 19th century female paleontologist - Insoumises (2019) Henriette Faber/Enriqueta Favez a female Swiss doctor working on Cuba lives life as a man [Spanish?] - Effie Gray (2014) Euphemia Gray, painter married to Pre-Raphaelite painter John Everett Millias - Tesla (2020) Nikola Tesla, 19th century inventor - The English Game (2020) origins of modern football in England, 1870s - Charité (2017) hospital in Berlin, 1888 [German] - Elisa & Marcella (2019) first gay couple to marry in spain, 1901 [Spanish] - Mr Selfridge (2013-2016) Harry Gordon Selfridge, retail magnate  - Radioactive (2019) Marie Skłodowska Curie, physicist and chemist - 1917 (2019) WWI - Amelia (2009) Amelia Earhart, first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean, disappeared in 1937 - Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017) the creator of Wonder Woman   - Charité at War (2019) hospital in Berlin, WWII  [German] - Dunkirk (2017) WWII - A United Kingdom (2016) Secretse & Ruth Khama, heir to Bechuanaland (Botswana) - Hidden Figures (2016) NASA’s (1960s) female mathematicians  - Dreamgirls (2016) The Dreamettes, 1960/70s girl music group  - Loving (2016) 1967 U.S. Supreme Court case Loving vs. Virginia  - The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020) anti-vietnam war protests, 1969

based on fiction: - The Last Kingdom (2015-) by Bernard Cornwell (2004), 9th century - The King (2019) based on Henriad by Shakespeare, 15th century - Wolf Hall (2015) by Hilary Mantel (2009), 16th century  - The Miniaturist (2017) by Jessie Burton (2014), 17th century - Hoe duur was de suiker (2013) by Cynthia McLeod (1987) 18th century plantation in Suriname [Dutch] - Poldark (2015-2019) by Winston Graham (1945), 18th century  - Outlander (2014 -) by Diana Gabaldon (1991), 20th + 18th century - Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) late-18th century painter in France - My Cousin Rachel (2017) by Daphne du Maurier (1951), 1830s   - The Beguiled (2017) by Thomas P. Cullinan (1966), USA civil war - Emma (2020) by Jane Austen (1815), Regency Period - Alias Grace (2017) by Margaret Atwood, murders in 19th century Canada - Little Women (2019) by Louisa May Alcott (1868), 19th century - The Paradise (2012-2013) by Émile Zola (1883), 19th century department store - Bridgerton (2020) by Julia Quinn (2000), Regency Period - Enola Holmes (2020) by Nancy Springer (2006), 1884

things about royalty: - Outlaw King (2018) Robert the Bruce, 14th century - Mary Queen of Scots (2018) Queen Mary of Scotland, 16th century  - The Favourite (2018) Queen Anne of England, 18th century - Catherine the Great (2019) Catherine II of Russia, 18th century - Victoria  (2016 -) Queen Victoria of Great Britain, 19th century - De Troon (2010) Dutch Royal House, 19th century [ Dutch] - The Last Czars (2019) Nicholas II, last emperor of Russia murdered 1918 - the Crown (2016 -) Queen Elizabeth II, 20th century

[artemx746]

listen the executions won’t fix her problems but it means she can attach everything wrong to people she already hates and executing them is like going to a therapist

[mattymurdox]

 The I read 65 books this year, which is significantly more than last year when I read 5. Here is my list of books I read in 2021:

An Ember in the Ashes - by Sabaa Tahir

A Torch Against the Night - by Sabaa Tahir

A Reaper at the Gates - by Sabaa Tahir

A Sky Beyond the Storm - by Sabaa Tahir

Midnight Sun - by Stephenie Meyer

These Violent Delights - by Chloe Gong

The Bear and the Nightingale - by Katherine Arden

The Girl in the Tower - by Katherine Arden

The Winter of the Witch - by Katherine Arden

Legendborn - by Tracy Deonn

We Hunt the Flame - by Hafsah Faizal

We Free the Stars - by Hafsah Faizal

The Bone Shard Daughter - by Andrea Stewart

The Slow Regard of Silent Things - by Patrick Rothfus

A Thief Among the Trees - by Sabaa Tahir

The Poppy War - R.F. Kuang

The Dragon Republic - R.F. Kuang

The Burning God - R.F. Kuang

Death on the Nile - by Agatha Christie

The Inheritance Games - by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Vicious - by V.E. Schwab

A Wise Mans Fear - by Patrick Rothfus

The Merciful Crow - by Margaret Owen

The Infinity Courts - by Akemi Dawn Bowman

The Lies of Locke Lamora - by Scott Lynch

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue -  by V.E. Schwab

Blood & Ash - by Deborah Wilde

A Darker Shade of Magic -  by V.E. Schwab

Persephone Station - by Stina Leicht

The House in the Cerulean Sea - by TJ Klune

The Fifth Season - by NK Jemisin

The Obelisk Gate - by NK Jemisin

The Stone Sky - by NK Jemisin

The City of Brass - SA Chakraborty

The Kingdom of Copper - SA Chakraborty

The Empire of Gold - SA Chakraborty

Lore - by Alexandra Bracken

Lumberjanes Volume 1: Beware the Kitten Holy - by Grace Ellis, Noelle Stevenson, Shannon Watters with Brooklyn A. Allen (Illustrator)

The Lost Apothecary - by Sarah Penner

Get a Life, Chloe Brown - by Talia Hibbert

Take a Hint, Dani Brown - by Talia Hibbert

Act Your Age, Even Brown - by Talia Hibbert

The Jasmine Throne - by Tasha Suri

Firekeepers Daughter - by Angeline Boulley

Red Seas Under Read Skies - by Scott Lynch

Six Crimson Cranes - by Elizabeth Lim

The Wolf and the Woodsman - by Ava Reid

The Kiss Quotient -  by Helen Hoang

The Atlas Six - by Olivia Blake

The Painters Apprentice - by Alexander Small

The Sword of Kaigen - by M.L. Wang

Ace of Spaces - by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

Such a Fun Age - by Kiley Reid

An Enlightenment of Bees - by Rachel Linden

The Midnight Bargain - by C.L. Polk

Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex - by Angela Chen

How We Fall Apart - by Katie Zhao

The Bones of Ruin - by Sarah Raughley

Mexican Gothic - by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Down Comes the Night - by Allison Saft

The Love Hypothesis - by Ali Hazelwood

For the Wolf - by Hannah Witten

This Poison Heart - by Kalynn Bayron

Dead Dead Girls - by Nekesa Afia

Outlander (reread) - by Diana Gabaldon 

[ageneraltheoryoflove]

Modern critics of The Arnolfini Portrait painted by Jan van Eyck are baffled by some of its symbolism, and have engaged in debate about the symbols and meanings behind the double portrait for some time.  Many have attempted to analyze these symbols in the context of societal norms of the time, and yet the controversy continues.  I propose that there is another, most obvious, though scandalous, and even heretical viewpoint that could settle the debate once and for all.

Erwin Panofsky views the painting as a record of a "marriage by a marital oath, more particularly by joining hands," as the two figures in this double portrait are indeed touching hands in the very center of the image.  He assumes the identity of the female figure to be that of Giovanna Cenami, whom a Giovanni Arnolfini living in Flanders at the time did not legally marry until 13 years after van Eyck's painting was completed (Chipps Smith, p. 102-103.)  I believe this assumption to be a mistake, because it precludes other possibilities as to the identity of the female figure portrayed by the artist.  I do believe that he is correct in the analysis that the painting is a record of some kind of societal contract, akin to a marriage, taking place in the private space of Arnolfini's domicile.  I believe it to be more of an allegory to marriage, however, since the historical identity of this female figure remains a mystery, and for all of the historical evidence available, did not exist in live human form at the time that the portrait was painted, in 1434 AD.

Art historian Craig Harbison wrote about The Arnolfini Portrait that, as a wealthy merchant Giovanni Arnolfini was well known for a "pretension to noble status" and that "Arnolfini apparently spent much time courting the Flemish nobility."  Harbison comments on the luxurious nature of the couple's dress to support this claim.  He relays details of how their dress mimics that of Royalty when he writes, "The somber colors of the man's clothing, dark purple, brown, and black, appropriately mirror the taste of the duke of Burgundy. Cenami's pale complexion is no doubt due to heavily applied makeup favored by courtly women to give a refined impression. Her robe, while not made of particularly costly fabric, has an elegant white fur lining and enormous sleeves decorated with applied dagging."  Harbison has overlooked, however, critical details of the female figure's dress that tell of how she is not merely attired luxuriously, but in the exact manner of the Burgundian courtly trends of the time.  Isabeau of Bavaria, wife and Queen to Charles VI, was the first woman in recorded history to wear a linen petticoat, and this item was considered the ultimate symbol of luxury and status in her court.  Burgundian Ladies, in an effort to display their status, would wear overcoats, the gender neutral houppelande, with cutouts and sleeves designed to give a glimpse of their luxurious linen undergarments.  The truncated sleeve of the emerald green houppelande worn by the female figure in The Arnolfini Portrait performs this service perfectly.  Yes, it is lined with white fur, as Harbison noted, but more importantly, it shows quite a good portion of the fine linen of her undergarment.  Isabeau was also the Queen of wearing high headdresses, particularly heart in shape, and the architecture of palaces was altered to allow ladies of her court ease and comfort in traversing the walkways in their headgear.  True to Royal form, the womanly figure that van Eyck portrays in this double portrait is adorned with an elaborate headdress, which accentuates her high forehead.  The Burgundian courts valued high foreheads above all other adornments on a noble woman, and the feature was emphasized and valued in portraiture painting of the time.  Like the symbol of fertility in gathering the houppelande skirts to one's waistline, the high forehead indicated survival of the plague that had wiped out viable brides of the Royal line.  The combination of these details convey to the viewer that the female figure in this painting is of Royal descent, and is likely to continue the Royal bloodline.  This figure was painted as if she were nobility, not merely imitating royal descent, and she is declared fertile by her dress.  Harbison, like Panofsky, assumed her identity to be that of Arnolfini's future bride, Giovanna Cenami, but I do not believe that she would have worn these styles in exactly this way, having come from the burgher class herself.  In fact, Wikipedia states that this marriage was assumed by art historians entirely, and that Arnolfini was never married a second time, as his first wife had deceased before this painting was commissioned.

Why would art historians assume a marriage?  I believe it is because they are too literal.  Of much debate and mystery is the inscription that the painter placed above the mirror, between the eyes of the two figures, and at eye level in the composition.  The inscription reads, "Jan van Eyck was here." It is also situated between the chandelier, which critics claim to represent God, and the mirror, which has been painted in great detail with scenes from the Passion of Christ.  Essentially, the artist has placed himself as an authority between the Heavenly and the Earthly realms.  Most art historians agree that this inscription is some kind of witness statement, but they cannot agree on what exactly is being witnessed.  When I consider that the female figure in this painting is an allegory, a symbol unto herself, of the Burgundian courts and Royalty, I begin to consider that the painter understood that he had been commissioned to document an unprecedented moment in History:  the marriage of the burgher class and the nobility.  He may have understood that this was a fantasy in Arnolfini's mind, but he also recognized that it was a powerful political statement, and he wanted recognition as offering support to his patron in making this statement.  He was indeed an authority to validate the marriage, for as a member of the burgeoning Flemish society of the time, he witnessed the economic exchanges with Royalty and the growing power of the burgher class, quite literally, and on a daily basis.

I believe that it is not an accident that this particular Flemish portrait of the Renaissance has survived, while others have not, for it carries meaning and power of great significance to the evolution of European economics and society.  In commissioning Jan van Eyck to paint a portrait of himself marrying Royalty, Giovanni Arnolfini was claiming that his wealth and status as a merchant afforded him the same amount of sovereignty and religiosity of the rulers of the time.  This painting documents the beginnings of New Money, and the destruction of the old system, as we saw with the entrenne, where money could not buy power or recognition.  The Arnolfini Portrait is so named because it is actually the portrait of one man taking a revolutionary stand in society.  The second figure in the double portrait is that of an institution, not an individual person.  The allegorical marriage in the painting was conducted in private chambers, an act of defiance in itself, and an official statement that a commoner was procreating with Royalty, with or without sanction.  Jan van Eyck was there, and his legacy lives on because he dared to join a contemporary burgher in fighting the status quo.  I mean, the strategically placed inscription, which art historians call "odd," rendered him infamous, for centuries, as World War II graffiti can attest.  The religious symbols abundant in the painting hint that the commission of this work was indeed sanctioned by a higher authority, a Bishop perhaps, but we lack evidence of this detail, and so the debate continues.

I have no doubt in my mind, however, after reviewing the writings of the aforementioned authors, and others, that Jan van Eyck documented the conception of Modern Capitalism with The Arnolfini Portrait.  To take a cue from Vicki Saxon, this painting was more like the Royal Wedding portrait of Harry and Meghan than a Kardashian family portrait.  The artist threw in all of those debated symbols of wealth and fertility specifically to inform the audience that they were viewing the birth of a New Age, one resilient with prosperity for the common man, not born to nobility, but married into it by wealth.  Jan van Eyck was a master of hyper realistic detail, which was highly valued then and is now, but his genius is in his apparent knowledge of his place in History, as the midwife, or St. Catherine, of the Art World.  One need only look to the era of Kilroy to see how the portent of this masterpiece played out.  With oil barons buying up noble estates, and the daughters of shipping magnates salvaging the old family name, the Merchant and his Royal Bride were more relevant in the 20th Century than they were in the 15th.  Somehow painter and subject were both aware of this, because the state of solemnity that Jan van Eyck painted on Arnolfini's face is so priceless, as he was a visionary looking to a future, centuries and centuries beyond his Worldly grasp.  Those unknown figures reflected in the mirror?  That is you and me.

Rachel Schultz

Course ARH361U : The Northern Renaissance

Portland State University

Spring 2020

[figuresinthevoid]

The Favourite

Sir Anthony van Dyck (1599-1641), Flemish painter and engraver.

He was the principal painter of the royal Court of England, making portraits especially for Charles I of England, while he also had the mythological or religious subjects as predilection themes. His style, elegant, visually fluid, and, therefore, highly popular, will have a great influence on the baroque style as a whole, even far after his death.

(Oil paintings details. The pictures show, in order: Rinaldo and Armida, first part of seventeenth century ; Cupid and Psyche, circa 1638 ; Charles I with M. de St Antoine, 1633 ; The Vision of the Blessed Hermann Joseph, between 1629 and 1630 ; St. Rosalie in Glory, 1624 ; Portrait of Agostino Pallavicini, 1621 ; Rachel de Ruvigny, Countess of Southampton, circa 1640 ; Virgin and Child, between 1630 and 1632 ; Lamentation over the Dead Christ, between 1634 and 1640 ; and finally, Daedalus and Icarus, before 1625)

[rijksmuseum-art]

Still Life with Flowers in a Glass Vase, Museum of the Netherlands

Rachel Ruysch was the daughter of Frederik Ruysch, a professor of botany. Her artistic talent was recognized early on and she became a renowned painter of floral still lifes. Even though she bore ten children, she nevertheless managed to pursue a professional career as an artist. Her pictures were admired at the courts in The Hague and Germany, and she was appointed court painter to the Elector Palatine.

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.6771

[bluboothalassophile]

Hey Blu I hope everything is working out for you. I've been going through some of the HfaB Universe collection and was curious about who is in Raven's Hells Court so far and their roles. Lol just a curious question.

Hello,

The very important thing to remember here is that Raven’s ‘Court’ is a Mock Court and Not the Actual Court of Hell.

But here’s who’s who in Rae’s Mock Court of Hell:

Raven, a.k.a. Rachel Roth; the Queen of Hell

Not to be confused for Rae’s Actual Title in Hell which is Ruler of the Five Under Realms and Conqueror of Worlds

Victor Stone, a.k.a. Cyborg; the Vice President

Harleen Quinzel & Pamela Isley, a.k.a. Harley Quin & Poison Ivy; The Dowager Empresses

Jason Peter Todd, a.k.a. Red Hood; the Adviser and the Cook; also frostily referred to as the Count of Monte Cristo by Roy later

Roy Harper, a.k.a. Arsenal; the Minion, also affectionately called Kevin

Bizarro; the Prime Minister

Artemis of Bana-Mighdall; the Queen’s Guard

Kyle Rayner, a.k.a. White Lantern; Court Painter

Eddie Bloomberg, a.k.a. Kid Devil; Bill the Lizard

Thaddeus Thawne, a.k.a. Inertia; The General

Koryak; the Admiral

Melvin, Timmy, & Teether; the Three Musketeers

Mary-Beth, Billy, & Jessica Williams; the Charmed Ones

Lucifer Morningstar; Prince of Darkness

Not to be confused with his Actual Title in the Court of Hell as the King of Hell

Mazikeen Morningstar; Prince’s Consort

Not to be confused with her Actual Title in the Court of Hell as the King’s Consort and Queen of Hell

Dick Grayson & Koriand’r, a.k.a. Nightwing & Starfire; Prince & Princess of Hearts

Athanasia al Ghul, a.k.a. Ghost; the Spider

Tim Drake; a.k.a. Red Robin; Jedi Knight

Stephanie Brown, a.k.a. Spoiler; Keeper of Waffles

Cassandra Caine, a.k.a. Batgirl; Hand of the Queen

Duke Thomas, a.k.a. Signal; the Gryphon

Damian Wayne, a.k.a. Robin; the Gremlin