She was recognized by dignitaries around the world & compared to many varied forms of excellence. The beauty, emotion, & dream which she was able to communicate via bodily movement was unparalleled. Google was able to capture that via their Doodle. Entirely made my day!
My favorite example of this is found is Raphael's Three Graces, the original painting is housed in the infamous Galleria degli Uffiizi; yet, they are figures which he used repeatedly. This is the perfect representation of beauty as held by the Renaissance society. These women are supple, inviting, & submissive, their skin is pink, & their curves are rounded: all qualities which were very desirable at the time. Another fantastic example in her most of her depictions, is Venus, as she was Beauty.
First is the painting above is Venus & Mars by Saraceni: here Venus is depicted as fair, soft, & submissive, while Mars is strong, lean, & dominant. Secondly we have the Venus of Urbino by Titian, while her facial expression suggests a stronger woman, she is still a plump character by all means, submissive & inviting. The most interesting depiction of Venus during this time period, one which has been studied at greater length than all others, & which is the only (to my knowledge) which depicts her apart from the traditional female form, is that of The Birth of Venus by Botticelli. In this painting, Venus strays from her usual form, & is found in quite more of a male physique for the time: she is more muscular, more lean, stronger. She is hardly the antithesis which is the most notable male depiction of Il David, incredibly lean & muscular, but she's straying that way. Perhaps Botticelli knew what was to come.
Continuing, into the French Revolution we see the rounded form of Marie Antoinette as the accepted form of beauty. Further still, we run into Victorian England, where the female form begins to evolve. This is the first societal use of corsets in order to accentuate a woman's hourglass figure. Hoop-dresses were used to highlight a slim waist, while the rest of the female form was kept relatively rounded. Even with this small slimming though,we see what is the beginning of the decent into our currently held notion of beauty.
Nothing showcases this obsession quite as well as model Stella Tennant at the French Chanel fashion show:
What is boils down to however, as with a great Balsamic, is that from the time of the Renaissance to now, we've changed the form of beauty from a plump & submissive woman, to a strong, lean & muscular woman as shown by Gisele below.
Take another look at Il David, & tell me if we have not in fact, become a soceity who is all, in effect, attracted to the male form?
Other allusions I enjoyed include one to Dante's Devine Comedy: the buliding of the dome was described as "di giro in giro" or "circle by circle", which was a phrase Dante used to describe the levels of both Paradise & Hell. I find the notion of the encircling, or rather leading to deeper & more profound truths quite intoxicating. I also LOVE the parallel used near the end of the book to describe how being within the dome brings "tranquility of the soul" 164; walking through the pristinely quiet Bisilica brings to mind "grace under pressure", what a beautifully fitting analogy for such a magnificent triumph.
Filippo Brunelleschi brought to life a vision which has yet to be surpassed nearly 600 years later, his masterpiece inspires all forms of Ingegno (Genius) & is a vision which will forever permeate my psyche.
Mrs. O'Leary's BBQ: My very first O.P.I., & encompasses everything I love about nail plish. It's deep & vibrant, seductive & sleek
