Francesca is back! Did you miss her? I missed you! So much has been going on here in the blog. We learned how to look good naked, Plumcake acknowledged my erudition, and we discussed why big ol’ briefs are better than “arse trinkets.” For the record, the music which would play upon Francesca’s entry to a room would either be “Fame,” or “What a Feelin,'” or “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik,” depending on her mood and the occasion.
Onward to the art! Francesca just loves this painting, by Katherine Tisne. To Francesca, the woman in the image seems serene and wise, and confident in her wisdom and her age. Do you agree or no?
(Francesca also enjoys the juxtaposition of the woman’s assymetrical clothing against the symmetrical backdrop.)
A poster print of this image is available here.
I like this painting very much. Unfortunately, modern culture worships the young. Traditional female culture celebrated the maiden, the mother and the crone. While “crone” has a negative connotation now, the point is that each phase of a woman’s life was celebrated for its unique characteristics. The maiden celebrates the female virtue of beauty, the mother-fertility, the crone-wisdom. Unfortunately, we seem to have elevated beauty above all the other virtues. We lose much as women when we forget to celebrate the wisdom and uniqueness of elder women.
But the painting! I love the purple clothing and the red checks. She seems serene, as Francesca writes, but I also see a great deal of humor and vitality in her face. She looks like a woman who has lived well.
Comment by Eilish — January 11, 2008 @ 10:31 pm