15-02-2016, 10:28 AM
Don,
Nice comment. Thanks.
Provenancing imagery is a little more complicated when you have no idea what the maker was thinking about.
Was he just adding a little decoration to the page, in fifteenth century Europe? If so, then why isn't the picture like the pretty mermaids in their nice one-piece costumes who turn up in that time, place and ... yes, tradition?
Was he thinking of Jonah, but for some peculiar reason only wanted to picture females?
If so, then what way did he imagine Jonah? That is also part of where and when a person grows up, so if he were in medieval Europe, then in the later centuries he'd probably have a beard, though in the earlier he might be clean-shaven.
If he lived somewhere around the Coptic regions, or had been influenced by them, and seen lots of Coptic-style imagery, but wasn't himself a native (and this is the scenario Baresch supposed, remember) then he might misread the Coptic sort of 'Jonah' as a mermaid. I'll see if there's one online.
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- ha ha - the one which turned up was one I published myself, but it's a good example and shows how the usual thing there was to show the groin and part of the emerging legs and the beast's eye.
Hang on - you already looked at the same one, didn't you? Sorry. I'll stop.
Nice comment. Thanks.
Provenancing imagery is a little more complicated when you have no idea what the maker was thinking about.
Was he just adding a little decoration to the page, in fifteenth century Europe? If so, then why isn't the picture like the pretty mermaids in their nice one-piece costumes who turn up in that time, place and ... yes, tradition?
Was he thinking of Jonah, but for some peculiar reason only wanted to picture females?
If so, then what way did he imagine Jonah? That is also part of where and when a person grows up, so if he were in medieval Europe, then in the later centuries he'd probably have a beard, though in the earlier he might be clean-shaven.
If he lived somewhere around the Coptic regions, or had been influenced by them, and seen lots of Coptic-style imagery, but wasn't himself a native (and this is the scenario Baresch supposed, remember) then he might misread the Coptic sort of 'Jonah' as a mermaid. I'll see if there's one online.
You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to view.
- ha ha - the one which turned up was one I published myself, but it's a good example and shows how the usual thing there was to show the groin and part of the emerging legs and the beast's eye.
Hang on - you already looked at the same one, didn't you? Sorry. I'll stop.