02-05-2016, 09:59 AM
She does appear to have been constructed as the focal point of the series - for whatever reason.
Is she really bathing though? To me it seems as if she is rather standing on some kind of platform that's been covered with a blue carpet, including tassels. The main reason for this is that most bathing nymphs have their feet and legs covered with the water, while this one appears to be standing on the surface.
I would interpret this as the queen "holding court" and receiving the messenger. Her central position might relate to the "actual" layer of information rather than the mythological subject that's been overlaid as a mnemonic. But as long as we don't know what the actual layer of information is - or if there even is one - that's hard to demonstrate.
Is she really bathing though? To me it seems as if she is rather standing on some kind of platform that's been covered with a blue carpet, including tassels. The main reason for this is that most bathing nymphs have their feet and legs covered with the water, while this one appears to be standing on the surface.
I would interpret this as the queen "holding court" and receiving the messenger. Her central position might relate to the "actual" layer of information rather than the mythological subject that's been overlaid as a mnemonic. But as long as we don't know what the actual layer of information is - or if there even is one - that's hard to demonstrate.