Paris in Juli (4)

Painting of the month (2)

I found this painting really accidentaly, during reading the book A History of the World in 10½ Chapters by Julian Barnes. The 5. chapter is about this artwork. Somehow, it's wonderful on its extraordinary way:

Theodore Géricault (1791-1824): The Raft of the Medusa

"The Raft of the Medusa (French: Le Radeau de la Méduse) is an oil painting
of 1818–1819 by the French Romantic painter and lithographer Théodore Géricault
(1791–1824). Completed when the artist was just 27, the work has become an icon
of French Romanticism. At 491 cm × 716 cm (193.3 in × 282.3 in),[1] it is an
over-life-size painting that depicts a moment from the aftermath of the wreck of
the French naval frigate Méduse, which ran aground off the coast of today's
Mauritania on July 5, 1816. At least 147 people were set adrift on a hurriedly
constructed raft; all but 15 died in the 13 days before their rescue, and those
who survived endured starvation, dehydration, cannibalism and madness. The event
became an international scandal, in part because its cause was widely attributed
to the incompetence of the French captain acting under the authority of the
recently restored French monarchy."

(qoute:wikipedia.com)

Paris in Juli challenge is hosted by http://bookbath.blogspot.com/ and http://thyme-for-tea.blogspot.com/

Paris in Juli (2)

Paintings of the month (1)

Jean-Honore Fragonard (1732-1806): Te Swing

From the article of the wikipedia:

"The painting depicts a young man hidden in the bushes, watching a woman on a
swing, being pushed by her husband. Her husband is hidden in the shadow, as he
is unaware of the affair. (The Baron had requested a portrait of his mistress
seated on a swing being pushed by a bishop, which Fragonard later replaced with
a smiling husband.) As the lady goes high on the swing, she lets him take a
furtive peep under her dress."

Well, this is one of my favorite French paintings. Wonderful colors and a bit piquancy. There were some periods in my life, I was a huge fan of rococo. Uh, and yes, this painting is'nt that inocent, what you might think at the first look, remember, there were time, when women didn't wear underwear!

Paris in Juli challenge is hosted by http://bookbath.blogspot.com/ and http://thyme-for-tea.blogspot.com/