Reading yesterday's records in famous paintings!
Reading from a famous painting that was sleeping in an art museum
30 Very Historical and Fascinating Stories

Louis XIV, who has been regarded as a symbol of absolute power, actually focused on fashion to hide his complexes, and as a result, made France a mecca for high fashion.
The political pornography that plagued Marie Antoinette eventually became the catalyst that led to the French Revolution.
The origins of the "fasting girls" who appeared in the Victorian era and lived without eating can be traced back to the medieval nuns who starved to death, who had to undergo even harsher and more severe ascetic practices than men to become saints.
Even in the 17th century, there was a foodstagram, and these were even made into paintings to be recreated as famous paintings.
Van Gogh, who was considered 'abnormal', was confined to a mental hospital and painted the scenery he saw from the window at dawn, capturing his dreams, anxiety, hope and pain in 'Starry Night'.
We can also learn about the form of sugar, once called "white gold," in paintings, how the day of humanity's destruction was depicted in Michelangelo's work, why he painted his own face in "The Last Judgment," and how Disney repackaged the myth of the Indian princess as a fantastic lie, all through famous paintings that have been recorded in history.

This book is a pictorial history book that examines the history that was dormant or overlooked in works of art through six keywords.
We read the history, the records of yesterday, that the painters of the past vividly depicted in their paintings, as if they were living and breathing their own times.
It shows how famous kings and queens, who were the center of pre-modern history, and sex and love, which can be said to be the core of life along with food, clothing, and shelter, are remembered in paintings.
In addition, we can read about the history of food left in the paintings, how the history of faith and religion recorded in the paintings, the history of power and authority are imprinted in the paintings, and what thoughts and values ​​humans have had and how they have lived through the paintings that contain the appearance of modern society.
The moment you see a famous painting, you will clearly see the era and scenes that you had not been able to see before.

It is very interesting that only the king, Jane Seymour, and the prince are placed within the space of the pillars, while the princesses are pushed out of the pillars.
It gives the impression that the king's only real family is the prince and his deceased mother, Jane Seymour.
The positions of the two princesses in the portrait still make them appear as illegitimate children, reserves for the throne.
Additionally, the necklaces of the two princesses reveal the cold conflict within this family.
Mary, a Catholic, wears a crucifix necklace, while Elizabeth wears an emerald and pearl necklace with the initial A, which she inherited from Anne Boleyn.
Sometimes a picture speaks a thousand words.
Although it is a portrait of a family gathered together, it tells a complex story of love and hate for this royal family.
--- p.56

Jean-Léon Gérôme depicts the romantic first meeting between Caesar and Cleopatra, based on Plutarch's account.
In the painting, Cleopatra has just emerged from the carpet and is standing before Caesar in a seductive pose.
Her breasts are revealed beneath a gorgeous and elaborate Egyptian necklace, and her legs are voluptuous, visible through a transparent veil-like skirt beneath her belt.
Next to her, a slave, painted as a prop to create an exotic atmosphere, crouched fearfully behind the queen.
Caesar, sitting at his desk, looks up at Cleopatra, waving his hands in the air in confusion.
The artist portrayed a young and alluring Egyptian queen in a typically Orientalist light, imagining ancient events.
--- p.95

Oranges and lemons hanging from the branches of the tree symbolize new hope.
Winter carries a double meaning: it is not death and extinction, but it holds another life, and the Emperor's power and authority will never disappear.
The nose was drawn with spices such as cinnamon sticks, eyes with cloves, lips with ginger, ears with nutmeg, and forehead with white pepper.
These are spices with warm properties and are often used in winter dishes.
In this way, spices in Arcimboldo's works were used as elements that express a sense of the seasons.
--- p.189

What is even more amazing is that Michelangelo included his own image in the painting.
The face painted on the skin held by Saint Bartholomew is his self-portrait.
Why did Michelangelo portray himself as an empty shell, suspended precariously between heaven and hell? He often lamented his younger years, when he focused more on the beauty of art than on the salvation of the soul.
In this mural, painted in the mid-60s, he may have been repenting for his artistic arrogance by impersonating himself as St. Bartholomew and wishing that Christ would show mercy and allow him to join the flock of the chosen ones.
--- p.261~262

Nimue dominates the center of the canvas, crushing masculine authority.
The book Nimue holds indicates that she is a woman of knowledge.
Her hair, entangled with snakes, is reminiscent of Medusa, the goddess of ancient Greek mythology who turned people to stone.
This symbolizes that Nimue is a witch.
The painting uses myth to suggest that intelligent women can become a threatening force that destroys men.
This is a projection of patriarchal Victorian values ​​that oppose female education, and reveals men's anxiety and rejection of educated women.
--- p.274

In 17th-century still lifes, it was common for slaves to be depicted alongside other objects as belongings to their masters.
Even when the client did not own slaves, he would sometimes request that they be painted to add a touch of luxury to the painting.
Van Stryk created paintings that satisfied the vanity of his clients by placing black servants among still lifes.
This is why the black boy is painted with still life.
--- p.292

In her portrait, young Antonietta holds a piece of paper with her tragic family history written on it.
A letter explaining who she is and what happened to her.
'Petrus Gonsalvus, discovered in the Canary Islands, was presented to King Henry II of France and then sold to the Duke of Farnese.
It is written, 'I am Antonietta, his descendant, and I now live at the court of Madame Isabella Pallavicina.'
The girl, dressed up in extravagant attire, smiles kindly, seemingly oblivious to the letter's meaning.
The artist wanted to show the girl's lineage and history, like a breed certificate for an animal.
How could the Gonsalvus couple be happy in a life where they had to send their children away like giving away puppies?
--- p.308

A small figure is seen entering a door in the middle of a hallway painted in bright, warm yellow and orange tones.
This is the most impressive painting of the hospital ward where Van Gogh stayed for a year from May 1889 until May 1890, just before his death.
The perspective, which recedes sharply while producing repetitive vibrations, creates a feeling of tightening.
Why do artists often gravitate toward what society calls disease or abnormality? Because creativity often stems from the irrational voyages of the mind.
--- p.328

But what really captured Monet's heart was not the majestic modern architecture, but the London fog that seemed to melt everything away.
Monet loved the mysterious fog that gripped the city so much that he wrote in a letter to his second wife, Alice, “London would not be beautiful without the fog.”
The city and its buildings, shrouded in fog, seem as if they will disappear in an instant, like the fleeting and precarious nature of human life.
Did Monet like that subtle feeling?

--- p.360~361