Botticelli. Adoration of the Magi, ~1474-6.
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Botticelli. Adoration of the Magi, ~1474-6.
This is not the most famous Nativity he painted nor is it the most famous Adoration of the Magi of his era, but it's the one that has my attention this week. I think it's the square framing and the full realization of the dollhouse-like quality of nativity scenes after the Renaissance. Three centuries later the settings of traditional Neapolitan Nativities would be greatly influenced by such early images.
@Tarnport something that strikes me looking at this - the only woman present in the painting is Mary. But in post-partum, the people who usually show up to help are women, not men.
In my post-partum period, the only man who I recall helping is my co-parent. Everyone else who showed up with gifts and help - bringing a casserole, holding the baby so I could take a shower or have a nap - were women.
I know these nativity scenes are super male-gazy, but would love to see one painted by a woman. -
@Tarnport something that strikes me looking at this - the only woman present in the painting is Mary. But in post-partum, the people who usually show up to help are women, not men.
In my post-partum period, the only man who I recall helping is my co-parent. Everyone else who showed up with gifts and help - bringing a casserole, holding the baby so I could take a shower or have a nap - were women.
I know these nativity scenes are super male-gazy, but would love to see one painted by a woman.@Tarnport also - gifts of "gold, frankincense and myrrh" - tell me you've never helped a postpartum mom without telling my you've never helped a postpartum mom.
Give this woman soup, bread, and five minutes to sit in silence, for goodness's sake! -
@Tarnport something that strikes me looking at this - the only woman present in the painting is Mary. But in post-partum, the people who usually show up to help are women, not men.
In my post-partum period, the only man who I recall helping is my co-parent. Everyone else who showed up with gifts and help - bringing a casserole, holding the baby so I could take a shower or have a nap - were women.
I know these nativity scenes are super male-gazy, but would love to see one painted by a woman.@juliette sadly I can only add here that very often in later nativity scenes proper, the ones with the donkey and cow and so forth, there are some women gathered around Mary, particularly a midwife and washerwoman originally posited as eye-witnesses to the virginity intact (ya see), but very very quickly identified as devils in disguise trying to harm the baby. To this day in Neapolitan nativity scenes you can see a goat hoof coming out from under the washerwoman's skirt! Ya. Male gazey.
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@Tarnport also - gifts of "gold, frankincense and myrrh" - tell me you've never helped a postpartum mom without telling my you've never helped a postpartum mom.
Give this woman soup, bread, and five minutes to sit in silence, for goodness's sake!@juliette I see a branding opportunity here in magi diapers and formula! The gold standard.
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@juliette sadly I can only add here that very often in later nativity scenes proper, the ones with the donkey and cow and so forth, there are some women gathered around Mary, particularly a midwife and washerwoman originally posited as eye-witnesses to the virginity intact (ya see), but very very quickly identified as devils in disguise trying to harm the baby. To this day in Neapolitan nativity scenes you can see a goat hoof coming out from under the washerwoman's skirt! Ya. Male gazey.
@Tarnport uh. if I were 1) religious and 2) in any way vaguely talented at painting, I'd make it my life's mission to fix nativity scenes.
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Botticelli. Adoration of the Magi, ~1474-6.
This is not the most famous Nativity he painted nor is it the most famous Adoration of the Magi of his era, but it's the one that has my attention this week. I think it's the square framing and the full realization of the dollhouse-like quality of nativity scenes after the Renaissance. Three centuries later the settings of traditional Neapolitan Nativities would be greatly influenced by such early images.
@Tarnport The self-portrait of Botticelli on the extreme right there, looking at you and going, “Can’t you see there’s a queue, mate?”
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@Tarnport also - gifts of "gold, frankincense and myrrh" - tell me you've never helped a postpartum mom without telling my you've never helped a postpartum mom.
Give this woman soup, bread, and five minutes to sit in silence, for goodness's sake! -
@juliette I see a branding opportunity here in magi diapers and formula! The gold standard.
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@EvilCartyen @Tarnport @saederup I third this!
@pms @EvilCartyen @Tarnport @saederup
Please add me to the list of those who quietly read and always appreciate your informed posts. 💜 -
@EvilCartyen all this time I thought it was your real name and I have maintained a straight face!!!!
@Tarnport I wonder if you can actually change your user name here, probably not. Maybe if I "migrate" to a new server (the same server) and keep my follows and followers but can change the name.
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@Tarnport I wonder if you can actually change your user name here, probably not. Maybe if I "migrate" to a new server (the same server) and keep my follows and followers but can change the name.
@EvilCartyen or just think it's cute!
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@pms @EvilCartyen @Tarnport @saederup
Please add me to the list of those who quietly read and always appreciate your informed posts. 💜@SnowyCA I'm honored. Thank you for saying.
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@EvilCartyen or just think it's cute!
@Tarnport I mean, it's really not, though :D It's not like I named myself 'SuperBunny1983' or something.
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@Tarnport something that strikes me looking at this - the only woman present in the painting is Mary. But in post-partum, the people who usually show up to help are women, not men.
In my post-partum period, the only man who I recall helping is my co-parent. Everyone else who showed up with gifts and help - bringing a casserole, holding the baby so I could take a shower or have a nap - were women.
I know these nativity scenes are super male-gazy, but would love to see one painted by a woman.Not a nativity - though hers are closely cropped. A confident feminist statement though from a successful artist.
[scroll down a little for the Allegory]
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@Pepijn @Tarnport @juliette
Haha. I love it when a different perspective gives a wholly different reading of the story 😃For me this painting almost seems like a (super) early "Project X".
I know people usually don't want to have too many visitors in the first days, but once a certain critical mass has been reached, it's gonna be hard to stop. I guess the story of the virgin birth (always seemed suspiciously much like a cover story to me) spread, and people wanted to see this for themselves?
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@pms this is a very wise realization! Love it or hate it, the reaction itself is evidence of its power.
For the record I think there's a lot going on right now in the very young art set coming to terms with the common overlooked vernacular fixtures of the last 30 years. I guess I'm trying to say I have this reaction every day, asking if this is really art, and I'm trying to look deeper because of it.
@Tarnport I felt more like Homer in the “doh!” sense than wise 😁. It’s great that we can learn to appreciate being kicked right in the preconceptions again and again. I hope we never lose that!
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@Tarnport something that strikes me looking at this - the only woman present in the painting is Mary. But in post-partum, the people who usually show up to help are women, not men.
In my post-partum period, the only man who I recall helping is my co-parent. Everyone else who showed up with gifts and help - bringing a casserole, holding the baby so I could take a shower or have a nap - were women.
I know these nativity scenes are super male-gazy, but would love to see one painted by a woman. -
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