Anne of Carversville

1. Blush by Julia
2. Succulent by Nathiya
3. Peony by Matthew A
4. Baked meringue kisses by Cannelle Et Vanille
5. Kissy by Kirra
6. The sea by Mirjan

I didn’t plan on having this theme, but I found those images so compelling.

I love that gentle palette too much. I love that tender rosy tinge, especially when offset by soft grey or pale skin or saltwater grey-green or deep lustrous bluish emerald tones.

The color promises youth, freshness, fragrance, warmth. The color kisses the eye, invites fingers to touch, and provokes a secret little smile.

Carl Kleiner Art

This one really drew me in. I had to stare at it for a while before figuring out what it was. What a gorgeous moment captured on film! The splashes look like delicate webbed, foamy architecture arising from the sea.

Does that remind you of something?

The Birth of Venus by Botticelli

Venus, the Greek goddess of love and beauty, was born from the seafoam. I’ve always enjoyed Greek mythology, and Venus has always been my favourite goddess. I remember myself many years ago, when my parents first gave me that Edith Hamilton book on mythology. It is totally different from reading the original poetry, of course, but I truly appreciate how Edith Hamilton made mythology accessible to a broader audience. And of course, I love how mythology has inspired countless generations of artists to produce fantastic work like this.

Here are a couple more classical Venus paintings:
Primavera by Botticelli
The Birth of Venus by Bouguereau

This one is more recent— 1912— but still lovely, and with the same blushing palette:
The Birth of Venus by Odilon Redon

Playing with digital paint one day, I came up with my own portrait of the goddess. Here she is arising from a rose, surrounded by her doves:

Venus by Feanne

I cannot think of this palette without thinking of Marie Antoinette, especially since that eye-candy film came out a couple years back:

Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette

Let’s do some art history research. The Rococo style peaked in the 1730s, and ended around the 1780s; Marie Antoinette reigned in 1775–1793. Strictly speaking, then, most of her reign was already in the Empire period style, but the film portrays her style as being Rococo in essence. The frills, the soft pastels, the excess of silk and ribbons and lacy things, the swirls and lavish s-curves and florals and feminine shapes— all hallmarks of the Rococo style, and all present in the film’s scenery and costume.

A look at the classical paintings tells a slightly different story— the fashion looks Rococo, but the interior furnishings look more Empire style, with their deep regal colors and rectilinear edges.

A couple of examples:
Empire style interiors in this painting by Vigée-Lebrun
Showing us a rose in this painting by Vigée-Lebrun
Rococo frills and pinks in this painting by Drouais

Marie Antoinette seems to have been fond of a particular kind of pink rose. I’m not a florist, so I wouldn’t know how to identify the breed— but anyway, it’s very beautiful.

These Rococo period paintings remind me of the skillfully illustrated fairytale books I had as a child. Those princesses always had beautiful ball-gowns with full skirts— lots of layers, lots of ribbons, in delicious shimmering colors, and with the elaborate hairstyles to match:
The Swing by Fragonard
Portrait of Madame Pompadour by Boucher
Portrait of Mademoiselle Bergeret by Boucher
Apollo Revealing his Divinity before the Shepherdess Isse by Boucher

Always, I am amazed by the amount of love that classical painters pour into their works— each stroke is lovingly, painstakingly painted— every petal, every leaf, every fold in voluptuous fabrics, every delicate lady’s finger. These paintings possess a light— not an overwhelming glorious brilliance, but a gentle blushing glow, illuminating curves and lips and roses.

I may dote too much on these things. :) Tell me about your favourite classical paintings. ♥

Love,
Feanne