(no subject)
After reading the book Pre-Raphaelite Women Artists about 7 years ago, I came away with a strong admiration for Marie Spartali Stillman. Not only was she a stunner herself (posing as a model for Rossetti and other painters -- the poet Swinburne said of her, "She is so beautiful that I want to sit down and cry"), but she was also a very fine artist, with a delicate and harmonious touch. I especially like this painting of hers, "Madonna Pietra degli Scrovigni":
Recently I was pleased to discover that Marie Spartali and I share a birthday (March 10th)! I always felt before that "no one good" had the same birthday as me; but now I'm entirely satisfied in that admittedly trivial aspect of my life. :-) She was of Greek descent, a cousin of Aglaia Coronio and of Maria Zambaco, Burne-Jones' troubled and troubling muse. (Poor Georgie...)
I have, of course, always considered myself "Greek in spirit" and I was never more pleased than when several Greeks, while I was in Greece in 1996, repeatedly thought I was also Greek. One of the only Greek phrases I know is the Greek for: "I'm sorry, I don't speak Greek..." And I had to put it to use several times.
[One woman in Greece told me, "But your shape is Greek. Small and elegant." Those were her exact words, and was I ever flattered! Of course I weighed about 100 pounds at the time... Still, any vague resemblance that puts me into the category of a Marie Spartali -- or a lirelyn -- is delightful.]
It was a joy to see some of Marie Spartali's paintings at the recent "Waking Dreams" exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum. (Tantra Cat, this included the painting you particularly like, "Love's Messenger.") I came away wishing someone would write a book about her...
Well, voila! Funny how that works! A book about her (and her husband, William Stillman) was published just this month. It's called A Pre-Raphaelite Marriage, and it definitely goes onto my mental "someday" wish list.
Recently I was pleased to discover that Marie Spartali and I share a birthday (March 10th)! I always felt before that "no one good" had the same birthday as me; but now I'm entirely satisfied in that admittedly trivial aspect of my life. :-) She was of Greek descent, a cousin of Aglaia Coronio and of Maria Zambaco, Burne-Jones' troubled and troubling muse. (Poor Georgie...)
I have, of course, always considered myself "Greek in spirit" and I was never more pleased than when several Greeks, while I was in Greece in 1996, repeatedly thought I was also Greek. One of the only Greek phrases I know is the Greek for: "I'm sorry, I don't speak Greek..." And I had to put it to use several times.
[One woman in Greece told me, "But your shape is Greek. Small and elegant." Those were her exact words, and was I ever flattered! Of course I weighed about 100 pounds at the time... Still, any vague resemblance that puts me into the category of a Marie Spartali -- or a lirelyn -- is delightful.]
It was a joy to see some of Marie Spartali's paintings at the recent "Waking Dreams" exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum. (Tantra Cat, this included the painting you particularly like, "Love's Messenger.") I came away wishing someone would write a book about her...
Well, voila! Funny how that works! A book about her (and her husband, William Stillman) was published just this month. It's called A Pre-Raphaelite Marriage, and it definitely goes onto my mental "someday" wish list.