Friday 7 April 2017

F = fair is foul

Life-sized wax sculpture, 18th Century
Said to resemble Queen Elizabeth I

How would you feel about featuring this objet d'art on your mantelpiece or side-board? 
Reckon this two-faced figurine might put you off your Cornflakes? 

Quite frankly, I'm unsure which side I find most scary: the fair or the foul. I suspect the witches from Polanski's Macbeth may be the only ones to covet a great many of the collectibles Sir Henry fancied. 


Oil painting, c.1800
This fashion-forward female has gone a step beyond two-faced and moved into Split-personality-ville. 

Vanitas or memento mori, that's what the genres into which these artworks fall are called. Queenie up above even has the relevant Biblical verse inscribed in Latin under her chin:
Vanitas vanitatum omnia vanitas
'Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.'

And the chirpy expression memento mori translates to 'Remember you will die'.
So the purpose of these beauties was to remind you that life is fleeting and vanity is futile. In fact, pretty much everything is futile, because we're all going to end up as worm food anyway.
Thanks for that.


I thought this was a woman but apparently it could be a
young man in 17th Century finery. Even more than the snakes
heading for his eye socket, I particularly like the frog on his shoulder.
I think the one to the left is my very favourite. Not only is this little Italian masterpiece enticingly framed, but it would fit neatly into your palm. It would slip comfortably into your average 18th century pocket or hand-embroidered purse.

I like to imagine someone dressed in their finest frippery and furbelow (yes...it is really a word.  And NO, it doesn't mean THAT...) 
I like to imagine someone fabulous resplendently whipping it out like a compact as they head off to powder their nose.
Who needs a mirror?






During the month of April, I am participating in the Blogging from A–Z Challenge.

My posts will all feature images of and by the Wellcome Collection, Euston, London: the free destination for the incurably curious.





37 comments:

  1. Yes, I've heard of these. A bit depressing for my taste! And typical of their time.

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    1. Gee, I hope you didn't find my post depressing. that's the last thing I intend.

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  2. The oil painting from the 1800s reminds me that no matter what we look like on the outside, thick or thin, we all are the same at the skeletal level.
    Furbelow???? off to google what that means, besides the obvious naughty definition that you already nixed!

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    1. It's a spiffy word. I'm thinking of time-travelling back to spend some time with all the British Victorian writers to pick up a few tips.
      Wanna come?

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  3. Perfect for today. I needed a titter and you did it. Bloody well done, you. xxx

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    1. You're welcome. Glad to be of service at any time.
      Hope it's not too traumatic a day.

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  4. some rather intriguing objects there... some of them would definitely put me off my tucker. I found you even though your links weren't live! I've had to save mine in a word doccument and go and copy it each time i need to use it... and my daughter had to do the signature thingy for me

    Philipa (Ozzypip)
    Ozzypip Quilts

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    1. Thanks for struggling through cyberspace to find me. I tried my daughter...she failed me!

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  5. They are not ones i might use to decorate my home interiors but they are thought provoking

    jaishwrites - F for??? (flashfiction)

    As for your link it could be some extra characters that got added when you were pasting it probably??

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    1. Somehow I manage to do the wrong thing with monotonous regularity.
      Thanks for your help.

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  6. Visiting from A to Z. Not sure I like the pictures, interesting but ...

    Good luck with the rest of the challenge.

    F is for Faringdon, Berkshire: Cavaliers and roundheads - the Pye family on opposite sides

    ----------

    Anne Young

    Anne's family history





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    1. " Interesting but.... "
      But what???
      Oh dear. Now you have me worried.
      Thanks for visiting.

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  7. Fascinating finds, that man did collect some unusual stuff and I thoroughly enjoy your interpretations and speculations. Carmel

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  8. Fank-you, Carmel.
    It's that sarcastic Aussie sense of humour ~ not shared by all, but unavoidable in my family.

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    1. Indeed it is - send me an email crg.galvin[AT]gmail[DOT]com and I'll send you a document with the linky thing explained clearly and with some of your links ready made so you can see what they should have looked like. :)). You have to keep all the carets < in the right place along with the " and the space between the a and href.

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  9. I actually like the morbid quirkiness, don't know what that says about me :) And I loved your tongue in cheek take on them too.

    Here from the A-Z, and thoroughly enjoyed your post!

    Nilanjana
    Madly-in-Verse

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    1. Thanks for visiting. It's reassuring to know that there are others who share my interest in morbid quirkiness.

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  10. Yeah, those would scare my kids. Very cool though.

    The old-timey world was so obsessed with death...

    F - Mary Agnes Fleming

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    1. I guess death arrived more swiftly and more often than it does for us.

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    2. OK that came out wrong...
      you only die twice!

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  11. Oh, I almost missed froggy! Thanks for that catch!
    I'm thinking that that, on the back of a compact would be fairly statement-making, as well...

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    1. Another entrepreneurial fail by Sir Henry!
      Froggy IS very glad you didn't miss him.

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  12. Very interesting. I think the fair side of the first one is scarier. Very uncanny valley.

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    1. Thanks, Alex. I think I agree. To be truthful, I'm not sure she has too much to be vain about.

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  13. I don't think I'll be carrying a pocket sized momento mori anytime soon. I'm aware enough of my mortality without such a clear reminder but it's a fascinating genre. WeekendsInMaine

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    1. Sometimes all I need is a mirror and it has exactly the same effect.

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  14. Even more than your topic I enjoyed your post because you are a wonderful writer! Great choice for today's letter! Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Thanks for the compliment, Elaine. I am enjoying the challenge, and my theme is proving to be a productive one for me.

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  15. Furbelow! Hehehe. I know. I always go for silly stuff that makes me laugh. But hey, I would NOT want to feature those anywhere in my living space. But how intriguing they should have a whole collection of these...um...macabre objets d'art. So exciting that the folks at Wellcome acknowledged your blogging about them!

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    1. Furbelow is a difficult word to drop into a day-to-day conversation, but I'm sure you're up for the challenge. I'm glad I contributed to your daily collection of smiles, Vidya.

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  16. Your A-Z posts are really interesting and I'm enjoying them as and when I can - not time to leave loads of comments right now but looking forward to learning more.

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    1. Thanks, Wendy. Wellcome is a pretty interesting place. I understand entirely that when you're doing the A-Z the hours seem to slip away. Catch you soon.

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  17. Hello and welcome to the wonderful world of the Wellcome Collection, where morbid and anatomically fascinating live comfortably side-by-side.

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  18. Oh this Wellcome bloke is a bit of an oddball to say the least! I love the fact that he likes to strip things right down to the basics, bones and worms and all!

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  19. Well yes, in the end, everything is futile. Sigh...
    These are fascinating but I sure wouldn't want them around my house. Definitely depressing!

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