Saturday, April 18, 2009

Romantic Ruth

This example of Ruth is by Francesco Hayez (1791-1882) the leading artist of Italian Romanticism. Ruth is wearing the clothes of an Arab women, which means Orient, and she has a bunch of grain in her arm, which indicates that she is Ruth.

I don't understand why she must be naked. Because this isn't mentioned at all in the Bible. Probably its a concession to contemporary taste, which liked so much semi-nude oriental women.

Ruth (1835)

1 comment:

  1. she's naked because the peasant society was considered better than the growing urban society. so woman, in particular, embodies all the good virtues of poerty.
    aertists represent the fear of the middle class of loosing these virtues, linked with countryside, virtues that were very mythicized.

    diesdre@live.it
    the pre-industrial civilization was elated as simple and subdued. working women seem not to get tired and often appear beautiful and sensual as it is in this picture. country women had a healthy and natural sexuality in opposition with the corrupt sexuality of the young women of the working class

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