Period Drama + Reading

Statue of Jupiter, late 1st century AD. From the villa of Emperor Domitian (Flavian dynasty). Hermitage Museum.

Donald Sutherland, Brenda Blethyn, Keira Knightley, Jena Malone, Rosamund Pike, Joe Wright, Talulah Riley, and Carey Mulligan in Pride & Prejudice (2005)

stairs in paris, eugéne atget c. 1890s-1900s.

The painting "Lady in a Fur Cloak" is a work of art that has generated much debate over its authorship over the years. Initially, it was attributed to the renowned painter El Greco, but recent analyses have confirmed that it was painted by the Spanish artist Alonso Sánchez Coello.

Details of the work:

Title: "Lady in a Fur Cloak"

Artist: Alonso Sanchez Coello (c. 1531-1588)

Data: 1580-1588

Technique: Oil on canvas

Dimensions: 79.8 x 65.7 cm

Location: Pollok House, Glasgow

History and Authorship:

The painting was exhibited at the Louvre in 1838, and was attributed to El Greco at the time. In 1853, it was acquired by Sir William Stirling Maxwell, who donated it to the City of Glasgow in 1967, along with Pollok House.

The authorship of "Lady in a Fur Cloak" has been debated for over a century. Detailed technical analyses, including X-rays and comparison with other works, have revealed that the painting shares stylistic and material characteristics with the works of Alonso Sánchez Coello.

The figure portrayed:

The identity of the woman depicted in the painting is unknown, but her elegance and clothing suggest that she belonged to nobility or royalty. Some scholars have speculated that she could be El Greco's companion Jeronima or even an idealized representation of the Virgin Mary. However, the lack of concrete evidence keeps her identity a mystery.

Painting features:

"Lady in a Fur Cloak" stands out for its realistic representation of the female figure, with meticulous details in her clothing, jewelry and facial expression. The use of warm, dark colors, together with the somber background, gives the work a mysterious and elegant air.

The painting is considered one of the most important of the late 16th century in Europe, and is an example of Alonso Sánchez Coello's ability to portray Spanish nobility with precision and refinement.

Grand Duchess Tatiana Nikolaevna Romanova, 1913

The Stained Glass of Sainte-Chapelle

Interior of the upper chapel (looking northeast), Sainte-Chapelle, Paris, France, 1243–1248

This chapel is a masterpiece of the so-called Rayonnant (radiant) style of the High Gothic age, which dominated the second half of the century. It was the preferred style of the royal Parisian court of Saint Louis. Sainte-Chapelle’s architect carried the dissolution of walls and the reduction of the bulk of the supports to the point that some 6,450 square feet of stained glass make up more than than three-quarters of the structure. The emphasis is on the extreme slenderness of the architectural forms and on linearity in general. Although the chapel required restoration in the 19th century (after suffering damage during the French Revolution), it retains most of its original 13th-century stained glass. Approximately 49 feet high and 15 feet wide, they were the largest designed up to their time. (source)