Laurent de La Hyre, French
Putting a Woman on a Pedestal: Step 1 of 4, 1635
Oil on canvas
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THROWBACK THURSDAY: MASTERPIECE #111 (2/6/11)
Info, or perhaps links that point to more info, about this artist can be found here, here, here, here, here (can be read in full for Free on Fridays), here, here, and here, perhaps in addition to his Wikipedia page (Google translated French Wikipedia page has more).
/// Here is Theseus as a young man,
where his great hero’s journey began.
That’s his mother he’s with,
(as revealed in Greek myth).
Aethra tells her son of his Dad’s plan.
/// By a king she had been led astray.
She got pregnant, but he didn’t stay.
“When grown, send me our son,
and to prove he’s the one,
have him bring some things I hid away.”
/// Underneath this huge stone Dad had stored
his two sandals, his shield and his sword
as some odd parting gifts.
He said “When our son lifts
this, his birthright will be his reward.”
/// You might think that this lad’s super strong
to lift up such a weight, but you’re wrong.
Sandals sit on the ground—
not crushed flat, safe and sound,
prove the stone hollowed out all along.
/// And his birthright turned out just the thing
to make Theseus Athens’ next king.
Yes, he did risk his life
(poison from his Dad’s wife),
then with Minos’ kid had a fling.
/// As Athenian King he had mates.
More than one, as decreed by the Fates.
Wed Hippolyta first,
and then Phædra, (the worst!).
Ariadne was one of his dates.
/// To her bare bosom, none would pay heed.
This was common then, therefore, no need.
A bare ankle these days,
doesn’t draw scorn or praise.
What is hidden gets noticed indeed!
/// I’m amazed that this painter would choose
to portray such un-sandal-like shoes.
Even more footwear scandals:
There’s her two mismatched sandals,
and his open-toed boots, which confuse.
/// If he’s planning to lift a huge stone,
and he’s doing the job all alone,
any idiot knows
to protect naked toes
from a drop which could flay skin from bone.