A Restored Vermeer Painting Reveals a Hidden Cupid Artwork Hanging in the Background

This Is Colossal ^ | 8/25/2021 | Grace Ebert

[Daffynition]

I can even see the fruit flies hovering around the fruit.

[Daffynition]

that's no cherub...it's Manneken Pis

[21twelve]

Is it a window frame or the picture frame??

Interesting how in the unrestored image you can see the darker shade on the wall where the cupid image shows through just a bit.

[StAntKnee]

Good point. Well taken. Yep. I will read the article.

[Tax-chick]

Cute!

[Tax-chick]

The young woman’s expression and posture didn’t change. If she was “glum” about unknown contents of the letter, now she’s “glum” about whatever romance is conveyed by a giant, naked baby. And well she might be, considering childbirth in that era.

Maybe Vermeer’s original patron asked for the picture on the while, while a later owner said, “Meh.”

[Red Badger]

“When layers of varnish from the 19th century began to be removed ...

Victorian era sense and sensibilities were in vogue then..................

[Ezekiel]

Spoiler, lol.

Calvin’s inspiration.

[Ezekiel]

The symbolic fruit already conveyed the message. That big naked baby is overkill.

This thread keeps the fun alive.

The simple take-away is that nobody likes a big baby, especially one that moves in and promptly takes over.

Is he firmly holding his "sceptre"? It really does look like he's got quite an attitude.

Yeah, best that he got the boot. :)

[Joe 6-pack]

"I don’t understand why Cupid is portrayed as a naked baby. Is there anything less sexy than a fat naked baby, unless you’re a real sicko."

Because in a society where the procreative act was linked with love, marriage and commitment, a healthy child was the end game of courtship. I know it's totally foreign to our mindset today.

[ETCM]

I believe it’s a window. You can see a reflection of the background window in the sill of the restored painting. The second artist also filled in some details above the curtain rod (continued the red curtain).

Your right, you can see the covered image of cupid enough to know something was there. Maybe if the cupid painting were not so large and prominent, it wouldn’t have been covered up.

[Beowulf9]

Makes sense.

[HandyDandy]

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Standing_at_a_Virginal

[ETCM]

This (cupid) motif originated in a contemporary emblem and may either represent the idea of faithfulness to a single lover ...

Definitely important symbolism in the work. Interesting that the same painting appears in 2 of Vermeer's works.

[Daffynition]

Perfect!