[wagglebee]

Interesting theory.

[Tax-chick]

I remember the paintings from Western Civ class my freshman year of college, but we didn't hear the gory details :-).

[conservative cat]

That is a great story.

[Paul Atreides]

You mean he wasn't a homosexual? I thought that every artists, musician, writer, leader, philosopher, etc., going back to the year one, was a homosexual.

/sarcasm

[asp1]

Good article and interesting theory.

Have you ever watched the Sister Wendy programs on (ugh), PBS? Sister Wendy is a British Catholic nun who has some of the most interesting takes on many artists and art works. I think I learned more from her than a host of teachers that I had over the years.

I love Raphael's work, but Da Vinci's is the best IMHO! :*)

[mel]

btt

[primeval patriot]

[rawhide]

[eleni121]

"It is hard to overstate Raphael's status in Rome -- he was a superstar. The distance separating them was like that which today would separate George Clooney and his cleaner."

---

Really...I wonder if anyone asked the "cleaner" if she is slightly motivated to get in bed with short and smelly Clooney. So typical of A loopy European dilettante saying something like this.

[TXnMA]

I put only a tiny bit of effort into matching image size, brightness, etc, but, Unless Rapahel painted all ears the same, I'd say the "Fornarina" and the" Velata" portray the same woman.

Fornarina/Velata

(FWIW, in the full image, the "Fornarina" looks pregnant, to me...)

[Veto!]

"Fornarina" means what? Fornicatrix? Is that a clue? Anyone know Italian?

[ken21]

margherita has to be one of the sexiest pictures in the western canon.

[tanuki]

Add me to your ping list, too, please.