The 17th century viewer would easily have recognized the hag on the right as a madam (or procuress) this character was commonly represented in Spanish art and literature as wearing spectacles and a handkerchief over her head. What on earth could possibly be happening here? The answer is as simple as it is sinister: prostitution. Instead of the sweet, innocent, blameless street urchins that typically populate Murillo's paintings, here the viewer is confronted with a motley, unnerving cast of characters: a bespectacled hag holds the head of an immobile young boy (whose rear end is exposed for all the world to see) on her lap, while a disreputable lady lifts her veil and winks knowingly at us, next to a leering, sneering young man. įour Figures on a Step is a far cry from Murillo's other genre pictures.Today it has been restored to its original state
The bare bottom of the young boy in the center is often seen as controversial even by modern viewers, so it is unsurprising that over the course of the painting's lifetime, this passage was painted over twice. The Immaculate Conception of the Venerable Ones or of 'Soult'.
0 kommentar(er)
