“The Empire of Flora”, ca.1743 by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
“The Empire of Flora” (detail)
by Ekaterina Levina
I was looking at an artist drawing a quick sketch from a painting “The Empire of Flora” at the Legion of Honor Museum and noticed that a female figure, the artist’s pick, looked very modern and somehow familiar when she was alone on a sketchbook page.
Without all the mystical symbols around I was looking at a pretty woman full of joie de vivre wearing a beautiful coral silk dress which was billowing around her thighs. The young woman on the painting definitely knows how to present herself in the best light possible. Her hair is elaborately styled with flowers, her skin is almost transparent and she is proud to show off her perfectly shaped breast and a curvy body. The heavy gold necklace, the gorgeous silk dress, the elegant sandals demonstrate that she is well taken care for. She is charming, happy and attractive. She is dancing and she is ready to entertain and have fun.
Suddenly I realized that I was looking at Marilyn Monroe of 18 century!
This joyful and very feminine type has always been one of the artists’ favorite subjects. I guess that some characters haven’t changed over the centuries and every time has its own Marilyn.
