Hi there!  I was looking through art books to get historical references
from paintings about Italian Renaissance clothing - I'm in SCA, a medieval
re-enactment group - and I came across a painting that now I **REALLY* want
to get a print of!!!  It's by Leonardo da Vinci (c.1490-91) and called
"Portrait of a Lady with an Ermine (Cecilia Gallerani)".  It's on page 90
of 'Women in Italian Renaissance Art: Gender Representation Identity' by
Paola Tinagli.  The ermine is pretty darned big & burly (I thought they
were little bitty things) and is either white or cream coloured (black and
white pic) and is draped across her arm.  His/her eyes appear to be light
coloured - maybe blue or red??
 
I like her outfit too (what can be seen of it in the painting)!!
 
My boyfriend, Jasper, also found a dancing ferret in the background of the
right side inner panel of the triptych by Hieronymous Bosch called "The
Garden of Earthly Delights".  Pretty funny!
 
Take care and happy dooking!
George, Jasper and the Tribe
 
************************************************************************
 
Georgette Peters                            Nothing is fool-proof to a
Steacie Science Library                     sufficiently talented fool.
York University
4700 Keele Street                                     *****
North York, Ontario                                 *********
M3J 1P3                                               *****
(416)736-5084
                                             Dook, dook, bjork, bjork!
e-mail - [log in to unmask]                        - Swedish Ferret
 
************************************************************************
[Posted in FML issue 2241]