Considering the image as a whole, how does Rubens's depiction of the nymphs in Disembarkation of Marie de' Medici at the Port of Marseilles on November 3, 1600 (Figure 19-3) disrupt or challenge a conventional treatment of female beauty?
What will be an ideal response?
Answer: The ideal answer should include:
1. The curvy, fleshy and weighted forms of the nymphs contrast to the upright and slender figure of Marie, who conforms to a Classical convention.
2. The nymphs' placement in the composition, close to the picture plane, enlarges and emphasizes their figures in contrast to the smaller figure of Marie, reduced by placement in the middle distance.
3. The nymphs' nudity, fully revealing their bodies, draws the viewer's immediate attention to their figures rather than the fully sheathed and covered body of Marie, thus setting the standard for female beauty despite the image type represented by Marie.
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Which of the following style traits gained popularity during the Classical era?
a) paratactic phrase structure b) basso continuo c) obbligato accompaniment d) emphasis on ornamentation and artifice
While objects like this are presumed to represent a female figure, what complicates interpretations of its purpose?
a) the quantities and size of examples found b) the red pigment applied to the surface Consider This: Scholars presume that groups who produced these did not share a common language. 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the Paleolithic era have been interpreted. c) a naturally occurring hole or indentation in the stone Consider This: Scholars presume that groups who produced these did not share a common language. 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the Paleolithic era have been interpreted. d) its genitalia Consider This: Scholars presume that groups who produced these did not share a common language. 1.1 Discuss the ways in which cave art and small sculptural figurines in the Paleolithic era have been interpreted.