“You don’t want me, but no one else can have me either”

                In the reading 3.2, from Boccaccio’s “Tale of Flippa”, this tale illustrates that women had no rights to their own pleasure or feelings.  If a woman was married, but caught by her husband in the act of adultery, she must be killed.  In this tale, Flippa was indeed caught by her husband Rinaldo, but she stood up for herself and followed her heart, stating that she indeed done the crime, “but [she] gives to her husband when he desires, but what is she to do with the rest?”(Humanistic Tradition, Book 3).  This gave Italian society new attitudes towards women because she took the initiative to speak up for the rights, and to say that she, along with others,  are human with true feelings of love, lust, and want.  This changed the society’s minds, and gave into woman’s rights, and were no longer treated as if they were nothing more than a servant to man with their  body’s .

 

 

New Beginnings

                In Jan Van Eyck’s painting, it seems as if the couple is making some sort of vow, possibly a

marriage vow.  The well dressed man and woman, along with the script on the wall in the back stating

“Johannes de Eyck fuit hic” meaning “Jan Van Eyck was here” could improvise the belonging of the

individual.  There is also a dog in the center bottom of the illustration, this could symbolize the

beginning of a “family” as well, along with the woman holding her hand on her stomach, to which may symbolize a baby, a new edition to the family as well.  Also, the fruit sitting in the window sill could

represent a new beginning or something new as the “riper the fruit, the sweeter the juice”.  The mirror

has shows the couple the reflection, maybe just to give the observer a “look inward” per say, on the

couples life.  However, the illustration also gives a very “laid back” sense to the observer.  There are two

pairs of shoes lying on the floor, this would make me personally think as if the two are very happy and

comfortable with each other.

 

 

Essay IV

                In contrast between Portrait of Louis XIV and Charles I on horseback, Louis seems to be a very high society, wealthy, and sophisticated.  He has tights on, which is a symbol of higher class of people.  There is a crown sitting on a chair, which very strongly symbolizes royalty, along with the maybe the fact that the robe worn is a “royal blue”.  There maybe a slight representation of the class of people by the color of the robe.

                Charles I on the other hand is riding his horse, which may already symbolize the slightly lower class than Louis, as the royalty often left the horse riding to individuals who classified “under” them.  Also, Charles is wearing an armor suit, which may indeed show war which he may be fighting in, as to also say that he may be from a  lower society, as for royalty often left wars to the lower classes to defend them.  Charles is also outside, seems to be the season of fall, while Louis is inside in a “castle” like setting.

                Both of these portraits are very interesting to the observer, with much differences that are appealing to the eye.