hey guys can you help me find that old portrait of a girl holding a little painting of a naked dude and cracking up about it?? I want to say it’s by Rembrandt but that’s probably not right
It’s “Smiling Girl, a Courtesan, Holding an Obscene Image” by Gerard van Honthorst!!
It’s the best painting that exists
I don’t know about you, but I really want to know what’s written on there - wait, I found a higher res image, can anyone translate this?
also it’s kind of an amazing little vignette
Hahahaa
Okay it says “who knows my arse from behind” and I will never recover from this
OKAY— so i LOVE this painting, it’s in the St. Louis Art Museum, and on a tour i found out the story. it’s not a naked dude, at all. It’s actually a smaller depiction of her, she’s a sex worker! She’s showing off her advertising for her services. It’s a really cool historical example of sex work, and a gorgeous painting to see in person.
