That is entry #90 in our ongoing 100 Philosophers, 100 Artworks, 100 Words sequence.
Thinker: Ray Briggs (Stanford College)
Art work: Self-Love and Sin, Gabrielle and Her Twin, Aaron Feltman, 2019 [Painting, Oil on Linen, 35 x 40 inches]
Phrases: This paintings re-interprets a 1594 portray of Gabrielle d’Estrées and her sister (artist unknown). Critics like Bonnie Zimmerman find lesbian undertones within the older portray, however to me its invasive gaze reads as straight and male: uncovered feminine figures blankly regard the viewers, one groping the opposite. In Feltman’s portray, the topic’s reflective downward gaze and self-directed contact invite empathy and inwardness. The shadow of their proper hand mirrors the solidity of their left, suggesting that their creativeness and interpretation play an lively function in shaping the world of the portray.
