Candes Saint-Martin, my favourite spot in La Touraine.

Friday 22 June 2012

The women of Loches - 1

After an invigorating night of sleep, almost undisturbed by the chiming of Vouvray's bell tower, we set out the next morning for the town of Loches. The plan was to visit the Logis and the Donjon of Loches in the morning, have lunch with blogger friends Jean and Nick (A Very Grand Pressigny) and spend some time in Amboise on our way back to Vouvray in the afternoon. But the best made plans tend to change when you are having fun ...




This was to be my third visit of the Logis and I thought that I had seen it all. That is, until I saw this exquisite contemporary (2011) painting in one of the halls of the Logis. It was the second in a line of three, representing the women who 'passed' or lived at the Logis. Do you know who she is? She was famous for her beauty and the unique role she played at the French court.

I really adore this painting and wouldn't mind having it hanging on my livingroom wall ...

7 comments:

Diane said...

It is very unusual. It is pasted over the small square green glass windows? Diane

chm said...

This lady doesn't look like the one painted by Fouquet. Then I assume she's not the king's mistress and may have ended up into one of La Balue's "fillettes" pictured in the background.

Susan said...

It's a nice exhibition, isn't it? I like the conceit of the artist, portraying the women as they would be if they lived today. Jeanne as a Palestinian guerilla is my fave.

Louise said...

Whoever " she" is, she is beautiful. I look forward to hearing about your lunch with blogger friends...

Carolyn said...

Interesting contemporary take on the famous beauty.

chm said...

For the interested parties reading French, I recommend this site about Loches for photos and text:
http://www.patrimoine-histoire.fr/Patrimoine/Loches/Loches-Donjon.htm

I don’t understand why the author of this particular painting, Titouan Lamazou, placed the “Dame de Beauté” almost within one of those steel cages Loches is famous for.

Any explanation is welcome.

ladybird said...

Diane, No - it's not a window. As Chm pointed out it's a drawing of the steel prison cage that sit in one of the donjon of Loches' horror chambers.

Chm, Like you I'm puzzled by the artist's choice to depict Agnes Sorel with a steel prison cage in the background. Surely there is no link between them, except the fact that there is one of these cages in the donjon. But I'm sure La Dame de Beauté never saw the inside of these cages. Nevertheless I like the painting even if it is not historically correct and that there is no resemblance with the lady in Fouquet's painting.

Susan, I like the idea too and find the portraits fascinating. My favourite is Anne de Bretagne, who looks like a Holywood diva.

Louise, She - 21st century version of Agnes Sorel - is beautiful, isn't she? They had reproductions of the paintings at the gift shop. Now I'm sorry I didn't get on.

Carolyn, It was a surprise to see these modern paintings in the hall of the Logis. I guess it is a bit bold or even daring, but it works; it really does.