Beautiful new icon
February 12, 2012
Hey gorgeous girls *grinning*
I have a new image for this blog, that I think reflects how I see it all:
It’s mother-earthy; it’s peaceful; it’s all women and it’s simply beautiful. It’s called ‘Hope II’ and the artist is Gustav Klimt.
I recently got a notebook, where I now jot down any ideas and observations I have for this blog. I bought it in a quirky shop in Katoomba, The Blue Mountains.
The cover is a Klimt painting – the image is of two faces – a mother holding her nestling child; both breathing each other in.
I was drawn to it because, not only is it stunning, the child looks like my eldest girl when she was a baby (lots of dark hair when she was born) AND my youngest, because she’s fair and looks like the cover babe when she sleeps.
I love it.
I first learned about Klimt (and his gold paint) through my sister, an amazing artist herself, because one of her favourite paintings was always, ‘The Kiss’.
I was busting to know the name of the painting on my beautiful notebook…and there I made a very poignant discovery. The image of my slumbering mother and babe were only part of a bigger picture – a painting called, ‘The Three Stages of Woman’.
How poignant indeed.
Look at the image of the third stage? Next to the vibrance of the first two stages, what a depressing and bleak view of the old woman – something that appears sadly inevitable and unavoidable – and also encapsulates what we women seem to feel about getting older.
Klimt captured this perception in 1905 – what was he seeing? Better question is:
Question #13: Is this painting a representation of how men see us when we’re old or is it how we see ourselves?
1905.
Questions for Us 
Could it be somewhat representative of the Fall? What order are the images in?
I suppose it is, lamehousewife – it’s just so brown and depressing. And it’s a dominant part of the painting. *shrug*
I love Klimt’s work. But maybe I’m missing something? I still see beauty in the ‘third stage’, I think it’s a respectful portrayal. It is reality. It’s sad that she’s nearing the end of life’s journey but that’s no different that if it were a man. I’d be happy to look like that when I’m 80. In fact, I don’t care what I look like when I’m 80, I’ll just be happy to still be around..
I completely agree with you, Martie. I don’t think that stage looks ugly – in fact I can already see my body being it’s slow journey to that shape *wink* – it’s more that brown colouring and, what appears to be, despair. I guess I wonder why it looks like that, instead of the same body with an accepting woman. But I see your point – it could just be representing the end of the journey – an equally sad moment for any woman or man. 🙂