Today’s painting by Delacroix has left me asking WTF since I saw it at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. Thanks to artisandoflove for reminding me of such a great painting!
Eugène Delacroix, The Duke of Orléans Showing His Lover, c. 1825-1826, oil on canvas. Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
Take a good long look at the painting. At first glance, the subject will appear WTF to most museum goers: two dudes and a naked chick. But this threesome has more sexual tension than the Edward-Bella-Jacob trio! Check it out, the man on the right (wearing blue tights… I hate him already) is Louis I, Duke of Orléans, who lived in the second half of the 14th century. The man on the left is his former Chamberlain, Aubert le Flamenc. Three guesses who the woman is… Her name is Mariette d’Enghien and she is both the Duke’s mistress and the Chamberlain’s wife!!! [I love that she gets a Wikipedia page, being chiefly remembered as the Duke’s mistress, but her husband does not have one]
Notice that although the Duke exposes Mariette to the Chamberlain, he hides her face. Thus, on another level, this painting is totally WTF’d up! Here’s the dialogue I imagine taking place:
Duke: Hey Chamberlain, check out my mistress!
Chamberlain: Omg, smokin! Can I touch?
Duke: Sure, but don’t worry about her face, she’s just my whore. [Damn, I am screwing your wife man!]
Chamberlain: Glad my wife isn’t here!
Can you feel the irony in the scene? The Chamberlain is duped by the Duke but what’s sad is that he doesn’t appear to even recognize his wife’s naked body, which speaks to so many problems about their relationship. Alas, that’s how thing were in the 14th century.
Delacroix often took inspiration from literary texts, and the above painting is thought to refer to Brantôme’s Les vies des dames galantes (The Lives of Gallant Ladies), published in 1822, wherein the Duke so conceals the face of the Chamberlain’s wife with a sheet.
Be sure to check out the painting on the Thyssen’s website and follow the museum @museothyssen.
