Esther
Esther c1885 by French Painter Hugues Merle (1823 – 1881); a bha gu sònraichte ann an seallaidhean de ghaol màthaireil, neo-chiontachd leanabachd agus toradh moralta.
Seo cràbhach portrait is based on the Biblical tale from the book of Esther; in which a beautiful young Jewish woman becomes Queen to the Persian King Ahasuerus, after he banishes his queen Vashti; and later is able to avert the slaughter of her people throughout the Persian Empire.
The painting shows Esther in beautiful attire of fine silks and adorned jewels, precious stones and gold as she holds onto a decorative light green drape with her left hand; while in the background we see the king seated on his throne, finely dressed and adorned with jewels on his crown and chest plate, with a guard holding a spear to his right.
Esther is wearing a gold band around her long black hair, that is partially covered by a sheer white silk scarf that loops across the lower portion of her neck and around her back.
Esther’s dress which is composed of three different materials, starts with a red top portion that in embellished gold squares that have pearls at each corner and emeralds at the center of each square surrounded by another gold square rotated 90 ceuman, creating and eye like appearance.
Then around her waist is a gold like sash that is overlaid with a bright green geometric design; and this transitions to the green full length portion of the dress.
She is then covered in a light gold tone wrap that has dark gold tone tassels along the edges, with a wide dark band that is sectioned into squares that have alternate clusters of four pearls, round rubies and emeralds.
Around her neck is a large loop necklace, a ruby necklace from which a gold and ruby amulet hands along with blue opal connected to silver wing like elements.
Around her upper arms of the short sleeve dress she is wearing are wide band arm bracelets made of gold with alternating squares of rubies and diamonds, that match the triangular square earrings she wearing comprised of gold, emeralds, rubies, diamonds and pearls.
On her wrist she is wearing gold bracelets that are embellished with rubies and emeralds, pearl bracelets and a single ruby bracelet on her left wrist; fhad ‘s a tha a’ mhòr-chuid de a corragan air an sgeadachadh le fàinneachan òir aig a bheil clachan luachmhor freumhaichte annta.
Is e seo ath-riochdachadh seann mhaighstirean ealain didseatach ath-leasaichte de ìomhaigh raon poblach a tha ri fhaighinn mar a clò-bhualadh canabhas air-loidhne.
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Rugadh Hugues Merle ann an 1822 no 1823 ann an La Sône, An Fhraing agus timcheall air aois 21 ràinig Paris, An Fhraing far an do rinn e sgrùdadh air peantadh fo Pheantair Eachdraidh is Dealbh na Frainge Léon Cogniet (1794 – 1880).
Ged nach eil mòran fiosrachaidh mu bheatha thràth Hugues thathas a’ gabhail ris gun d’ fhuair e ìre de dh’ fhoghlam ealain mus do ràinig e Paris ann an 1843; oir thòisich e air taisbeanadh aig Salon Paris ann an 1847 leis a’ phìos aige Portrait of the author and in 1848 sheall e am pìos Légende des Willis.
Mar a chaidh ùine air adhart dh’ fhàs cliù Hugues mar dhealbhadair gu mòr anns na 1850n; agus mar pheantair soirbheachail agus follaiseach bha e comasach dha fìor leannanan ealain a thàladh a bha a’ coimhead ris na cruinneachaidhean ealain aca a thogail.
B’ e an 4mh Marcas Hertford fear den luchd-cruinneachaidh ealain tràth sin, Richard Seymour-Conway (1800-1870); a cheannaich an tagradh salon aige Leughadh a’ Bhìobaill a-steach 1859.
Anns na 1860an, Hugues client list of collectors included not only individuals from the European continent, ach cuideachd luchd-cruinneachaidh Ameireaganach, leithid Uilleam Walters à Baltimore a bharrantaich The Scarlet Letter.