Here at Sartle we love a good art history riff, especially if it’s of an image as delightfully bizarre as this painting, Gabrielle d'estrées and One of her Sisters by an unknown artist which now hangs in the Musée du Louvre in Paris.
This masterpiece of weird incestuous erotica is supposed to be a birth announcement of Gabby’s first child with King Henry IV. I don’t know about you, but I would love to receive stuff like this in the mail instead of cards shaped like baby shoes.
No one seems to be able to explain however why her sister is pinching her nipple. The duo’s perkily painted boobs and blasé expressions have captured the imagination of many a contemporary copycat. Here are the choicest homages to this most iconic purple nurple:
We did always wonder why George Clooney’s batsuit had spaces for his nips. Now we know it’s to make his love life with Catwoman easier!
Speaking of cats…
Here’s some Parisian street art by Brazilian-born Rafael Suriana. Those frenchies are so pretentious, even their graffiti is academic!
Artists are always taking inspiration from the past though. These two shutterbugs were both inspired by Gabrielle and her sis:
Untitled
(
Fountainbleu)
. by contemporary photographer Ann Lislegaard, 2002.
Reproduction of Gabrielle d’Estrees and One of her Sister
by Alejandra Zapata.
I have to say the one with the half-naked men in the public bookstore is a tad more wacko, if that’s the intention.
They’re not the only guys to give the pinch a try:
Here’s a photographic reenactment by photographer Maisie Maud Broadhead. Made in 2009, can you spot the hightop sneakers that (intentionally) give it away?
These dudes from the band Hold your Horses weren’t afraid to strip down for their “70 million” music video.
In fact, if you fancy yourself an art buff you should check out the rest of the video. It’s adorable and full of references to famous paintings! Look for the pinch at 1:43.
Sr. Editor