The Hat of Francisco Goya r3c1d

The Story of the Hat  4c5e41

Definition of a hat: A piece of clothing intended to cover the head partially or fully, either for embellishment or protection from the sun, wind, rain, snow, etc. It is also commonly used to cover baldness or to hide unwashed hair (said with irony).

Between 30,000-25,000 BC and the Bronze Age: Where was the hat between 30,000 and 25,000 BC? On the head of the famous Venus of Willendorf! In fact, the 11 cm figurine appears to depict the fertility goddess wearing a woven headpiece. However, the first officially confirmed hat in history is believed to be the one worn by Ötzi, the Bronze Age man found frozen between Austria and Italy.

Ancient Egypt: Based on most of the artifacts that have survived to this day, we might think that the Egyptians only loved their dark bob wigs, not realizing that pharaohs often tended to cover them with a red cap or a white tiara. Similar customs, albeit with variations, were found in Mesopotamia and Palestine, where hats were mostly worn by priests. If you're still surprised by the of Egypt, then take a look at the tomb painting in Thebes, which, dated around 3200 BC, shows a man covering his head with a conical straw hat. It was also normal at the time to shave one's hair, using a headpiece specifically designed to keep the bald head cool.

Greek and Roman World: In the Greek and Roman world, there were different types of hats, mainly used to recognize the social class of the wearer. For example, the Phrygian cap was worn by freed slaves in Greece and Rome!

Middle Ages: The same Greco-Roman concept continued into the medieval world, where similar hats were also for women, which could even be simple scarves, the complexity of which denoted social status. Only from the 16th century did women's headgear become more structured, mirroring the elaborate features of men's hats.

14th, 15th, and Renaissance: The modern hat was born in the 14th century, while the Renaissance enriched this custom, favoring the use of sinuous materials and the creation of studied shapes. However, the hats were generally masculine, as young women preferred to show off elaborate hairstyles.

18th, 19th, and 20th Century: The 18th-century wigs led to the birth of huge hats, although the greater simplicity of the 19th century brought sober fashions for men. Women, however, were allowed more extravagance, also to match similar hairstyles. The 20th century is finally famous for the triumph of bowler hats, straw hats, and floppy hats, popular throughout the century.

LADY IN RED HAT 2 by Tanja Olsson  4n37u

In this composition, there are three protagonists: the hat, the woman, and the color red. All these elements naturally draw the attention of the viewer, firstly captured by the vibrancy of the chromatic ion, secondly ready to distinguish the features of a large and elegant red hat, and finally attentive to trace the features of the one who wears it with natural elegance. To further accentuate these compositional peculiarities, the background also plays its part, not distracting us with realistic visions but ready to accompany the main narrative with its lively abstraction. This can also be explained through the words of the author herself: "In this virtual gallery blooms the portrait of a girl in red, her silhouette highlighted by the wide brim of a red hat. The profile of her face is shrouded in mystery, as her eyes are hidden by the shadow cast by the hat's brim. She gazes into the distance, as if in search of something unknown. The background of the painting is framed by a red-green and blue color palette, creating a captivating combination of colors. Each shade blends into the other, forming a harmonious and evocative visual experience. This symphony of colors accentuates the mystery and beauty of the moment captured on canvas. This portrait is not just an image of a girl, but a glimpse into her inner world." Lastly, regarding the Artmajeur artist, Tanja Olsson's painting aims to materialize a personal process of transformation, as the artist, in 2004, was a victim of an accident that changed her worldview. The purpose of her painting has become to transform suffering into awareness, shadow into light, tragedy into revelation, ready to express itself through the power and emotions evoked by colors and shapes.

GIRL IN A FELT HAT by Mike Smith  5o6e6z

Three roses. She holds three in her hands, but her gaze is fixed on just one. It becomes the sole focus of her attention, like a gentle lover. Is it merely silent love, or is the girl also pondering questions? Perhaps she is ready to start that well-known game of petal plucking, trying to understand whether her beloved reciprocates her feelings? We cannot know for sure, as Smith's painting leaves us in suspense, within a definitively romantic narrative where we can almost imagine hearing a sigh. A sigh that hints at something unknown to us, allowing us to imagine a thousand possible scenarios, more or less painful, connected to this last sound. Caution is needed, though, as pain might also come from touching the flower's thorns... Anyway, the painting by the Artmajeur artist just described is summarized by its author as follows: “I came across a lovely hat made of felt with white spots. I liked it so much that I decided to use it in a painting. I got the model to wear a dark dress also with white spots. I thought the roses would complement the whole image. I decided a light source from one direction would work best.” Now we have finally come to understand the nature of the painterly fiction, almost certain that the depicted subject perhaps alludes not to sentimental dramas, but rather to clever compositional choices of a romantic taste. Thus, it is the viewer who can intervene with their sensitivity, enriching the meaning of what they see, embedding their own experiences into it.

#6 - THE WONDER UNDER THE HAT by Eric Lespinasse  483z5z

The previously contemplated rose seems to have transformed into the elegant hat worn by the model in Lespinasse's shot, whose concealed gaze prevents us from understanding, in addition to part of her identity, the movements of her soul. From the expression of her mouth, the young woman appears to be quite serious and absorbed, leading us to think that she deliberately lowered her hat to continue reflecting alone, avoiding the gaze of a curious and intrusive observer. What is certain is that the whole scene is lightened by the candid presence of white, a color that alludes to the purity of the young woman's heart, waiting for the arrival of some unknown external event. Regarding Eric Lespinasse, he is a French artist born in 1974, who has been dedicated to photography, painting, and digital design for about 25 years, mainly operating in Paris. The distinctive feature of his photographic work is undoubtedly the incidence of light, always ready to evoke a studied pictorial language, also aimed at presenting poetic aspects that pay homage to both the world and the human being. This is celebrated through a mix of traditional photography and digital photo editing, a combination that allows him to perfectly render what the artist had premeditated, giving voice to his vision, his influences, and his sensitivity.