ckground of
reds and blues throwing the gold into relief. Scenes taken from
mythology were done in what was known as "pastille," composition work
raised and painted on a gold background. On one fifteenth century
marriage coffer, Bacchus and Ariadne were shown in their triumphal car
drawn by winged griffins, a young Bacchante driving them on. Another
coffer decorated in the same manner had as decoration "The Rape of
Proserpine."

Women rocked their infants in sumptuous carved and emblazoned walnut
cradles, and crimson satin damask covered their beds and cushions. This
blaze of gold and silver, crimson and blue we find as the wake of
Byzantine trade, via Constantinople, Venice, Rome, Florence on to
France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Flanders and England. Carved wood,
crimson, green and blue velvets, satin damask, tapestries, gold and
silver fringe and lace. Against all this moved woman, costumed
sumptuously.

Gradually the line of woman's (and man's) neck is lost in a ruff, her
sweeping locks, instead of parted on her brow, entwined with pearls or
other gems to frame her face and make long lines down the length of her
robe, are huddled under grotesque head-dresses, monstrous creations,
rising and spreading until they become caricatures, defying art.

In some sixteenth century Italian portraits we see the ruff flaring from
a neck cut out square and low in front, then rising behind to form a
head covering.

The last half of the sixteenth century is marked by gowns cut high in
the neck with a close collar, and the appearance of a small ruff
encircling the throat. This ruff almost at once increased to absurd
dimensions.

The tightly laced long-pointed bodice now appears, with and without
padded hips. (The superlative degree of this type is to be seen in
portraits by Velasquez (see Plate IX).)

Long pointed toes to the shoes give way to broad, square ones.

Another sixteenth century departure is the absurdly small hat, placed as
if by the wind, at a careless angle on the hair, which is curled and
piled high.

Also we see hats of normal size with many plumes, on both men and women.

Notice the sleeves: some are still flowing, with tight undersleeves,
others slashed to show full white sleeve beneath. But most important of
all is that the general license, moral and artistic, lays its ruthless
hand on woman's beautiful, sweeping shoulder line and distorts it. Anne
of Cleves, or the progressive artist who painted her, sho