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The Fountain of
Youth Oil on panel, 122.5 x 186.5 cm, by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1546 Staatliche Museen zu Berlin |
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| An allegorical work depicting women bathing in a magical fountain to regain their youth, followed by indulgence in music, dance, and feasting. The central fountain, crowned by Venus and Cupid, symbolises love as the transformative force, while the surrounding landscape contrasts barren age with lush youth. Notably, the transformation in the painting is solely attributed to women, which may reflect contemporary ideas about youth, beauty, and gender roles, although the notion that older men could regain vitality through relationships with younger women was a common theme of the period. |
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