17.00 USD
Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, Cradles a Dove in Her Hands, image by Leopold Reutlinger, circa 1900
In this image, a maiden in classical dress, or possibly the goddess Aphrodite, herself, stands while cradling a dove in her hands. The happiness in the model’s face is wonderful to behold in this sweet companion piece to our recently posted image Aphrodite, Goddess of Love, with Doves (see http://www.etsy.com/listing/191410397/aphrodite-goddess-of-love-with-doves).
The dove was the symbol of Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love (called Venus by the Romans), and is used in this image and its counterpart to evoke the symbolism of love, hope, and renewal. This card is a excellent example of the classical tropes of turn-of-the-century art and romanticism.
We can't be sure, but we believe the model in this card to be Lutece, who often posed in classical garments for photographers and was a favorite of Reutlinger. As we've noted about her with respect to other images, "white doves seemed to love congregating near her."
See "Lutece as the Dreaming Venus" at:
www.etsy.com/listing/176262634/lutece-as-the-dreaming-venus-by
Leopold Reutlinger was a prolific photographer with a wide range of subjects who was very respected in the field of photography. His images included artistic sets and costumes, as seen here, portraits of theatrical performers and the cream of society, and advertising shots. By the time this image was taken, circa 1900 and definitely before 1904 when divided backs came into use, Leopold Reutlinger had been the proprietor of Reutlinger Studio for about ten years; the studio itself, however, had been in existence far longer, having been founded by Leopold's uncle, Charles Reutlinger and passed through Emile Reutlinger, Charles' brother and Leopold's father, before coming to Leopold.
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Almost perfect condition, with very minor pressure marks on the corners from album storage. We are always extremely pleased to be able to offer a card in as pristine a condition as this one. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, the price is the same as for a single card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, due to the costs of international shipping will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!