Rubens and early wardrobe malfunction

Back from the Prado which, apart from masses of Spanish art, has the largest collection of Rubens in the world (no, not the NSW alternative rock band). Flemish Rubens was favoured by Phillip IV and was commissioned by him to paint the family and many religious and classic works. Rubens is best known for his curvaceous nudes and even his fully clothed female subjects are usually buxom and voluptuous.

His depiction of the classic stories of mythology rightly call for nudes or delicately draped semi-nudes models. A naked Venus embracing Adonis seems quite natural, but what is going on below ? The Rubens ouvre is full of nipple shots where you really have to ask WTF? Am I being a prude when I baulk at the amount of exposed nipple on his otherwise clad subjects ? Promoting one of his paintings to a potential buyer Rubens described the major aspects of the work, following up enticingly with and it contains lots of pretty girls. Basically this was 17th century porn.

Is this the inspiration for Janet Jackson ? 

Even the Madonna gets the exposed boob treatment.

Another personage not uninclined to a colourful life was Spanish Queen Isabella II. I had not had the pleasure of being aware of this Isabella until introduced to her story by a local tour guide, Manuel. Isabella was born in 1830 and ascended to the throne at the tender age of three after the untimely death of her father. It seems little Issy was a terror, refused to do any schoolling and could not read until she was 10. Our informant described her as the Miley Cyrus of her time, though not as easy on the eye. Isabella was married off to a French cousin, but probably someone should have sussed him out first to see if he was a viable option because it seems she was a nymphomanic and he was gay - not a good match. Isabella had 11 children, not one of them with her husband. Isabella was a good time girl who enjoyed a party. You will not surprised to learn that she was not a popular or successful monarch and was required to abdicate in favour of her teenage son (father unknown) while she went into exile with her then lover, an actor. This was pretty much the beginning of the end for that chapter of the Spanish monarchy with the next chaps in line having to deal with the anarchic unrest that lead to the 20th century civil war. 

Isabella II - looks like she enjoyed a bite to eat.