The Hermaphrodite's Curse

PART TWO - CAMBRIDGE

- 4 -

"Velazquez was a very smart painter and his paintings are full of complex symbolism that critics still argue about today," Professor Cavendish explained, "In particular, there are quite a few aspects of the Rokeby Venus that scholars struggle to interpret. As you know, the mirror is the symbol of Venus and she is often painted with one, however it is a mystery why Velazquez chose a composition where she faces away from us, with the reflection in the mirror indistinct and vague. Equally, the symbolism of the winged Cupid figure is a matter for some debate. Why is he holding up the mirror to Venus? What is the significance of the red ribbon in his hand?

"The mirror and the figure of Cupid are the reasons why the image has been consistently identified as being Venus. However, there is enough doubt about this to trouble scholars. The painting shows none of the other paraphernalia that usually allow us to identify an image of Venus. There are no roses or myrtle, the plants commonly associated with the goddess.

"Also, more significantly, she is a brunette. Not that significant, you might say, but look at every other contemporary and earlier image of Venus. Her blonde hair is the single defining characteristic that runs through them. She is even known in mythology as Venus Aurea, Golden Venus."

She turned the pages of the book to show earlier images of the goddess. There was the one of her emerging from the sea with her flowing golden locks that Gabe remembered so well from the cover of Love's Children. Another showed her reclining with a posy of flowers in her hand, unlike the Velazquez, she was facing straight toward us, nude with her body fully, sensually on show. In another, a bulkier, less slender Venus admired herself in a mirror, except unlike the Velazquez, the reflection was clear and distinct. One thing running through all of these paintings was the goddess' golden hair.

"So, maybe it isn't Venus," Gabe said, "But if it isn't, then why is it Hermaphroditus?"

"And why are Cupid and the mirror, always associated with Venus, in the picture if it isn't her?" Saphy added.

"And why the need for all this secrecy and symbolism?" Gabe asked, "Why not just paint an image of Hermaphroditus?"

"Because the 17th century Spain that Velazquez came from was a place of moral and religious repression and intolerance," Professor Cavendish replied, "The Inquisition was at the height of its powers. Although the image of Hermaphroditus and the idea of bending gender rules was popular elsewhere in Europe and even among the Spanish aristocracy, Velazquez would have had trouble with some of the Catholic church had he painted just what he wanted.

"Many people's argument for why the figure of Venus faces the other way from us is that, under the Inquisition, the Spanish government had strongly discouraged the painting of nudes. In fact, if the painting was done from life, as it seems from the sensual realism of it, then it would surely have been painted from a male model, as Velazquez would not have been allowed a female nude to paint from.

"The painting was probably done in about 1650, during a time when Velazquez was in Italy, slightly freer to paint as he wished than he would be in Spain under the Inquisition. The legend of the Borghese Hermaphroditus was such that the King of Spain asked Velazquez to have a bronze copy cast. Velazquez, therefore, must have spent a fair bit of time around the sculpture while he was painting the Rokeby Venus, which would account for the similarity in posture. Maybe that time awakened an interest in Hermaphroditus and the legend enough to influence the subject of Velazquez's painting."

"But, maybe he just used the shape of the statue's pose to inspire him," Gabe suggested.

"Looking at it now, the pose isn't quite so exactly the same as it first seemed," Saphy added, beginning to doubt the truth in what her former professor had said.

"Like many other works of this period, it's been retouched and restored a few times down the years," Professor Cavendish responded, "The shape of the arm and head has been altered, the head used to turn more to the left. The original shape, closer to the Hermaphroditus sculpture, has only been apparent recently using infra-red.

"Velazquez himself probably made some of these changes. Perhaps he felt that the similarity with the Hermaphroditus statue he was having copied at the same time was too obvious. Interestingly, the area around the left foot seems unfinished. However, it appears to be deliberate, almost as if Velazquez is making some symbolic point about the left foot. Once again, however, nobody can agree on what that point is.

"As for further reasons why the painting is Hermaphroditus, he is the only character who isn't Venus herself that fits the symbolism of the other objects, Cupid, the mirror and the ribbon. If we assume the painting not to be Venus, then Hermaphroditus is the only other logical choice. Cupid, like Hermaphroditus, was the son of Venus and the two of them are often compared.

"In the original Salmacis legend, the nymph's first thoughts on seeing Hermaphroditus are that he must be Cupid himself. Many of the artistic representations painted on vases that these books speculate to be Hermaphroditus are often identified instead as Cupid. He is even often referred to as 'a second Cupid'. So, that would explain why Cupid is holding up a mirror to him, they are mirrors of each other."

"And the ribbons?" Saphy asked.

"They have often been thought to symbolise blind love," the professor explained, "Often in art Cupid is depicted as blind with ribbons around his eyes. There is a legend about how Cupid became blind that I think is relevant to the picture here. It appears in Francis Beaumont's poem Salmacis and Hermaphroditus. Beaumont was a playwright who worked for a short time with Shakespeare. His first work, around the time of the discovery of the Borghese Hermaphroditus statue was this epic poem retelling the Salmacis legend. Here, I'll read a section to you:

"'His eyes were Cupid's, for until his birth, Cupid had eyes, and lived upon the earth, Till on a day, when the great Queen of love Was by her white doves drawn from heaven above, Unto the top of the Idalian hill, To see how well the Nymphs their charge fulfil, And whether they had done the goddess right, In nursing of her sweet Hermaphrodite: Whom when she saw, although complete and full, Yet she complained, his eyes were somewhat dull: And therefore, more the wanton boy to grace, She pulled the sparkling eyes from Cupid's face, Feigning a cause to take away his sight, Because the Ape would sometimes shoot for spite. But Venus set those eyes in such a place, As graced those clear eyes with a clearer face.'

"In the painting, the blurry image of Hermaphroditus' face in the mirror as Cupid holds it up, his ribbons of blindness draped over it, refer to how his brother has taken his shining eyes for himself.

"So, that's it. That's the secret of the Rokeby Venus and that's the significance of the transgender sign beneath it. I know that may have cleared up one mystery for you, but I don't think it gets you any closer to understanding the murder. I can't imagine somebody would kill to prevent an old secret coded in a classic painting from being revealed, especially when academics like me have already put forward these theories to universal disinterest."

"Yes, I can't imagine this is really information the police are going to take all that seriously," Saphy agreed, "We can't ask for protection from mysterious assassins because a painting of a goddess is really a guy!"

"It's a shame Robert White isn't around," Gabe added, "I'd have liked to see what he had to say."

"You could swing by his office anyway," Professor Cavendish suggested, "His colleague, Dr. Gerard should be there. He may be able to give you some pointers on Professor White's research."

As they left Professor Cavendish's office, both Gabe and Saphy felt a little disappointed. Of course, they had learnt a lot, but much of it didn't seem immediately relevant to a problem that could threaten their lives. Would somebody kill to protect a painting's secret? Why? And would they do it again?

Gabe knew that he wanted to speak to this Dr. Gerard, but Saphy didn't seem sure about that suggestion.

"I think I'd rather head to the library," she said, "There's one of the best libraries in the world here. If there's anything that might give us a clue why the painting's hermaphrodite secret is worth killing over, it's there," she paused for a moment, about to head off in the opposite direction, "Listen, I'm getting out of here by this evening. With those guys potentially on my tail, I don't want to stay in any place longer than I have to, especially not here," she looked around her with barely disguised disdain, "Meet me at the train station by seven. If you're not there, I'm leaving without you."

With that, Saphy turned and walked away, her heavy boots still slamming against the pavement. She was obviously not feeling relaxed, she kept brushing and tossing her purple hair out of her eyes. Gabe got the impression that perhaps she had only headed in the opposite direction from a need to be alone with her thoughts. Well, maybe Gabe would be better off pursuing things alone as well. Her opinionated presence wouldn't really be necessary when meeting another professor.