SC - New Midrealm Cookery Laurel

[Elise Fleming]

On Sun, 18 Jul 1999, Alderton, Philippa wrote:

> " The Crusades, along with their many other influences, brought back to
> Europe a practice that certainly influenced the appearance of nudes in art:
> public baths. 

Interesting idea, but the CA authors missed a few things here and there
(for the which I am willing to forgive them- #13 was written a long time
ago). Public baths far predate the Crusades- after all, the Romans built a
great deal of them, all over Europe. There was even a public bath at the
trading center at Londinium. Many of the Roman baths were in use up to and
through the Middle Ages. A Roman bath at Aachen was converted to a bath by
Charlemagne, for the Emperor's personal use. 

Also (I might be wrong about this, but...) it is my suspicion from my
understanding of Saracen culture that they did not approve of mixed
bathing, as it would be quite shameful for the sexes to be publicly naked
in that manner, and that they looked down on those barbarian Westerners
for doing so. 

As to artists- it is my understanding that working from a live model was
rare, even more so a nude one. I suspect that any sudden interest in
drawing/painting nudes had less to do with baths and more to do with
renewed interest in the Greek ideals of art and beauty. 

Just my two deniers...

very tired from Coronation,
'Lainie
- -
Laura C. Minnick
- -
'A Vaillans Coeurs Riens Impossible'
- -
"Libraries have been the death of many great men, particularly the
Bodleian."
	Humfrey Wanley, c. 1731




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