Oh, now what a lovely rabbit hole this appears to be, most intriguing! New to me!
-
Sign up or login, and you'll have full access to opportunities of forum.
Erotic helplessness : a study of the history of the Damsel in Distress theme in art
- Thread starter coldturkey
- Start date
twonines
LIMERICUS
"You may well hang your head in shame , madame, do not bother dressing, I will deal with you when the gendarmes have removed this poltroon.
"Traditionally, adulteresses are punished with the lash, and I am nothing if not a traditionalist."
As long as Cleo was a rather well fed Italian...
ducon007
Consul
Whippingginga
Assistant executioner
What a powerful, sexy and arousing image...
twonines
LIMERICUS
This has all the hallmarks of a typical Barbara Moore fantasy!
mysterybadger
Executioner
vadim69
Governor
If it was through these or just bad luck isn't clear, but soon rumours about Overbury's timely demise started to circulate. Sir Gerwase Helwys who had been the Lieutenant of the Tower during Overbury's imprisonment confessed to Sir Ralph Winwood, Secretary of State, that he had been aware that Richard Weston, one of the keepers, had been given a potion to use on Overbury, which Helwys had stopped. He also stated that after Overbury's death, Weston had confessed that an apothecary's boy had been bribed to give Overbury a poisoned enema. [24]
From there on, the whole house of cards came down. Weston told on Anne, who was imprisoned, and both Helwys, Weston and Anne were tried for the murder. Anne's trial took place on the 7th of November 1615, and she was charged with "comforting, aiding and assisting" Weston in poisoning Overbury. Anne denied everything, but she was found guilty and sentenced to death. Chief Justice Coke called her "a whore, a bawd, a sorcerer, a witch, a papist, a felon and a murderer, the daughter of that devil Forman." [25] It wasn't until after the trial, when given spiritual comfort by a minister, that she confessed and implicated Frances. [26]
She was brought to Tyburn on 14 November 1615, between ten and eleven in the morning, wearing her own yellow ruff. Entreated by the minister to speak to the crowd, she made a very remorseful speech in which she cried out against the corruption of the fashinable world, making special mention of powdered hair and yellow ruffs. [27] After this she asked if she may pray for Frances, and when answered that this was a charitable deed, she said: "I must pray for her, and whilst pray for her whilst I have breath."
From there on, the whole house of cards came down. Weston told on Anne, who was imprisoned, and both Helwys, Weston and Anne were tried for the murder. Anne's trial took place on the 7th of November 1615, and she was charged with "comforting, aiding and assisting" Weston in poisoning Overbury. Anne denied everything, but she was found guilty and sentenced to death. Chief Justice Coke called her "a whore, a bawd, a sorcerer, a witch, a papist, a felon and a murderer, the daughter of that devil Forman." [25] It wasn't until after the trial, when given spiritual comfort by a minister, that she confessed and implicated Frances. [26]
She was brought to Tyburn on 14 November 1615, between ten and eleven in the morning, wearing her own yellow ruff. Entreated by the minister to speak to the crowd, she made a very remorseful speech in which she cried out against the corruption of the fashinable world, making special mention of powdered hair and yellow ruffs. [27] After this she asked if she may pray for Frances, and when answered that this was a charitable deed, she said: "I must pray for her, and whilst pray for her whilst I have breath."
Amos, p. 224, quoting in turn State Paper Office; Domestic papers, 1615, Nov. 14, No. 290
Engraving of Mrs. Anne Turner on her way to the gallows . 1615.
Attachments
Monsieur Cariven's image of de Brinvilliers' sad experience is rather inaccurate. I have seen numerous other drawings, etc. of this (I don't have any downloaded to share).
The woman was a convicted poisoner and was sentenced to be beheaded, and also to undergo the water torture before that. The sentence had nothing to do with the clerics seen in this picture. It was all a criminal procedure. I do not know if Madame la Marquise de Brinvilliers was tortured for a confession, so that may be the point of the picture above. On the day of her demise, what appears to be a rack, and burning the feet were not mentioned in accounts I have read.
The day of her execution, she was stretched backward over some sort of trestle that could be raised to increase the agony. She was forced - over four hours - to drink 16 pints of water. One can imagine the distension and pain caused by her swollen internal organs. It is hard to imagine that ruptures were not caused. In addition, forcing this much water into the woman, over four hours, she must have urinated numerous times - an additional degradation. She then met with a confessor before being publicly beheaded.
ducon007
Consul
I know all that well...
It's not the first time an artist has ignored historical reality. And frankly, who cares?
Naraku
Draconarius
Numbers 1 and 3 are versions that I have seen before. They also correspond to the description given by those in attendance. Apparently, she was horribly swelled and could barely move. Four hours of stress on that device would not have helped.
I know the woman was a murderess, but looking at the pictures, it is always distressing that men take pride and pleasure in torturing women. The Witch Craze from the late 16th century until the 1630s may have been the worst example(s) of it.