Hacker News Reader

> seeing all the Madonna and baby paintings, or similar church frescoes became too boring

If it helps… at the time they were well known prostitutes.

Are we certain of this or is it popular speculation?

I'm somewhat afraid to google for sources from a work machine, but the factoid that renaissance artists (amongst others) used prostitutes as models was circulated by lecturers in my art history classes. Could still be popular speculation.

Hmm. I'd only thought of "factoid" in the sense of the B definition:

> a little-known bit of information; trivial but interesting data

It hadn't occured to me until seeing it used here that it also suggests something resembling fact that isn't necessarily, which seems to be the original meaning.

FWIW, I did google it, and in Caravaggio's case we know some of the women's names who he used as models (and their occupation did seem to line up with what's suggested by the factoid).

historic certainty isn't the same as math certainty… they did find documents about this, but you need some amount of trust… unlike for theorems.

Anyway I've recently read this: "Caravaggio segreto. I misteri nascosti nei suoi capolavori." Costantino D'Orazio. Which I bought at the Musei Capitolini in Roma.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com