# What are these things on a painting? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 25, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810 "2019-09-25T16:46:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/1 "2019-09-25T16:46:19Z")
[Third photo down](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/long-lost-masterpiece-found-in-french-womans-kitchen-is-the-holy-grail-for-curators-and-collectors-alike/), “Maestà.” the thin black squiggles over each sholder (above the wings) of each of the ugly angels. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/2 "2019-09-25T16:51:36Z")
And why don’t the upper two have halo? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/3 "2019-09-25T16:57:44Z")
Actually those lines are the outlines for their halos. The halo color and the background color are the same, the lines are to provide some semblance of the halo outline. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/4 "2019-09-25T17:00:00Z")
They seem to be the same outline as the back of the chair the main character is sitting in. Maybe done to loosely represent that they also are sitting in chairs? ---
**Author:** ![Rhodes](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhodes/32/273_2.png) [@Rhodes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhodes)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/5 "2019-09-25T17:01:30Z")
In [this piece](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Cimabue_Trinita_Madonna.jpg) by the same artist, the same objects appear to be woven into the angels’ hair braids. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/6 "2019-09-25T17:09:14Z")
> [@Rhodes](#): > > In [this piece](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/be/Cimabue_Trinita_Madonna.jpg) by the same artist, the same objects appear to be woven into the angels’ hair braids. You’re right—good catch. I still wonder what they are, though. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/7 "2019-09-25T17:17:31Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > [Third photo down](https://www.rawstory.com/2019/09/long-lost-masterpiece-found-in-french-womans-kitchen-is-the-holy-grail-for-curators-and-collectors-alike/), “Maestà.” the thin black squiggles over each sholder (above the wings) of each of the ugly angels. The lines only appear above the wings of the angels, they are absent in the halos of mother and child. Maybe they were an attempt by the artist to show the wings in motion? Otherwise I got nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/8 "2019-09-25T17:21:59Z")
[Moderating] Since this is about an artistic detail, it’ll be a better fit for Cafe Society. Moving. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/9 "2019-09-25T18:05:17Z")
If you [look at this image](https://www.flickr.com/photos/10782886@N03/3239050143) and click to enlarge it, you can see that the lines have actual detail and shading to them. Weirdness. Best I can think of is that they’re supposed to be the ends of the ribbon in the angels hair, flapping in the wind of their wings? ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/10 "2019-09-25T18:12:20Z")
They’re not actually black – The “hair hanger” colors match their ribbons for each angel [in this picture](https://smarthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/CimabueTrinitaCenterDetailSm.jpg) if you enlarge so I think that’s the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/11 "2019-09-25T18:16:15Z")
Wow. Let’s just say I would never make it as an art critic. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/12 "2019-09-25T19:06:12Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > If you [look at this image](https://www.flickr.com/photos/10782886@N03/3239050143) and click to enlarge it, you can see that the lines have actual detail and shading to them. Weirdness. > > Best I can think of is that they’re supposed to be the ends of the ribbon in the angels hair, flapping in the wind of their wings? They don’t look like they’re _flapping_ to me – more like the whole thing is made out of rigid stuff, like wire woven over with silk. And what are those things hanging down from the very ends of them? Tassels? Or tiny bells? ---
**Author:** ![tricoteuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tricoteuse/32/4334_2.png) [@tricoteuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tricoteuse)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/13 "2019-09-25T19:22:51Z")
I think they are meant to be [diadems.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diadem) You can see that over their angels’ bangs they seem to have little jeweled doodads which would have been tied with two ribbons that would be brought over the shoulders. In the image gallery there are coins and things where the ribbons are sticking out in the same kind of stylized way. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2019, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/14 "2019-09-25T19:24:35Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > They don’t look like they’re _flapping_ to me – more like the whole thing is made out of rigid stuff, like wire woven over with silk. > > And what are those things hanging down from the very ends of them? Tassels? Or tiny bells? Yeah, looking at them and how they all match in size/shape, I would say that they are intended to be part of the hair ribbon but are also supposed to be rigid. I don’t know anything about historical hair accessories to guess if they match something that was contemporary at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b487fb/32.png) [@Walken\_After\_Midnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walken_After_Midnight)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/15 "2019-09-26T15:55:54Z")
Other examples: [1](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/1/archangel-michael-julia-bridget-hayes.jpg), [2](https://sep.yimg.com/ay/yhst-47912705652979/guardian-angel-orthodox-gold-and-silver-foiled-icon-4.jpg), [3](https://www.andreprevost.com/uploads/2/6/1/4/26144523/4347341-orig_orig.jpg). An [explanation](https://www.andreprevost.com/guardian-angels-icon-pair): > [@](#): > > It was explained to me years ago that the manner of depiction for Angel’s hair bands, was that their light blue hair bands, ending in floating ribbons or even white lightning, function as “antennae” to instantly pick up instructions from God. My guess at a scientific explanation would be that the ribbons are floating because of static electricity generated by being in close proximity to God. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/16 "2019-09-26T17:34:53Z")
They’re holy emanations. Cimabue painted in the Italo-Byzantine Style which occasionally used linear forms as a kind of visual shorthand for that which could not be shown naturally. The halos are an extension of the emanations. Cimabue’s best known student, Giotto, eclipsed his teacher and moved the style away from such linear forms, which everyone thought was a good thing. Except, maybe, Cimabue. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/17 "2019-09-26T17:50:30Z")
(I don’t recall the titles of the books on early Christian symbolology where I came across that, but I was a fine art appraiser for 15 years.) ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/18 "2019-09-26T20:22:17Z")
It’s not a hair decoration I recognize, but it’s definitely all one piece with the hairband: [http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCX5B-QTcxA/UO3-0iEsRnI/AAAAAAAAAPM/ZsTHeFc9Tro/s1600/madonna2.jpg](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RCX5B-QTcxA/UO3-0iEsRnI/AAAAAAAAAPM/ZsTHeFc9Tro/s1600/madonna2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2019, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-these-things-on-a-painting/840810/19 "2019-09-26T20:38:20Z")
They’re clearly hands-free microphones.