In the beginning it was only the rich and famous who had their (1) portraits painted. But from the Renaissance onwards things changed. Firstly, the growing importance of the middle classes led many ordinary people to (2) commission paintings, often of members of their family. Secondly, artists became interested in showing scenes of (3) domestic life, set in the (4) interiors of ordinary houses, and (5) consequently they began to (6) engage ordinary people, such as servant girls, as models. Part of the mystery for (7) viewers today concerns the identity of these models, in masterpieces such as Leonardo’s
Mona Lisa and Vermeer’s Girl with a Pearl Earring.
Additional activity
7 Replace the underlined words with the correct form of the words and expressions in the box.
1 He changed his religion from Protestantism and became a Catholic. (converted) 2 One of the assistant’s jobs was to break into a powder the paints. (grind)
3 The newspaper started to change the fact so that it was no longer true ever since it existed, and the local
government was definitely one of the victims. (distort)
4 You don’t have to make a hole in your ears to be able to wear these earrings. (pierce)
5 The lives of artists have often been linked to shocking events and situations. (scandals)
6 One of the most striking aspects of the painting is the turban she is wearing on her head. (features)
7 I’ll finish the painting this evening, so from now until then you can have a break. (in the meantime)
8 Answer the questions about the words and expressions. 1 Are exotic clothes likely to be (a) ordinary, or (b) unusual?
2 Is a sitter someone who (a) is being painted, or (b) spends a lot of time sitting down?
3 Is a conventional sense of beauty one which is (a) shared and understood by most people, or (b) different from what is shared and understood by most people? 4 Is an enigmatic expression one which is full of (a) good humour, or (b) mystery? 5 If you have a volatile personality, do you get angry (a) quickly, or (b) only when you can’t tolerate?
6 If you are wary of something, are you (a) excited about it, or (b) careful and nervous about it?
7 If you show something explicitly, do you (a) make its meaning very clear so there is no doubt about it, or (b) leave its meaning unclear?
8 If a woman tries to keep her modesty, does she (a) cover her hair and body to avoid any sexual feeling in men, or (b) talk and act with good grace?
9 Is jealousy the feeling you get when you think someone you love (a) is attracted to
somebody else, or (b) doesn’t love you any more?
Language in use
word formation: compound nouns
1 Form compound nouns to indicate: 1 a writer of songs (songwriter) 2 a director of films (film director)
3 a scarf you wear around your head (headscarf) 4 a pack you carry on your back (backpack) 5 a stick you use to make your lips red (lipstick) 6 a lace you use to tie up your shoe (shoelace) 7 polish that you put on your nails (nail polish)
might have been / done
2 Rewrite the sentences using might have been / done . 1 It’s possible that the artist and the model became lovers. The artist and the model might have been lovers.
2 It’s possible that Catharina was never jealous of the model. Catharina might never have been jealous of the model. 3 It’s possible that the model became Vermeer’s assistant. The model might have become Vermeer’s assistant.
4 It’s possible that Vermeer painted other masterpieces which have since been lost.
Vermeer might have painted other masterpieces which have since been lost. 5 It’s possible that Vermeer died in poverty. Vermeer might have died in poverty.
may be due to the fact that …
3 Complete the sentences with your own ideas using may be due to the fact
that …
1 The young pianist’s musical genius may be due to the fact that his mother played the piano a lot while she was pregnant, so he has always heard music from day one. 2 The late arrival of the train may be due to the fact that there were severe storms last night.
3 The misunderstanding may be due to the fact that she speaks very little Chinese and I don’t speak much Spanish.
4 The book’s enormous popularity may be due to the fact that it has been
aggressively marketed on TV and it was discussed in several prime time TV shows. 5 His dislike of music may be due to the fact that he was exposed to loud rock music for many hours a day when he was quite small.
insist that …
4 Rewrite the sentences using insist that …
1 I met an old friend who refused to let me go before I had a drink with him. I met an old friend, who insisted that I have a drink with him before he let me go. 2 The customs people refused to let me through unless I signed a document they
gave me.
The customs people insisted that I sign a document they gave me before they let me through.
3 We refused to let him start the concert before having an hour’s rest. We insisted that he have an hour’s rest before he started the concert.
4 They refused to publish the book until he changed some of the things he had written.
They insisted that he change some of the things he’d written before they published the book.
5 She refused to let me see the painting until I apologized for what I had done. She insisted that I apologize for what I had done before she let me see the painting.
collocations
5 Read the explanations of the words. Answer the questions.
1 appeal This word means the quality that something has that makes people like it or want it.
(a) If a radio station wants to widen its appeal, what does it need to do? It needs to appeal to a wider audience by having more popular programmes. (b) Are games and sports that have a popular appeal liked by many people or a few people?
They are liked by many people.