Dying Amazon by Franz von Stuck,1905
(Harvard University)
The name of the Brazilian rainforest comes from the Amazons of Classical and Greek mythology. The Amazons was a nation of brave female warriors who formed an independent kingdom under the government of a queen. In some versions of the myth, no men were permitted to have sexual encounters or reside in Amazon country; but once a year, in order to prevent their race from dying out, they visited a neighbouring tribe.
As per wikipedia, the name Amazon for the rainforest is said to arise from a war which Francisco de Orellana had with a tribe of Tapuyas and other tribes from South America. The women of the tribe fought alongside the men, as was the custom among the entire tribe. Orellana's descriptions may have been accurate, but a few historians speculate that Orellana could have been mistaking indigenous men wearing "grass skirts" for women.
It is interesting that in this painting the amazon is holding her right breast. Wikipidia:
"One of the versions of the myth tells that the roots for the word amazon is from a-(privative) + mazos, "without breast," connected with a tradition that Amazons had their right breast cut off or burn out, so they would be able to use a bow more freely and throw spears without the physical limitation and obstruction; there is no indication of such a practice in works of art, in which the Amazons are always represented with both breasts, although the right is frequently covered."
In this painting the right breast is not covered and on the contrary, it is emphasized by light and by the fact that the Amazon is holding it.
What can Franz von Stuck be trying to tell us...
