Netherlands-based photographer Mariska Karto draws inspiration from classic painters circa the Renaissance in her series titled The Old and Dusty World. Choosing to depict the magical beauty of the female body, her soft-toned images depict fresh, ivory-skinned women laying about amidst a sea of laces and draped fine fabrics. Their relaxed poses as they lounge in the comfort of a bedroom setting emits a certain allure, setting the mood.
While the models seem at ease, finding comfort in their own skin, unconcerned with the pressures of holding up appearances, there’s a presence of vanity with the inclusion of a gold-framed mirror in several of the images. There is also a juxtaposing sense of purity and sensuality translated simultaneously through the subjects’ freely positioned bodies. Are they simply basking in the lap of luxury or purposely drawing in the spectator’s gaze?
