It has been an amazing few hours! Since my last post I have had a windfall of luck in finding more keys to unlocking my Cleves project! A book arrived that includes information about Anna and Amalia and in there was a footnote about a triptych. The triptcyh I have been looking for without knowing what to look for. The triptychon der Rosenkranzbruderschaft, the 1528 one not the actually well published 17thc one! This triptyich has the ruling family in full. And attendants behind them. After years of finding paintings of citizens it has been very hard to find portraits of the nobility.

This is the only online image!

Anna is in the yellow gown, Amalia in the reddish pinkish gown. This picture alone confirms a few theories I have had as well as supports some documentation I have held onto and not shared because I had zero frame of reference!

But my book also includes a small list of items for the laundry, including a lot of garments for the head, but not only is the transcription good, there is a photo of the list from the document!!!

On the next page is what I think is her inscription in the song book (which I also have a full copy of so should be able to find it) and it confirms my suspicion about the use if ij and y in this location at this time. Which means even more ways to look for information but it also makes it hard as most transcriptions of documents are slightly modernised.

So then from this book I went looking at other books, and have the exhibition catalogue that includes a photo of the triptych and more. And I also found another copy of the inventory that got lost in the mail- I have no idea how the book worked its way out of the packaging but I got a little envelope with my invoice which was very battered.

And then I found a free catalogue from early 1900s with more lists of paintings I probably won’t find easily.

And.. oh yes. I will bring back The Frazzled Frau. Already started as a series of pinterest boards as it is honestly a very easy to maintain visual database of images. I do try to find the original in all my pins, but occasionally wind up linking to the nearest best option.

Anyway. With this new information I am indeed going to work on my accessories this weekend. This means I need to rest and repair my hands as well as get a little exercise to make up for the inactivity of trawling through archives for a good few days. Well months. Years in total but a walk can only do so much.

But now I can be really pretty darn sure that my investment in my projects is in the right direction!