The Tragic Life of The “Monster” of The Palace — Eugenia Martínez скачать в хорошем качестве

The Tragic Life of The “Monster” of The Palace — Eugenia Martínez

Discover the heartbreaking story of Eugenia Martínez Vallejo, a young girl whose body became a spectacle at the Spanish court of Charles II of Spain in the 17th century. Born around 1674 in a modest village in Burgos, Spain, Eugenia’s unusually rapid weight-gain led to her being summoned to the royal palace at age six.  Commissioned by the king, the court painter Juan Carreño de Miranda immortalized her in two full-length portraits: one clothed and one nude. These works, titled La Monstrua Vestida (“The Monster, Clothed”) and La Monstrua Desnuda (“The Monster, Nude”), captured both the fascination and cruelty of her position.  While these paintings remain powerful reminders of her presence, the historical record reveals a far more tragic reality: Eugenia was presented as a living curiosity, not a child with dignity. Many modern researchers believe she may have had a genetic condition such as Prader‑Willi syndrome, which explains her rapid growth and appetite from a young age.  In this video, we explore: • Her early life and origins in the Merindad de Montija, Burgos.  • Her arrival at the royal court and the context of “people of pleasure” and royal curiosities of the time.  • The artistic and cultural significance of the portraits by Carreño de Miranda.  • How history has re-interpreted her story through the lens of disability, exploitation, and representation.  Join us as we shine a light on a remarkable but often overlooked life, and reflect on how beauty, power, spectacle and vulnerability intersected in the palace courts of early modern Europe. ⸻ If you like this content, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to join our history & art deep-dives!