What is it?

Preparing for the family quiz on Sunday, I am taking close-up, or unusual angle, photographs of objects for a round called "what is it?" Here is one that may be too hard to use in the quiz.  Any guesses.

More soul music today, with a first listen to the Leon Bridges album Good Thing on which my favourite track was Bad Bad News.

Two paintings by Francisco de Goya today. The first is The Duchess of Alba (1797) and the second was The Family of Charles IV (1800.) At the beginning of the 19th century, Spain was declining from its status as one of the richest countries in Europe. Its monarchy had become feeble and debauched, not least because of centuries of inbreeding. The Bourbon King Charles IV, was regarded with contempt or pity by many of his citizens. Some Spanish intellectuals welcomed the French Revolution and, despite the execution of many French royals and his close kinship with the, guillotined, King Louis XVI, Charles was persuaded to align Spain with France under Napoleon, with disastrous consequences.

However, at the time of the paintings, that was in the future. The main characters in the pictures were the beautiful Duchess of Alba and not the King but his Queen, Maria-Luisa. Both were strong, politically powerful women, dominating their husbands, the Duke of Alba and the King. 

The Duchess was rumoured to have had an affair with Goya.  The details of the painting suggest this.  On her right hand are two rings, one engraved Alba and the other Goya. The hand is pointing to the ground where, drawn into the earth are the words Solo Goya - "only Goya." The Queen was highly jealous of the Duchess. In 1802, the Duchess died of poisoning, it is thought at the instigation of the Queen, who promptly purchased her rival's jewels at their "estimated value." 

The King had little interest in ruling the country, preferring hunting and the company of carpenters and gunsmiths, with whom he felt comfortable.  He turned a blind eye to his Queen's numerous affairs. She persuaded the King to agree that one of her lovers, a 25 year old soldier from the palace guard - Manuel Godoy - should become in the First Secretary of State and run the country for eleven years.

In the family painting, the Queen is at the centre whilst the King is to the right. She has her two youngest children close to her: Doña Maria Isabel and Don Francisco de Paula. It was widely recognised that the young prince looked nothing like the King, with no Bourbon features, but bore a remarkable resemblance to the Queen's lover, Godoy.