Butterflies and Waldemar

 Another glorious spring day, and this morning I took a walk in hope of seeing more butterflies. There was much to enjoy – birdsong (including chiffchaffs now), flowers and early blossom – but, as it turned out, the slight touch of chill in the breeze was enough to deter the butterflies, fussy creatures that they are. However, I did see my first tortoiseshell of the year – Small Tortoiseshell I should say, as the lovely Large Tortoiseshell is now re-established as a British species. And later I was entertained by two Peacocks and a Brimstone (all at the same time) in the garden. 
  Talking of butterflies, I saw one on television last night, in a most unlikely setting – acting as a fig-leaf over the nether privities of the dwarf Nano Morgante, in a startling double-sided portrait by Bronzino (the butterfly was of course highly stylised). This featured in Waldemar Januszczak's typically lively and entertaining series on Mannerism. I hadn't really thought much about Mannerism as such (though I've written here about Moroni, Parmigianino, Andrea del Sarto and others), but Waldemar brings home its extraordinary, intense energy and all-encompassing range, from utterly grotesque sculpture and wildly over-the-top ceiling paintings to hauntingly beautiful portraits – definitely Mannerism's strong suit. Self-portraits too – I was interested to learn about the prolific and prodigiously gifted self-portraitist Sofonisba Anguissola, who painted the remarkable family group below (Sofonisba on the left). However, Januszczak was surely stretching things too far when he tried to enlist Palladio in the Mannerist ranks. Really?