Tag: rembrandt

  • Ye Olde Nail Clippers: How did people trim their nails in the past?

    Ye Olde Nail Clippers: How did people trim their nails in the past?

    I love the ordinary.

    What could be more ordinary than clipping your nails?

    Many a time have I pondered the difficulty of such a mundane task for people with no access to handy, purpose-built nail clippers, either in the past or the present. Thus, I was delighted to come across this huge, centuries-old painting by Dutch master, Rembrandt (or one of his pupils) of an aged woman tending to her finger nails. Though, I am no art historian, I have always been drawn to the painters of old who shined a light on the common folk rather than just the wealthy. The Bible itself includes a reference to nail grooming, though without mention of a specialized tool.

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