Though she and her sisters were painted and studied, they did not hold official roles at court like their father and brother. They were treated more as wonders than equals. Fontana’s portrait invites us to ask: When we look at someone who is different, what do we truly see?

The crown gives an impression of refinement, but each flower grows in the wild. This contrast suggests how Antonietta was often seen, part courtly marvel, and part mystery.

It also grows wild without human care, reflecting how people at the time often viewed those with hypertrichosis—as natural, untamed, and outside societal norms. Atop her head sits a crown of snowdrops, clover, and a carnation.

Fontana’s portrait captures the tension between admiration and alienation. Antonietta appears poised, dressed finely, and holding a handwritten note that explains her background. Behind her right ear is a lily of the valley, symbolizing purity and humility.

Her father, Pedro Gonzales (Latinized as Petrus Gonsalvus), was the first well-documented case in medical history. The family became known as curiosities, observed by doctors, written about by scholars, and immortalized by artists.

Antonietta was real. She was not a myth or a sideshow act. Her family lived in the courts of Europe and shared a rare condition called hypertrichosis, often nicknamed “werewolf syndrome” for the thick hair it causes on the face and body.

Portrait of a Werewolf? Not Quite. This is one of the most intriguing portraits ever painted. Meet Antonietta Gonzales, depicted around 1595 by Lavinia Fontana, one of the most accomplished female artists of the Italian Renaissance.

FINAL WEEKEND! Last call for the Brave, the Curious, and Those Who Seek the Truth. 🔦 #ottawa 🎟️ https://t.co/OhSdzTVmKf

On the longest, darkest night of the year, the shadows may linger a little longer... but don't worry, it's probably nothing. 👻😉 Wishing you sweet dreams and brighter days ahead! #Solstice #WinterSolstice

🎄 ‘Tis the season for scary stories! 👻 Join us and @hauntedwalk for some spooky ghost stories as well as a classic short film and an exclusive paranormal investigation for VIP ticket holders! 👉 Ghost Stories: 9pm 👉 VIP Experience: 10:45pm 🎟️ https://t.co/6meXmrpFhk

🎄 ‘Tis the season for scary stories! 👻 Join us and @hauntedwalk for some spooky ghost stories as well as a classic short film and an exclusive paranormal investigation for VIP ticket holders! 👉 Ghost Stories: 8:45pm 👉 VIP Experience: 10:30pm 🎟️ https://t.co/EFr77QAOlJ

..The Shackleton Expedition meets the Cthulhu Mythos). Happy Halloween! 🎃 Special thanks to the Haunted Walk's Halloween Mixologist @Whisky_Yak on another great season of Halloween Cocktails! 👏👻🍸

Enjoy with your Halloween fun: a) handing out candy, b) watching John Carpenter’s In the Mouth of Madness (1994), c) reading Dan Simmons' The Terror (2007), or d) playing T.I.M.E. Stories: Endurance Expedition (a board game best described as Time Cop meets..

- Add the tonic generously and stir gently. - Pour Hpnotiq over the back of a bar spoon to layer on top (according to Necronomnomnom, this will make the test subject more likely to drink the elixir). - Place the lemon peel or rosemary sprig prominently in front of the glass.

Directions: - Select a tall glass to hold the full dose of the potion. - - Add ice to the glass, then add the gin. Squeeze the juice from three lime wedges and place them equidistant around the rim (the number is important, but we do not know why).

- 4-5oz tonic water (I used 1642’s Elderflower Tonic because, well, ‘Thank you, Elder Sign!) - 1oz Hpnotiq Passionfruit Liqueur - A carefully carved section of lemon peel or a sprig of rosemary, properly trimmed

Ingredients (in order of use): - Ice - 3oz gin (recipe specifies Hendrick’s, but as Miskatonic University often sponsors Arctic and Antarctic research expeditions, I felt Northwest Passage Expedition Gin was a good choice) - 3 lime wedges

..but the Gin & Miskatonic, his spin on the Gin & Tonic, is in Necronomnomnom, and it’s one I’ve wanted to try for a while now..

..with the Miskatonic Reviver and Herbert West’s Deanimator. Which brings us to 2024, where I’ll draw on Mike Slater’s ‘The Necronomnomnom: Recipes and Rites from the Lore of H.P. Lovecraft’ (2019). He’s actually written an entire H.P. Lovecraft-inspired cocktail book, too...

For the grand finale, I wasn’t going to let Halloween Cocktail Season go by without a nod to the Cthulhu Mythos and Cosmic Horror. In 2020, it was the Herbert West, Re-Animator; in 2021, the Drinks Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. I somehow missed 2022 but made up for that in 2023...