Netherlandish Proverbs
September 22, 2009
Murial
Netherlandish Proverbs
At first glance, you may think the painting simply illustrates the people of the Netherlands. That was what I thought. But as I looked into this painting, Netherlandish Proverbs (1559), painted by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in Staatliche Museen, Berlin (now Gemaldegaerie, Berlin), I learned that every individual, object, and action all have a satirical significance. There is said to be over 100 proverbs illustrated in this paining, in which some are still used in the Netherlands and Dutch.
Some of the proverbs illustrated in the paintings are….
- To bang one’s head against a brick wall.
Which means to try to achieve the impossible
- The world is turned upside down.
Which means everything is the opposite of what it should be
- She puts the blue cloak on her husband.
Which means she deceives him
An interesting fact about Pieter Bruegel the Elder and his paintings is that, though as a Flemish Painter he received support from the royalties of Spain (Charles V and the Hapsburgs,) his paintings are said to reflect the peasants of the time rather than the church or the royalties.
Bruegel’s paintings are most influenced by Humanism and Hieronymous Bosch. Humanism allows him to paint the human nature as it is. Of course, in this case he isn’t exactly illustrating the beauty of human nature, but it’s still spin off of it. With Bosch’s influence, his paintings are satirical. So with the combination of the two influences, bruegel’s paintings are possible.
The reason why I enjoy this painting so much is probably because I feel like there is so much more meaning to it than other painting I often see. I can make a direct connection, and for a person that has very little interest in painting, the theme is straight forward enough that I can understand the signmificance of the painting. When I mentioned that the painting has more meaning earlier, I was reffering to the fact that instead of the painting illustrating people’s beliefs and faith, it illustrates the people themselves as they were. With this painting we can actually see how people acted back in the day, which it ios not so far from how we act today. I believe everyday actions have much more significance compared to one big event, and because Netherlandish Proverbs is a collection of everyday actions I am more attracted to it and I feel like I can connect to it more.
Entry Filed under: Renaissance
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1.
K. Fritze |
September 23, 2009 at 10:15 pm
I enjoyed your critique of Netherlands Proverbs and your insight into the painting’s significance. Especially interesting were the examples of the proverbs themselves. I agree with you, as a person that has very little interest in painting, that the theme makes the piece interesting. Without knowing the background and history behind the work, the painting itself is bright and eye-catching. However, knowing that the title really means that there are examples of the proverbs littered throughout the painting make it even more interesting.
You did a good job bringing in the topic of Humanism as part of the assignment. The only two comments I have would be to use spell check and to reference your source. Do you have a list of all the proverbs represented in the painting? Thanks for the interesting post.
2.
Murial |
September 25, 2009 at 2:05 am
Thanks for the feedback. I will remember to use spell check and to reference my sources next time.
I got the list of proverbs from the Wikipedia page. if you’re interested here’s the URL
3.
Brandon |
September 24, 2009 at 9:33 pm
I found the work of Bruegel interesting as well and find it fascinating that such detail is attributed to proverbs. I think it was clever of the artist to not only come out and tell the viewer this in the title, but also with no indication where the discovery can end. With this, the viewer is continually engaged to find more and more within the detailed subject matter. Also, it was great you listed out a few examples. Bruegel seemed to play a huge role in the renaissance and reformation by completely ignoring religious material in favor of the everyday. Also, proverbs are equally important lessons as any doctrine crafted in the bible. Bruegel seems to have shifted the subject but not the meaning. Moral lessons seemed to be the matter at hand in commissioned art. Bruegel was able to do this and not resort to stories in the bible. I am curious about the satirical aspects as both Bruegel’s and Bosch’s work confuse the senses. I’ll definitely look further into the matter. A literal interpretation might be a mistaken one.
4.
Sean Flippo |
September 25, 2009 at 11:53 pm
I also found this painting very interesting, i actually went through the painting trying to find all the proverbs. The amount of attention to detail in this painting is astonishing; It was for this reason that i chose to do my blog on The Gates of Paradise. It just amazing the amount of detail and time that went into such works as these. Something that i found odd about Bruegel was that he received funding from royalty, but in return painted the lower class individuals. I found that these Humanistic pictures in the painting (Netherlandish Proverbs) were great works and representations of the times; and to be able to fit 100 proverbs in one painting is incredible!
Your blog was very interesting and gave me the chance to explore another persons views on the visual arts of this time period. I enjoyed learning about the artist and his work.
Good Work.
5.
Bethany |
October 6, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Your analysis of the piece was great. I enjoyed the examples of the hidden proverbs that you gave and enjoyed finding them in the picture. It reminded me of the ispy books in a way. Anyways, aside from that, your blog was good, but, as was mentioned before, the spell check and references were lacking. With that said, good job at replying to the comment and providing the information. I am glad that you chose this piece, I now want to see a larger version and find the proverbs. What a fun way to get an insight on the culture represented in this painting. And I agree with Flippo, it is crazy that the painter fit 100 proverbs in there! Amazing piece.
6.
elanser |
February 12, 2010 at 9:35 pm
Great choice! I don’t know that I would have picked up the inner happening of the painting. Now that you point it out, I would certainly say it is one of the smarter paintings I have seen. How did this guy started out? Thinking actually that he wanted to fit a 100 proverbs in there, or did it just kind of evolve? Paintings like this make me respect the talent even more.