Week Five: Baroque Works
Hello, everyone. Unlike last week, it did not take me long to find a painting I wanted to talk about. I knew that I wanted to talk about a tronie, because those are my favorite baroque paintings. And after just a bit of searching, I found the one I wanted.
Self-Portrait with Magic Scene
By Pieter van Laer
Painted circa 1635-1637 by Dutch artist Pieter Bodding van Laer, this piece certainly elicits a reaction at first glance. For me, that was laughter. And this is exactly why I wanted to talk about a tronie. Though, whether this fits the modern usage of the word or not because it's a self-portrait and not an unidentifiable person, I'm not sure. Regardless, this painting is amazing. But what exactly is going on here?
Analysis
This painting is a self-portrait of Pieter van Laer. Despite the seemingly comical nature of his expression, it is actually a look of horror as he gazes at the claws of the devil. Around him are many alchemical tools and magic tomes. The musical score at the bottom reads "The devil doesn't jest", and it is signed P.V Laer. The story here seems to be that his occult practices came back to haunt him as the devil has come to claim his soul.
There is much to unpack here, and seemingly symbolism in most of the objects here. A few of the deeper meanings I found include the candle in the center being halfway burnt, may represent death at the halfway point of someone's life. The small seeds spilling from the paper cone in the bottom right corner could represent an ingredient in witchcraft, as well as a reference to the Parable of the Tares (Weeds) from the book of Matthew in the Bible. "He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels." (Matthew 13:38-39)
There are also several things that just set the scene of nefarious activities. Boiling brew in a human skull, magic tomes with a pentagram, strange vials of liquid, and a glass full of what looks to be insects. There's even a little beetle down by the music score. Speaking of which, the actual song on the score is also symbolic. It is what's known as a "crab canon", in which two musical lines reverse each other, like how a crab walks back and forth, or as the devil runs against God. The lyrics "The devil doesn't jest" is a clear warning to those viewing the painting. As though the gnarled, clawed fingers stretching forth from the right weren't warning enough...
As far as the feel of the painting goes, it's obviously going for an eerie and ominous vibe, based off the subject matter and the lighting. I like how dark everything feels, it's a classic example of tenebrism in baroque art. And it really adds to the overall mood to the painting. While I still find the expression comical and fun, the actual story told here is quite the opposite, and I can appreciate it in both ways. Speaking of the expression, it is very well done. I'm always one to appreciate pushing expression in pieces to evoke emotions, and it's my favorite part of the piece. I also like how the painting is seemingly split in half horizontally, where all the busy parts are on the bottom half, and the top half is just the lamp, the claws, and the face prominently displayed on a dark background.
History
This painting is mainly about the dangers of witchcraft and occult practices, but it also evokes some images of alchemy. Alchemy, as a practice, became very important at the time of the 15th to 17th centuries in Europe. Many royals had alchemists in their courts. It was thought to be a respectable profession, akin to the likes of many scientists of the time. In fact, many famous scientists from the time practiced some form of alchemy, such as Issac Newton, Tycho Brahe, and Robert Boyle. While the practice of alchemy sought to separate matter from its base components, many ended up creating things like medicines, cosmetics, dyes and pigments. In the end, however, modern ideas of science and scientific experimentation prevailed over old world practices and beliefs.
References:
“Alchemy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 5 Oct. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alchemy#Renaissance_and_early_modern_Europe.
“Bible Gateway Passage: Matthew 13 - New King James Version.” Bible Gateway, www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+13&version=NKJV. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
“Pieter van Laer.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Aug. 2024, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pieter_van_Laer.
“Self-Portrait with Magic Scene.” The Leiden Collection, 24 July 2024, www.theleidencollection.com/artwork/self-portrait-with-magic-scene/.
I loved reading this! You really brought this painting to life. My first reaction was not to laugh, but when you said it evoked laughter, I had to look again, and I found myself chuckling. I love that you were able to immediately show both sides of perspective. This is an interesting picture, and I appreciate how you laid it all out, explaining some of the symbolism, such as the music piece and the history of alchemy, both of which I learned something new. As you pointed out, the bottom half of the painting is busy with all the details, while the top is more sparse. The flat, dark background really brings Pieter close to us, to see his shock and fear. Thank you for sharing this piece. Reading it was fun and enlightening!
ReplyDeleteI think you have done an excellent job of unraveling the intricate symbolism and historical context of Pieter van Laer's Self-Portrait with Magic Scene. The analysis of the painting's various elements, from the alchemical tools to the musical score, provides a rich understanding of the artist's intentions and the cultural milieu in which the work was created.
ReplyDeleteI particularly appreciated the discussion of the painting's tenebrism and the way it contributes to the overall eerie and ominous atmosphere. Your insights into the historical significance of alchemy and its relationship to witchcraft were also informative and thought-provoking.
It would be interesting to explore the relationship between this self-portrait and van Laer's other works, especially those with similar themes or subject matter.
Overall, this blog post offers a valuable and engaging exploration of a fascinating Baroque painting. I look forward to reading more of your work on the subject of art history and symbolism.
The piece you chose is very striking in nature and caught my attention immediately. By nature it is very jarring, with strong expressions and symbols like the skull and hands. After reading your analysis of the piece it led me into the thought that it may connect to the ideals of the Council of Trent in a fashion, seeing as it is so attention grabbing and uses such strong imagery. It seems to have purpose in dissuading people from straying to the Devil, with fear and items of the occult as prevalent features. Overall the painting is very interesting to take in, thanks for the share!
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