Bruegel's Two Monkeys

Gemäldegalerie, National Museums in Berlin

Bruegel's Two Monkeys

This is what I see in my dreams about final exams: 

two monkeys, chained to the floor, sit on the windowsill, 

the sky behind them flutters, 

the sea is taking its bath.

The exam is the history of Mankind.

I stammer and hedge.

One monkey stares and listens with mocking disdain, 

the other seems to be dreaming away -- 

but when it's clear I don't know what to say 

he prompts me with a gentle 

clinking of his chain.

Wislawa Szymborska (1923-2012)

translated from Polish by Stanislaw Baranczak and Clare Cavanagh 

in Szymborska: View with a Grain of Sand: Selected Poems (1995)

Bruegel’s Two Monkeys is set in sixteenth century Antwerp. A powerful trading port, its very possible monkeys were brought to the city by traders, but in all likelihood they would have been a rarity. Sitting in chains, the monkeys are perched on a window sill overlooking the city. Before them is the remnants of a hazel nut, only it's broken shell left. Do they represent slaves bought from Africa?

As for the monkeys, one seems annoyed while the other shows little interest. There is an old Netherlandish proverb : Go to court for a hazel nut. Was their freedom sold for a hazelnut?

Is Bruegel mocking the absurdity of human action? To deprive the freedom of an animal for no purpose. A remark on man’s inhumanity - to enslave his fellow man?

The trapeze artist and the showman

Botero

Botero

They shared a drink,
The trapeze artist and the showman.
I love you. Take to the 
high wire no more, 
he begged. She laughed,
 I never miss my mark.
And said no more.

The crowd watched on,
The showman handsome in tails,
whip in hand.
While the trapeze artist wore 
white tights
and her little pink dress.

Poised high above,
she glanced down.
As she had done, night after night
to find her showman.
And gracing the air,
she let go.

But all she could see,
the whip lying on the ground.
And all she could feel,
a breeze... the tent wide open.
In that moment,
she missed her mark.
And said no more.

© the dishonest woman

Loss of Innocence?

Writing a novel set in 16th century Flanders, it would be near on impossible not to a feature a tapestry somewhere within the pages. And so I went off to investigate.

https://www.1stdibs.com

This is my wall hanging of choice. Alas, at £21,521.07 (interesting exact price) I won't be making a bid. Why this one? Well it origins seem ideal - dating from the end of the 16th century and Flanders (possibly created in the city of Enghein). But I am drawn to the composition. Apparently a style popular of the time, it consists of animals in a lush forest. In the foreground are wild creatures surrounded by acanthus leaves or aristolochia called "feuilles de choux" or cabbage leaves. A border of fruit, hares and birds. There is the view of a village behind. Meanwhile two dogs attacking a white (presumably female) horse. The loss of innocence?

Brown Pebbles among Green Stones

Today

I placed your pebbles

down among the green stones.
 And a penny.

A place where shadows

recognise me.
And sadness lingers.
From those times
when, just a girl,

you stood here too.

I didn't get to say goodbye,

not properly.
Distance made it impossible.
And now I have my chance
To stand here
Close my eyes
And think of you.

Among the sadness
are happy memories,
just like those brown pebbles.
A party, many years ago, where you
danced and laughed.
The times when you sat us down
at your round table
and served tea.
I always liked your Englishness.

The letters you would write to me.

The kindness.

I hope you are pleased to

come back.
It was home, once...
a time long ago.

Before a long journey,

another home,

another generation.

And I think you would have smiled,
as two cousins

shared a meal, a bottle of wine

and reminisced.
For despite the distance
and the years,
your legacy lives on
reminding us that we are
after all...
family.

(for Aunty Pat, 21st October 2017)

Rubens & Brueghel

So in my blog of a few days ago, I pondered if Bruegel (Pieter Bruegel the elder) and Mandijn might have crossed paths. And then today I came across this painting...

Virgin and Child in a flower garland with Angels, Rubens & Brueghel, Altre Pinakothek Munich

The flowers immediately had me thinking of Jan Brueghel (Pieter's son) and his painting I blogged about previously. He didn't just paint flowers but he certainly stands out for his floral depictions.

And so I discover that, at the beginning of the 17th century, Peter Paul Rubens and Jan Brueghel were close friends and frequent collaborators who, over the course of 25 years, produced approximately 24 works together. Both renowned for artistic quality and belonging to the highest class of artists in Antwerp, their collaborative works were sought after by the biggest and wealthiest collectors in Europe, including royalty. 

I like the idea of painters collaborating; it's not something that you see often. But such as with the painting above, each artist is working to their strengths to create something truly unique and beautiful. 

My song... well, naturally it has to be artists collaborating... Patty Griffin and friends singing a Tom Petty song - does it get any better than that?

Drifting

Left without moorings; slowly drifting away.

© The dishonest woman

Jan Mandijn - another peasant wedding

Burlesque Feast, Jan Mandijn, Museo Bilbao

When I saw this painting I was reminded of Bruegel's peasant wedding (it appears on one of my earlier blogs). Mandijn's was painted in Antwerp in c. 1550. Bruegel's painting in 1567. Both are said to have been inspired by Bosch. Perhaps it's not too much of a stretch of the imagination to think their paths crossed.

from Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna

The description on the Jan Mandijn on the Museo Bilbao site says that: Mandijn sought inspiration in Bosch's painting to give free rein to his fantasy, acquiring a reputation as a "maker of mischievous and outrageous scenes". 

There are many similarities. I'm assuming it's a wedding scene because there is a woman sitting before a drape wearing a crown  and a garland over her head. I remarked previously how unhappy the bride looks in Bruegel's painting - Mandijn's bride is down right miserable. And I'm going to guess that the woman on her right is her mother - well... she's just as unhappy. 

And the Bride's fingers - what is this suggesting? The Bride's headwear is of interest - a crown of wooden spoons (apparently the symbol of gluttony) and eggshells (symbol of crassitude and lechery).

The wedding guests are all seated on one side of the table, there is a red drape behind the bride and she wears a crown of laurel - all typical elements of a Flemish peasant weddings of the 16th and 17th centuries. The rattle hanging from the crown of laurel is a reference to foolishness. Who is the husband? Well, I'm going to hazard a guess that it's the man at the end of the table on the left - the one smiling at the serving girl - who in turn is looking to the bride. In the background a servant girl is making up the marital bed. Is this the cause of the bride's unhappiness?

As for the owl that has intrigued this couple so? I can find no direct meaning in regards to this painting, but the owl is associated with wisdom, mystery, secrets, transition... so perhaps this woman knows something the bride doesn't?