Last class, we looked at several works by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. Prior to this class, I was only familiar with the Peasant Wedding, a painting which I had always been a fan of. It is interesting to see how versatile of an artist he was, in that he painted narrative scenes, landscapes, and scenes depicting everyday life in the villages. This stands out especially since, as we discussed, Bruegel painted in an era where artists began to specialize in certain subject matter. One thing i’ve noticed is that Bruegel’s paintings are not focused on a particular subject, instead they depict a scene in its entirety where each of its elements are equally important.
Author: Ariel Steber
In class, we discussed the Limbourg Brothers’ Original Sin. In the painting, we see a continuous narrative depicting the scene from the Garden of Eden. First, Eve is told by the snake to eat the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge. Then, Eve is shown offering the fruit to Adam, but Adam appears quite resistant, while Eve is depicted as a temptress (a common characterization of Eve, especially during this time). This idea is reinforced by the snake’s resemblance to Eve’s face. What was particularly fascinating about this painting is the final narrative scene, which depicts Adam and Eve being expelled from the garden. Their exit from Eden to the real world parallel’s their exit from the painting to the rest of the empty page. This one of many ways artists of the time tried to involve the viewer in their works.
In class, we discussed how disease was represented in art. Specifically, we talked about ergotism and its importance in the Antonite monk order. The disease’s brutality and the lack of medicine led many to view illness as punishment from God. For instance, we discussed the old depiction of the Plague as God shooting arrows at the sick. The portrayal of St Sebastian in the altarpiece was viewed not only as a work of art, but as an object of prayer. Similarly, the skin of Christ is depicted as green and sickly, reminding the viewer of the pain and suffering not only of Jesus, but of those suffering from disease.