And Now For Some Decidedly Old Media…

On Monday the Roadtrippers dealt with trying to learn a strange foreign language. And no, I’m not talking about Dutch.  I’m talking about the symbols in 17th Century Dutch painting. The group attended a lecture with Marietta de Bruine entitled, “Dutch Painting of the Golden Age. De Bruine took us through Dutch painting, decoding the symbols and the hidden meanings behind subtle gestures. These symbols ranged from the seemingly bizarre (such as cats symbolizing fickleness) to the somber (such as lit candles reminding the viewer that all of life will come to an end).

She explained that the 17th Century in particular had many important cultural factors which greatly influenced Dutch painters of the time. For example, the Protestant Reformation meant that Dutch artists would no longer have large commissions from the Church because of the Protestants’ beliefs against “idol worship” and the immodesty of ornate decorations. The rising merchant shipping class created a new market for paintings as wall decorations in middle class homes. Consequently, art dealers came into existence and painters began to specialize in certain genres, such as landscape or still life, and they would create paintings without being commissioned to do so. A book was even published in the Netherlands as a “How To” guide to painting landscapes, causing many Dutch landscapes to have similar characteristics.

De Bruine also explained how many of the paintings carried messages about the character of the Dutch people. For example, a painting of a marine landscape with large ships would be a way of showing off Dutch naval capabilities and the grandness of Dutch boats, thereby celebrating Dutch merchants and merchandise. In addition, paintings   including windmills were seen as a way of celebrating the ingenuity of the Dutch people.

While the trip back through the centuries might seem to be a digression from New Media work, it would be difficult to understand contemporary art in any meaningful way without knowing what came before. The seminar also served as a way to remind us to take a very close look at contemporary cultural influences on the aesthetics of art pieces. And, as de Bruine said, “Great works of art can still have a meaning for us, which, although it might not have been the intended message, is still important.”

-Susan Carlson

[Thanks to Andrea Warren for the photos]