The Parable of the Blind by Pieter Brueghel

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Art critics believe that the Northern Renaissance is in no way inferior to the Italian. It was completely different in its spirit and embodiment, but its artistic value does not become less because of this. An outstanding figure of this era was Pieter Brueghel. "The Parable of the Blind" is one of his best works.

Northern Renaissance

This term covers all 15th-century art developing outside of Italy, which was the birthplace of the classical High Renaissance. Both France and England are referred to the North, but, speaking of painting, as a rule, they recall the Netherlands and Germany. It was here that Albrecht Dürer, Rogier van der Weyden, Jan van Eyck and, of course, Pieter Brueghel and his sons worked.

In the painting of the Northern Renaissance, there is a clear connection with the Gothic, folk art and mythology. The letter is detailed and detailed. Unlike Italy, a humanistic secular worldview has not yet emerged in the North. Artists do not turn to the classical heritage of antiquity and the study of anatomy for a more reliable depiction of the human body. Besides,there is a significant influence of the church on art. If the picture does not directly depict the biblical story, then Christian allegories are clearly traced in it.

Biography of Brueghel

Bruegel is a whole dynasty. Not only his father was engaged in painting, but Peter Brueghel himself. The works of his sons, Jan Brueghel and Pieter Brueghel the Younger, are also widely known. They not only painted their own paintings, but also made quite a few copies of their father's works.

Elder Brueghel was born in the Dutch city of Breda at the beginning of the 16th century. He began his career as a graphic artist, then studied painting with the court master Cook van Aelst in Antwerp. In the 1950s, like many European artists, he made an "educational" trip to Italy. On the way he visited Switzerland and France and painted several landscapes. Sunny Italy struck Brueghel not only with beautiful nature, but also with monuments of classical art. Critics agree that the old Italian masters had a great influence on the work of the young artist.

After the trip, Brueghel continues to work in Antwerp and marries the daughter of his mentor, Maria. In 1963 the family moved to Brussels, where the artist would remain until the end of his days. Brueghel's brushes are credited with forty-five paintings. Of these, more than thirty depict nature, rural life and scenes from the life of villagers. The artist did not accept orders for portraits, only one of his works in this genre is known - “Head of a Peasant Woman”. If in the early works of Brueghel the figures of peoplesmall and insignificant compared to the surrounding landscape, then in the later period there is a growing interest in the depiction of human figures. In these paintings, people are written out large, faces are depicted expressively, emotions are easily read on them. These works include The Cripples, The Peasant and the Nest Destroyer and, of course, The Parable of the Blind.

"The Parable of the Blind". Pieter Brueghel

Brueghel's painting is not the only subject in art on the theme of the blind. The image of the blind man is firmly established in mythology as an allegory of ignorance, intolerance for other people's opinions, blinded consciousness. But at the same time, the blind person often acts as the personification of faith (it is not for nothing that she is often called blind). So, even in the Bible there is a parable about the blind Bartimaeus. Man gains sight through his boundless faith. The ancient Indian story "The Blind and the Elephant" is widely known. The parable tells about three people who were allowed to touch various parts of the elephant's body, on the basis of which each made a verdict on how the animal looks, and each of them was wrong. Brueghel's work, according to the generally accepted interpretation, is based on the biblical lines: "If the blind lead the blind, then both of them will fall into the pit." In the picture we see a literal illustration of this.

A procession of six men marches against the backdrop of a serene rural landscape. They are not richly dressed, on the chest of one of them is a cross, as a symbol of hope in God. The blind are moving along the dam, but do not notice how the road makes a turn. And now their leader, having stumbled, falls into the water. The second man, unable to resist, fliesbehind him. The third does not yet understand what is happening, but his position is already unstable. The latter are not yet aware of their fate, but they will all inevitably end up in the water, because the blind following the blind is doomed.

Interpretation

To understand what Brueghel's "Parable of the Blind" is talking about, one must not lose sight of the cultural and historical context in which this painting was created. In the last years of the artist's life, his native Netherlands was occupied by the Spaniards under the leadership of the Duke of Alba. Under the pretext of exterminating the heretics, thousands of ordinary people were tortured and killed. Terror and lawlessness reigned in the country. The riots that had begun and the performances quickly faded away. Like all the people, the artist was seized with despair, and this hopelessness found its fullest expression in his painting “The Parable of the Blind”.

This work is an allegorical protest and appeal to the whole world. Where will blind humanity go? By what right does the blind lead the blind? Blindness here is not only a physical injury, but also a poverty of spirit. The whole canvas screams that it is not too late to stop and finally try to open your eyes. Probably, as long as humanity exists, this call will still be relevant.

Composition and color

The composition of the picture is built diagonally. Moreover, the dynamics and tension increase along the line that visually separates the picture. The landscape is static and serene, there are no extraneous figures of people and animals. Only imperturbable nature is a witness to the drama that is being played out, whichin comparison with eternity is only an insignificant episode. In the direction from the hillock, emphasized by the gabled roofs of Dutch houses, the blind are moving. The dip on the right acts as a counterpoint to the high ground.

The lifeless dry silhouette of a tree on the left side of the picture repeats the curves of the body of the last man. If the last figures are still moving calmly, then along the diagonal the dynamics and tension are growing. Each subsequent figure is already more unstable and more and more despair and dull horror are read on their faces. We do not fully see the face of the first blind man, he is already immersed in water. But his figure expresses helplessness and despair.

The coloring of the picture emphasizes the idea and composition. For a gloomy plot, the artist chose soft, muted tones. The landscape is dominated by strongly muted ocher, dusty greenery. The low gloomy sky is made in shades of gray. There is not a single gap between the clouds. The clothes of the blind are of the same faded tones as the surrounding nature - all the same palette of gray. The artist managed to emphasize the dynamic diagonal with color. Tension builds with color. The deaf cloaks of the last two men are made in the most calm and dark shades. Flashes of dazzling white stockings and caps flash by the cliff, they are echoed by the dirty white cloak of the third blind man. The clothes of the brightest colors - red, green, orange - were awarded by the artist to the guide, who ended his journey so ingloriously. Clay near the cliff glows bright ocher.

This painting is one of the latest and mostfamous works of Pieter Brueghel. In this work, he showed himself to be a mature artist. Skillful writing technique and masterful use of painting techniques are combined here with drama and plot depth.