7. - Kunsthistorisches Museum

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Kunsthistorisches Museum today! We were guided by guest lecturer Lisa, and she offered her extensive knowledge of art history to our group. Continuing yesterday's class about the trials and tribulations of Martin Luther, the Protestant Reformation and subsequent Catholic Counter-Reformation was discussed. Ah, Martin Luther - you thought you were done for, but your ideas rippled through history! Not without strife though, as he was sent to a castle to hide behind the moniker of "Knight George" during a particular difficult period of his life. Here, he translated the Bible into German. 

 Sometimes it's bizarre to contemplate the effect that one man's ideology has throughout society and history. Charles V's protection allowed him to remain alive during the Diet of Worms despite his unwillingness to compromise his beliefs, while the fairly recent introduction of the printing press allowed for his teachings to distribute throughout Europe. As Protestant beliefs took hold, Reformation art became an answer to the idolatry as favored by Catholicism.

 Examples of Protestant art/ists:
Maria van Oosterwijck - Vanitas-Stilleben c. 1668.

Who doesn't love a good vanitas painting? A classic "time is fleeting" composition, representing the brief existence of life (flowers, slowly beginning to wilt, the brief and short life of a butterfly, and of course, the big skull in the middle.) A wonderful still life like this is a great way to convey biblical messages without actually depicting biblical scenes - which were blasphemy! The brief existence we occupy in this mortal coil is but a blink when compared to the endless existence of God. 

Pieter Bruegel - Gloomy Day (Early Spring) c. 1565

Bruegel is an iconic painter of the Protestant aesthetic, don't let his austere scenes fool you! The religious connotations are apparent. This particular work (which is a terrible photo, iPhones don't do Bruegel justice) was so unsettling to me that I couldn't look away. The grey and gloom of an early spring day, clouds on the horizon breaking in the distance. This work is representative of Noah's flood, a small white dove is located toward the middle of the painting. In the foreground, some boys play - but we, as the viewer, are reminded of the fleeting moments of youth. I am reminded of depressive episodes, Easter rain, and Sunday afternoons.


Jan Brueghel the Elder - Flowers in a Wooden Vessel c. 1606/07

Son of Pieter! Another vanitas painting, where the colorful flowers are wilting and crumbling in front of us. However, there is a naturalistic element to this work, free of man-made objects (other than the vase itself.)


Catholic art/ist examples: 

(Detail) Peter Paul Reubens - The Miracles of St. Ignatius of Loyola c. 1617/18

This is a small detail of an incredibly large painting, depicting St. Ignatius driving out the demons from possessed victims. The iconography of this work highlights the holy saint, who is illuminated with God's light and surrounded by angels. The detail shown here shows s a woman in a state of terror and torture. The slight green tint to her skin is a nice touch.

Peter Paul Reubens - Medusa c. 1918

While not strictly a depiction of a Saint or Martyr, the severed head of Medusa demonstrates the triumph of God working through Perseus. One does not even need to see the holy individual in order to witness his victory: Medusa lies stricken. The dramatic, can't-look-away properties to the painting are an excellent example of Catholic-inspired imagery. Note: the snakes were painted by specialist Frans Synders. A collaboration!

Anthonis van Dyck - Filippo Francesco d'Este, Marchese di Lanzo with dog c. 1634/5 

This was my very favorite painting that I saw today. Interestingly, this painting shows the boy in Spanish attire, emphasizing his Catholic upbringing. Apparently this work was in response to an early depiction, which showed the prince paired with a Protestant king. 







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