The Irony of Luxury
Paintings from the Dutch Golden Age are known for their realism and intricate meanings. Artists depicted scenes from everyday life, and painted portraiture of everyday people. Within these common subject matter however, are multitudes of symbols that convey much.
One such example of an essential Dutch painting is Frans Snyder's 17th century still life painting, "Still Life with Game Suspended on Hooks, a Lobster on a Porcelain Plate, a Basket of Grapes, Apples, Plums and Other Fruit on a Partly Draped Table with Two Monkeys", which hangs in the Dutch art wing of the Musee des Beaux Arts in Montreal, Canada. The Museum boasts a substantial collection from the Dutch Republic, as well as from Renaissance Italy, Hellenistic Greece, and Rome, among other important regions of art.
The painting depicts several carcasses hanging from hooks. Along with the game, there is a lobster on a porcelain plate. There is also a basketful of grapes, apples, plums and other fruits, from which two monkeys are eating. Looking out the window in the top-left corner, we can tell by the colour of the leaves that it is autumn, or harvest season. Most likely, the fruits and game have been gathered to prepare for the harsh winter ahead.
The painting conveys a sense of gluttony €" there is simply too much food offered. Additionally, monkeys in the Dutch Republic were symbols of mischief and thievery; they were seen as agents of evil. Here, the monkeys are seen stealing grapes from the basket. Taking all this into account, this painting is most likely aimed towards the rising middle-class or the upper-class members of society. The painting suggests that these members of society may be consuming too much, and that they, like the monkeys, might be stealing food from the backbone albeit lowest members of society, the farmers. The farmers are so crucial in producing food, especially in a small and land-poor country like the Netherlands, but they are only able to receive a small portion of what they reap while the privileged members of society are consuming in luxurious excess.
This painting possesses a subtle layer of irony in the sense that it could only be affordable to members of the upper class, due to its large dimensions (approximately 6 feet by 4.5 feet) despite its critical message. This trace of irony can be found in other Dutch paintings at the time, including Jan Steen's "In Luxury, Look Out".
One such example of an essential Dutch painting is Frans Snyder's 17th century still life painting, "Still Life with Game Suspended on Hooks, a Lobster on a Porcelain Plate, a Basket of Grapes, Apples, Plums and Other Fruit on a Partly Draped Table with Two Monkeys", which hangs in the Dutch art wing of the Musee des Beaux Arts in Montreal, Canada. The Museum boasts a substantial collection from the Dutch Republic, as well as from Renaissance Italy, Hellenistic Greece, and Rome, among other important regions of art.
The painting depicts several carcasses hanging from hooks. Along with the game, there is a lobster on a porcelain plate. There is also a basketful of grapes, apples, plums and other fruits, from which two monkeys are eating. Looking out the window in the top-left corner, we can tell by the colour of the leaves that it is autumn, or harvest season. Most likely, the fruits and game have been gathered to prepare for the harsh winter ahead.
The painting conveys a sense of gluttony €" there is simply too much food offered. Additionally, monkeys in the Dutch Republic were symbols of mischief and thievery; they were seen as agents of evil. Here, the monkeys are seen stealing grapes from the basket. Taking all this into account, this painting is most likely aimed towards the rising middle-class or the upper-class members of society. The painting suggests that these members of society may be consuming too much, and that they, like the monkeys, might be stealing food from the backbone albeit lowest members of society, the farmers. The farmers are so crucial in producing food, especially in a small and land-poor country like the Netherlands, but they are only able to receive a small portion of what they reap while the privileged members of society are consuming in luxurious excess.
This painting possesses a subtle layer of irony in the sense that it could only be affordable to members of the upper class, due to its large dimensions (approximately 6 feet by 4.5 feet) despite its critical message. This trace of irony can be found in other Dutch paintings at the time, including Jan Steen's "In Luxury, Look Out".
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