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Rijksmuseum ca. 1885

December 12, 2010

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Pere Borrell del Caso: Escaping Criticism (1874); Banco de España, Madrid.

ESCAPING CRITICISM Everything that deceives may be said to enchant, thus wrote Plato. In the world of arts this idea is almost self-evident: the artist transforms dead materials like wood, marble or paint into his or her perception of the world. The very fact that this version of reality is subjective forms the essence of its attraction to the viewer. There is one genre for which the art of deception forms its essence: the trompe-l’oeil. Here, the artist tries to trick our eye by creating a convincing optical illusion. Early examples of trompe-l’oeils can be found in Greek and Roman art, such as the famous murals in Pompeii, which offer views onto a non-existent landscape. Their popularity took a flight in the Baroque period, where the trompe-loeil’s illusionistic character perfectly suited the theatricality so embedded in this era. This stunning nineteenth-century example of a trompe-l’oeil is by the Catalan artist Pere Borrell del Caso. The relatively unknown Borrell, who lived f

Rembrandt Harmensz. van Rijn: Jeremiah lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem (1630)

When Rembrandt van Rijn painted this imposing biblical scene, he was only 24 years old. Yet it already bears the traces of the genius and craftsmanship that would make him famous: the strong contrast between light and dark (chiaroscuro), his typical use of a dark brownish hue and his convincing expression of intense human emotions. Another element that is characteristic for Rembrandt is his predilection for subjects taken from the Old Testament (or Hebrew Bible). This fascination led to a keen interest in Jewish culture. In Amsterdam, he befriended many Jews, among them the famous scholar and publisher Menasseh ben Israel, and he chose to live in the middle of the Jewish quarter in Amsterdam (the present Rembrandt House Museum). This wonderful painting, created during his formative years in his hometown Leiden, proves Rembrandt’s early interest for Old Testament stories. It depicts the prophet Jeremiah lamenting the destruction of Jerusalem. The Bible tells that Jeremi

Anonymous: Last Judgment (12th/13th century); Santa Maria Assunta, Torcello.

The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, founded in 639 on the island of Torcello near Venice, Italy, contains an exceptional Last Judgment mosaic. Torcello is situated in the lagoon, about an hour by boat. The mosaic shown here covers the Cat hedral’s west wall. It was made in the twelfth and thirteenth century by Venetian Byzantine workmen. Why is this mosaic so special? On the lower right side, we see Hell in its most disgusting appearance ever. Angels pierce their hayforks into human bodies, black devils are flying around. This Hell is a Paradise for Byzantine Art lovers. The atrocities depicted here are not seen anywhere else. At the bottom of the scene countless skulls are floating around. Jaws are smirking and squalid wormlike creatures are creeping out of eye sockets. Body parts circle around: hands, feet, skulls, bones. The intriguing question is how the artist could put such unusual pictures in these mosaics. Probably craftsmen from Constantinople were at work

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