I love, love, love Breughel. Thank you for this post and the link. If you like pondering this painting, you would get a lot out of (I can't say ENJOY because it is brutal and gory) "The Mill and the Cross" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1324055/ which is a film about the painting of that Breughel painting, with all kinds of gruesome, bawdy and heartbreaking moments in it. I am the kind of wimp who runs out of the room terrified when the hero is being stalked by the killer in movies, so I eventually couldn't watch the whole thing. Couldn't bear what the Spaniards were doing to the Dutch but also its depiction of medieval cruelty generally. Months later, as I prowled thru the Prado, I had to muzzle myself as I heard schoolteachers prating to their well behaved adorable Spanish schoolchildren audience about the Spanish collections of Dutch masters. I wanted to growl about tyranny and theft and oppression. But I was a guest in their country so I said nothing and smiled benevolently at the sweet children (who were far better behaved than American children)
Looks like there's a stork in the picture too--I wonder if there's a proverb about that also. Lemme look...
ReplyDeleteHoly cow.
Suggesting that yes, he did intend those meanings in Magpie
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love Breughel. Thank you for this post and the link. If you like pondering this painting, you would get a lot out of (I can't say ENJOY because it is brutal and gory) "The Mill and the Cross" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1324055/ which is a film about the painting of that Breughel painting, with all kinds of gruesome, bawdy and heartbreaking moments in it. I am the kind of wimp who runs out of the room terrified when the hero is being stalked by the killer in movies, so I eventually couldn't watch the whole thing. Couldn't bear what the Spaniards were doing to the Dutch but also its depiction of medieval cruelty generally.
ReplyDeleteMonths later, as I prowled thru the Prado, I had to muzzle myself as I heard schoolteachers prating to their well behaved adorable Spanish schoolchildren audience about the Spanish collections of Dutch masters. I wanted to growl about tyranny and theft and oppression. But I was a guest in their country so I said nothing and smiled benevolently at the sweet children (who were far better behaved than American children)