DOI issue:
Nr. 1-4
DOI article:Brusewicz, Lech: On the perception of paintings in 17th century Holland
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18898#0030
way justified the juxtaposition of proverbs and comments on them, with illustrations113. Toge-
ther with the hierarchy of the soulful, eternal word and the carnal, transient painting, which
originatcd in the Middle Ages, the motto became the basis of the doctrine, generally known
in Holland, that poetry is the soul of painting, and painting is the body of poetry. „Who will
separate the brush from the pen, the paints from words?" Vondel asked pathetically in one of
his works. Other personalities of the contemporary cultural life expressed themsclves in a similar
tone , e.g. Anslo or Hooft who said that he wrote his works „by moans of the art of painting
of live images and words"114. The following words od A. van de Venne make up an even more
reliable statement on the subject that does not reąuirc a comment: „O priceless Poetry-Yirgin!
Goddess of the mind! Who eąuals you in this? Hey, still you offer yourj hand to the body of
your soul, unitę with your naturę, with the art of painting, redouble and mate... Here, in this
is the complete spirit of these two and both are equally fuli in art, and both equal in sense, and
equal in favour... Where is such a pair found, which cures many a pious man whose deeds are
recorded by pen and free brush? "Where is such a pair found, so intermingled, which wholly
commemorate everything that seems to be forgotten? Where are they found, those who never
cease to take into account that which refreshes, entertains and enlightens Man according to
will, wish and gain? Why is cxactly this symblicart—one could ask, —elevated above all
other ? I say ■—because in a specific way the imagination allies here with a deep ingeniousness
as found nowhere else"115.
Altliough the wish expressed in the above appeal of an eqnal trcatment of painting and poetry
was officially approved by poets in 1653116, nevertheless in the everyday cultural life of Holland
the mutual understanding, co-operation and an exchange of views between painters and wri-
tcrs took place much earlier. A proof of this are the freąuent meetings — in the home of Roemer
Visscher and his far-famed daughters Anne and Marie Tesselschade —■ of the contemporary
intellectual elitę, which according to Yondel consisted of various painters, artists, singers and
poets. Undoubtedly for the painters, these meetings enriched their possibilities in the realms
of iconography; they allowed for the understanding of the principles of a three-stage interpreta-
tion of the literary contents of a work; the literał, deep and tropological one117.
113. J. Cats, Alle de tcercken, op. cif., p. 481.
114. Cf. G. Brom, op. cif., p. 159.
115. A. van de Venne, Zeeusche Mey-clachł, op. cii., p. 62 ff:
0 lof, Poetsche maeght! Goddinne van verstanden!
"Wie isser dijns gelijck? ey biet toch nu de handen
Aen *t lichaem van dijn geest, vereent met uwen aert
Vereent met schilder-const, verdubbeleert en paert, (...)
Hier isser twce vol geest, en bey gelijck voI kunst
En bey gelijck van sin, en bey gelijck van gunst...
Waer vint men sulcken pacr, die menich vromen helt
Door Pen en los Penceel haer daden soo vermelt?
Waer vint men sulcken paer, so groot sich van vermengen?
Al wat vergeten scbijnt, allijckewel doen heugen;
Waer vint men die uyt niet gaen teelen wat een mens
»Verquict, verlust, verlicht, nae wil, en winst, en wens?«
Waerom wert sinne-cunst, sou yder mogen vragen
luyst boven ander cunst soo booghe voor gedragen?
»Ich seg om dat den geest daer sonderling in speelt;
Men vint geen dergelijck, soo sin-rijck met gedeelt.«
116. Cf. J. te Winkcl, op. cii., IV, Haarlem, 1924, p. 124 ff.
117. Cf. J. D. P. Warners, ,,Gewoon, hoog en diep lezen", Spicgel der letteren, XI, 1969, p. 191 ff.
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ther with the hierarchy of the soulful, eternal word and the carnal, transient painting, which
originatcd in the Middle Ages, the motto became the basis of the doctrine, generally known
in Holland, that poetry is the soul of painting, and painting is the body of poetry. „Who will
separate the brush from the pen, the paints from words?" Vondel asked pathetically in one of
his works. Other personalities of the contemporary cultural life expressed themsclves in a similar
tone , e.g. Anslo or Hooft who said that he wrote his works „by moans of the art of painting
of live images and words"114. The following words od A. van de Venne make up an even more
reliable statement on the subject that does not reąuirc a comment: „O priceless Poetry-Yirgin!
Goddess of the mind! Who eąuals you in this? Hey, still you offer yourj hand to the body of
your soul, unitę with your naturę, with the art of painting, redouble and mate... Here, in this
is the complete spirit of these two and both are equally fuli in art, and both equal in sense, and
equal in favour... Where is such a pair found, which cures many a pious man whose deeds are
recorded by pen and free brush? "Where is such a pair found, so intermingled, which wholly
commemorate everything that seems to be forgotten? Where are they found, those who never
cease to take into account that which refreshes, entertains and enlightens Man according to
will, wish and gain? Why is cxactly this symblicart—one could ask, —elevated above all
other ? I say ■—because in a specific way the imagination allies here with a deep ingeniousness
as found nowhere else"115.
Altliough the wish expressed in the above appeal of an eqnal trcatment of painting and poetry
was officially approved by poets in 1653116, nevertheless in the everyday cultural life of Holland
the mutual understanding, co-operation and an exchange of views between painters and wri-
tcrs took place much earlier. A proof of this are the freąuent meetings — in the home of Roemer
Visscher and his far-famed daughters Anne and Marie Tesselschade —■ of the contemporary
intellectual elitę, which according to Yondel consisted of various painters, artists, singers and
poets. Undoubtedly for the painters, these meetings enriched their possibilities in the realms
of iconography; they allowed for the understanding of the principles of a three-stage interpreta-
tion of the literary contents of a work; the literał, deep and tropological one117.
113. J. Cats, Alle de tcercken, op. cif., p. 481.
114. Cf. G. Brom, op. cif., p. 159.
115. A. van de Venne, Zeeusche Mey-clachł, op. cii., p. 62 ff:
0 lof, Poetsche maeght! Goddinne van verstanden!
"Wie isser dijns gelijck? ey biet toch nu de handen
Aen *t lichaem van dijn geest, vereent met uwen aert
Vereent met schilder-const, verdubbeleert en paert, (...)
Hier isser twce vol geest, en bey gelijck voI kunst
En bey gelijck van sin, en bey gelijck van gunst...
Waer vint men sulcken pacr, die menich vromen helt
Door Pen en los Penceel haer daden soo vermelt?
Waer vint men sulcken paer, so groot sich van vermengen?
Al wat vergeten scbijnt, allijckewel doen heugen;
Waer vint men die uyt niet gaen teelen wat een mens
»Verquict, verlust, verlicht, nae wil, en winst, en wens?«
Waerom wert sinne-cunst, sou yder mogen vragen
luyst boven ander cunst soo booghe voor gedragen?
»Ich seg om dat den geest daer sonderling in speelt;
Men vint geen dergelijck, soo sin-rijck met gedeelt.«
116. Cf. J. te Winkcl, op. cii., IV, Haarlem, 1924, p. 124 ff.
117. Cf. J. D. P. Warners, ,,Gewoon, hoog en diep lezen", Spicgel der letteren, XI, 1969, p. 191 ff.
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