Bugs have long embodied that from which we seek protection. Whether a mild irritant (a "fly in the ointment"), a costly pest to gardeners ("bug of W"), or a destructive force of Biblical proportions (a swarm ...Bugs have long embodied that from which we seek protection. Whether a mild irritant (a "fly in the ointment"), a costly pest to gardeners ("bug of W"), or a destructive force of Biblical proportions (a swarm of locusts), bugs are nature's warning of approaching death. This paper investigates the natura morta canvas during the Golden Age of Dutch art, focusing on how these symbols of natural evil work to enliven the visual rhetoric of the still-life as they invite spiritual contemplation. In religious-themed art, we intuitively recognize these morbid creatures as symbols of decay encroaching on domestic scenes filled with food and cut flowers. Emphasizing the short life of these perishables, bugs embody a classic tension and its dichotomous variations: the corporeal vs. the spiritual, earth vs. heaven, and sin vs. redemption. Though ostensibly a peripheral feature of the natura morta, bugs are a decidedly central motif that reflects the viewer's struggle with sin: Is it repellent, attractive, or repellently attractive? This study will concern the visual rhetoric of flies, dragonflies, and bees in the works of Osias Beert, Ambrosius Bosschaert, and Georg Flegel, with an emphasis on the beasts of the devil as icons of Dutch art.展开更多
In this paper, I analyze pictorial representations of the Buddhist story of Mulian rescuing his mother in China, Japan, and Korea in the pre-modern and early modern periods. I have collected several pictorial versions...In this paper, I analyze pictorial representations of the Buddhist story of Mulian rescuing his mother in China, Japan, and Korea in the pre-modern and early modern periods. I have collected several pictorial versions of the Mulian story in these countries, and comparison shows close proximity of several such works. All of them are related to the narrative texts that represent elaboration of the originally scriptural story (it originated in the apocryphal Buddhist scripture that circulated in China) in vernacular languages. Images of the Mulian story in the countries of East Asia had diverse nature: they could appear as separate scenes in devotional religious paintings, multi-scene handscrolls, and illustrations in the manuscripts and editions. I argue that the subject of Mulian rescuing his mother was of primary importance in the popularization of Buddhist ideas among different layers of society. The related images were used for both storytelling and reading practices and helped different audiences to comprehend the Mulian story.展开更多
文摘Bugs have long embodied that from which we seek protection. Whether a mild irritant (a "fly in the ointment"), a costly pest to gardeners ("bug of W"), or a destructive force of Biblical proportions (a swarm of locusts), bugs are nature's warning of approaching death. This paper investigates the natura morta canvas during the Golden Age of Dutch art, focusing on how these symbols of natural evil work to enliven the visual rhetoric of the still-life as they invite spiritual contemplation. In religious-themed art, we intuitively recognize these morbid creatures as symbols of decay encroaching on domestic scenes filled with food and cut flowers. Emphasizing the short life of these perishables, bugs embody a classic tension and its dichotomous variations: the corporeal vs. the spiritual, earth vs. heaven, and sin vs. redemption. Though ostensibly a peripheral feature of the natura morta, bugs are a decidedly central motif that reflects the viewer's struggle with sin: Is it repellent, attractive, or repellently attractive? This study will concern the visual rhetoric of flies, dragonflies, and bees in the works of Osias Beert, Ambrosius Bosschaert, and Georg Flegel, with an emphasis on the beasts of the devil as icons of Dutch art.
文摘In this paper, I analyze pictorial representations of the Buddhist story of Mulian rescuing his mother in China, Japan, and Korea in the pre-modern and early modern periods. I have collected several pictorial versions of the Mulian story in these countries, and comparison shows close proximity of several such works. All of them are related to the narrative texts that represent elaboration of the originally scriptural story (it originated in the apocryphal Buddhist scripture that circulated in China) in vernacular languages. Images of the Mulian story in the countries of East Asia had diverse nature: they could appear as separate scenes in devotional religious paintings, multi-scene handscrolls, and illustrations in the manuscripts and editions. I argue that the subject of Mulian rescuing his mother was of primary importance in the popularization of Buddhist ideas among different layers of society. The related images were used for both storytelling and reading practices and helped different audiences to comprehend the Mulian story.