Northern Renaissance
The Blind Leading the Blind (1568)
By
Pieter Bruegel the Elder
This portrait doesn't necessarily inspire awe, but instead evokes a complex set of feelings of unease and trust. This work of art presents the image of blind men guiding each other towards a ditch in such desperation. When looking at the figures in the painting there's many expressions that each one of them express. They are all holding something to keep them all connected and that enacts that trust feeling these men are putting in each other. One other factor that serves a great emotion impact is the type of landscape that is presented. The emptiness and the lack of structures gives that feeling of blandness or isolation. You do see a church in the art piece which goes in to the religious part of this painting. I do not own a copy of this and probably will never just because of the rare nature of painting itself and the artist. You can find this work of art in Naples, Italy.
Backstory: Although there's no exact backstory, its highlighted that can be a representation of a passage in the bible. Specifically it says " If the blind lead the blind, they both shall fall into the ditch". This is also known as a proverb in the northern renaissance which was extremely common and familiar back then. There are many other expressed proverbs in this portrait which is seen to bring out the religious beauty in it.
This portrait shares a connection with The Reformation influences. As stated this painting has a religious meaning that expresses the trust you can be putting in people and faith. The reformation challenge the authority of the catholic church and this painting can express the danger of following in blindness whether its faith or people. In the painting you can already see two of the figures falling which is how he expressed that danger of following blindly can sometimes be bad.
Overall this is a powerful and meaningful work of art. It has inspired many around the world and will most likely continue to. This portrait can be seen as a reminder of the harm that can come with following blind and understanding trust.
Bibliography
Godetzky, C. by A. (n.d.). The blind leading the Blind. The Visual Commentary on Scripture. https://thevcs.org/blind-leading-blind
Perception and blindness in the 16th century. Journal of ART in SOCIETY. (n.d.). https://www.artinsociety.com/perception-and-blindness-in-the-16th-century.html
Heather. (2024, February 7). “the Blind leading the Blind” by Pieter Bruegel the. Daily Dose of Art. https://www.myddoa.com/the-blind-leading-the-blind-by-pieter-bruegel-the-elder/#:~:text=This%20was%20painted%20in%201568,painted%20walking%20in%20a%20row.
Hi Demario! What isn't appealing to me is the painting itself. Although the meaning behind it, I can understand but to me the painting brings out sad or dark emotions through color and face figures. What I did find appealing was the meaning behind the painting. Having trust and not being blinded by people or objects is important because it can lead you down the wrong paths. Although I do believe it relates to The Reformation Influences biblically and religiously, I also believe it relates politically. It seems to portray the Spanish government's Council of Troubles. When the council tried to force the Spanish rule, they did it blindly and immorally, relating back to the idea of when the blind lead the blind, shall fall into a ditch. I learned from this painting that it was one of the many first paintings showing social protest in art. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis piece caught my eye, and your description was really interesting. I am finding I like Pieter Bruegel’s art, particularly because of how he depicts the ordinary parts of our lives and world. It’s almost as if I would expect to see his work in a storybook. There are so many things to see the longer you view his art.
ReplyDeleteI love that this piece, in particular, is a proverb. It’s interesting how the theme and message are so obvious yet almost seem hidden in the piece's simplicity. It's a great way to sneak in a message against the church without bringing too much attention to it. I wonder if the church in the background is a pillar of faith not seen, or a strong, solid structure that seems unable to call to its followers.
I wanted to learn more about the other proverbs you mentioned in this piece, so I looked this up. I didn’t discover them, but I did find out that doctors have been able to identify some of their eye disorders due to the accuracy portrayed in the painting. The detail Pieter Bruegel the Elder paints is really amazing.
Thank you for sharing this!
Hi Demario,
ReplyDeleteI was really struck by this painting. It's an incredible piece of art, but it left me feeling unsettled. It made me think about the challenges faced by blind people, especially in the past. My late grandmother always warned me to be careful about trusting others, because they might not always know what they're doing. This painting reminded me of her words. I read on a website that only about forty of Bruegel's visionary paintings survive, all created in a sixteen-year period between 1553 and his death in 1569. Great post!
https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/the-blind-leading-the-blind/pwGQmihrf3O0Lg?hl=en
I found this piece very interesting especially in the light of the reformation and Northern Renaissance. The concept of following a blind ideal is a fascinating concept which is so well portrayed in this piece of artwork. I appreciate he connection you drew to concepts portrayed in the Bible, as it isn't something that my mind leapt to and it further connects the message of the painting to the religious significance it holds. Thanks for the share, it was a very interesting piece to learn about.
ReplyDelete