Flamish Proverbs Pieter Brueghel the Younger (1564-1638)

This painting, titled Flemish Proverbs, depicts a chaotic, circular scene filled with various allegorical figures and actions, each representing a different proverb.

What I see:

The central and most prominent figure is a large, grotesque woman who appears to be wearing a distorted body as clothing. She is leaning forward, with a sack protruding from her lower clothing, from which several small figures are emerging. The woman is casting coins from a pouch in her hand, scattering them onto the ground. Her expression is one of intense effort and possibly greed.

Beneath this central figure, a group of people are engaged in various activities:

• Some are crawling out of the sacks opening, suggesting they are being born or escaping from it.
• Others are diligently gathering the scattered coins from the ground.
• One figure is attempting to sit betwixt two stools, literally an anthropomorphic pair of stools, one of which is falling over.
• Another figure is banging his head against a brick wall (or something similar), depicted as a small wall or structure.
• Further into the scene, there are other small figures engaged in various activities that would represent other proverbs.

The background is sparsely populated with a few trees and a pale sky with two distant birds. The entire composition is contained within a decorative, circular frame inscribed with text. The text, read from top right and continuing clockwise, is in Flemish and translates to: It is a wonderful thing that it is possible, that money comes out of the sack. Who is he that would not open his bag.

Subtexts:

This painting is a visual encyclopedia of Flemish proverbs and their associated moralizing commentary. The subtexts are layered and rich, offering a critique of human folly, greed, and the absurdities of life.

• Money comes out of the sack: This is a direct commentary on the theme of wealth and its origin. The opening with figures emerging from the sack could symbolize birth, but in the context of money being cast, it more likely suggests that wealth is generated or distributed from some source, even if it seems absurd or unnatural. The womans strained effort implies that generating wealth is not easy.
• Who is he that would not open his bag: This text, combined with the woman casting money, points to the idea of opportunity and the willingness to seize it. Those gathering the coins are eager to benefit from the money sack.
• Human Folly and Greed: Many of the smaller figures represent universal human failings. Rolling out of a sack can symbolize being naive, foolish, or born into foolishness. The act of greedily gathering coins reflects the common human pursuit of material wealth, often at the expense of wisdom.
• The Absurdity of Life: The entire scene is rendered in a somewhat surreal and exaggerated manner, highlighting the inherent absurdity and illogical nature of many human pursuits and social conventions. The circular format emphasizes the cyclical nature of these proverbs and the behaviors they describe, suggesting a continuous loop of folly.
• Social Commentary: The painting can be interpreted as a commentary on societal values and the emphasis placed on wealth and material gain. The grotesque nature of the central figure and the frantic activity of the smaller figures suggest that such pursuits are often base and undignified.

In essence, Flemish Proverbs is a densely packed allegorical work that uses visual wit and a multitude of proverbs to offer a complex and often satirical commentary on human nature, morality, and the conditions of life.