by Kyla Lien Flynn
In Zbigniew Herbert’s Still Life with a Bridle, art encapsulates life. In Herbert’s essays and apocryphas, life and history are preserved through art, his writing on seventeenth-century Dutch paintings and society showcasing the capability of art in immortalizing places, objects, people and memories. This essay will argue, using Herbert’s understanding of painting and life in the Dutch golden age, that in both the past and present, life and art simultaneously enrich one another. Art will be supported as incredibly versatile: a means through which lifestyles of the past can be understood, and a way for an individual’s fantasies to be brought into reality. Art reveals the priorities of those behind it, and this paper will explore art’s ability to reflect the physical, moral, and intellectual values of its commissioners, creators and consumers. Through discussing the interpretation of life through art, and the importance of art to life, the preservative properties of art will be argued, as art can be considered a means of both prolonging and universalizing individual experience. Art will be depicted as a practical aspect of life and as a way to render fleeting moments permanent, actualize desires, sculpt legacies and navigate the world over time.
Art can make specific moments accessible across generations. As Herbert peers into the past, he attempts to understand Holland as it was centuries ago, despite his inability to currently “see the views painted by the Dutch masters of the ‘Golden Age,’” (Herbert, 11) as “the sea pitilessly encroached upon the land,” (Herbert, 10) changing its physical geography. The way Holland once appeared is accessible only through “the largest collection of landscapes that were contained in frames” (Herbert, 12). Herbert uses pieces of art to view historical landscapes, and each work he views contributes to his knowledge of Holland during the Dutch golden age—from Jan van Goyen’s “Village Lanes” and its hinting at “alleys of poverty in the country” (Herbert, 14) to Adriaen van Ostade’s “Painter in his Workshop” and the simple, tasteless workspace with “no trace of mystery, magic, or rapture” (Herbert, 19) depicted, which alludes to a similarly basic lifestyle, each of these pieces reveals to Herbert the physical setting in which the Dutch lived and created their art. He writes, “painting in Holland was omnipresent…the artists tried to augment the visible world of their small country…tens of thousands of canvases on which they recorded seashores, floodwaters, dunes…” (Herbert, 21) this demonstrating the vast quantity of pieces available to serve Herbert’s exploration. Art, in its ability to authentically capture moments in time, can be supported through Herbert’s description of van Goyen’s “Landscape of Objects.” He calls it a “shred of the world” (Herbert, 16).
The definition of art can be extended to encompass Herbert’s writing on art and his experiences. How Herbert describes and presents the paintings and stories within his essays and apocryphas is artistic in itself, a form of creative writing. Herbert’s employment of rich description and ekphrasis is how he keeps alive his own experiences of viewing paintings. In writing, Herbert preserves his explorations of art and the conclusions he draws regarding what life was like in seventeenth-century Holland. Herbert’s descriptions of paintings immortalize them on his page, reinforcing their permanence and preserving them within his writing. He speaks of “Lady Reading a Letter” by Gerard Terborch, detailing her “beautiful young alabaster face without a shade of sadness, without a wrinkle of worry” (Herbert, 72). He describes the “Fatherly Admonition” in great detail, relating its “deep browns…saturated with light…the heroine of the painting…haughty, slender, precious…a concert of coloristic mastery in difficult chromatic compositions” (Herbert, 73). Herbert meticulously describes artwork in the text, creating vivid images with his words. Just as the Dutch artists he describes immortalize the world around them in paint, he captures the experience of viewing these paintings in words, allowing others to access to his unique perspective and place in time.
Herbert artistically describes his surroundings. The setting sun in “Delta,” is described as “the last acrid, Egyptian yellows go out, cinnabar becomes gray and fragile, the last fireworks of the day go out” (Herbert, 8), and the individuals he meets in “Portrait in a Black Frame,” are detailed, saying “these elderly men…betrayed by predatory faces, also by clothes that had an old-fashioned, frayed elegance” (Herbert, 129). In these descriptions, Herbert transfers memories and the sights he sees onto the page, preserving pieces of his life through his art, just as painters preserve life on canvas. Herbert creates art about the art of others, and his writing does not exist without his experiences, for without them he would have nothing to write on. Herbert’s art reflects both his own life and the lives of the artists whose pieces he explores in his work.
Art is a means of preservation, and both the Dutch masters of the Golden Age, and Herbert employ this in their art, preserving physical landscapes or the experience of beholding paintings. However, art can also be used to craft fictions, in hopes to satisfy the individual and special wants of its possessor(s). Herbert explains various motives for commissioning pieces of art. In one example, he writes, “a lady requested an artist to paint a bouquet of rare flowers for her because she could not afford to buy them” (Herbert, 39)—in this instance, the subject of the painting is the true object of desire, not the painting itself. Here, Herbert understands “the artist’s work [as] a mere substitute, a shadow of existing things. Similarly, lovers doomed to separation must be content with the likeness of a beloved face” (Herbert, 39). This demonstrates art can be used as a tool to improve life, a way of pacifying the yearnings of an individual which cannot be obtained in their actual form—because they are unable to display a real bouquet of flowers in their home, or embrace a loved person, they attempt to gain what is missing in their lives through art. Herbert details another instance, where “in exchange for lower rent, a painter promised the landlord to paint the portrait of his beloved daughter, deceased years ago,” (Herbert, 30) which emphasizes the extent to which emotional needs influence decisions—satisfying innermost desires can take priority over practicalities like monetary payments.
Art can give individuals what they do not have, by embodying desires and filling voids left by otherwise unattainable possessions or unavailable people, but it can also provide senses of fulfillment. Art can appeal to the ego, and depict individuals in desirable states. Herbert writes, “painters would succumb to the amusing mythomania of their clients…obligated the artists to present him as Scipio Africanus and his wife as Pallas Athena” (Herbert, 31). Here, art mimics desired states of being, portraying subjects as famous or prosperous in ways inauthentic to reality. In other instances, people may wish to be portrayed “without proofs of affluence” (Herbert, 69), for example the clients of Gerard Terborch: “regents and patricians who despised such ostentatiousness” (Herbert, 69). Both of these portrayals of people in art reflect individuals wishing to depict themselves in what they consider to be the best states. Art allows life to be manipulated within the confines of a canvas or page—it can uphold reality, but it can just as easily modify truths, making real the wants of an individual within the selected medium. Art feeds desires in ways other possessions cannot, as the face of a deceased daughter seen again through art can be held more valuable than money. Herbert’s text depicts a society in which art can be used to preserve life as it is or conceal unappealing parts of reality: immortalizing individuals as more important than they are, lessening the sting of not being able to afford a coveted possession, or alleviating the pain of being separated from or losing someone dear. Art can be used to “[create] new worlds” (Herbert, 15) if reality is unsatisfactory, illusions of fulfillment which may help an individual curb their own internal dissatisfaction with the state of their household, social standing, or reputation. Art renders wants and aspirations more attainable to those unsatisfied with their current realities. In art, individuals can reshape images of their lives, warp how they are perceived and actively sculpt their legacies, as art, often outliving the individual, influences how they will be remembered.
In Still Life with a Bridle, Herbert may also pay attention to the influence of his writing on how he is perceived and will be remembered, as the art which he creates contributes to his image. As detailed, art can preserve worldly values and wants, however, art can also reveal what is valued intangibly, such as the moral values of an individual, group or society. The contents and craftsmanship of works of art can aid in understanding the social and moral values present within a culture. Dutch art could be considered reflective of the values of “a country built by burghers and peasants who valued moderation and common sense” (Franaszek, 2019, p. 19)—Andrzej Franaszek presents the idea that Herbert’s fascination with artists of the Dutch Golden Age could be motivated by the similarity of his values to those of the artists of that time; he “priz[es] conscientiousness, fine craftsmanship, and hard work,” (Franaszek, 2019, p. 19) a product of an upbringing steeped in bourgeoisie values (Franaszek, 2019). This admiration for moderation, common sense, and “their healthy, concrete, down-to-earth attitude towards life” (Herbert, 19) is reflected in Herbert’s writing—he describes losing interest in artist Ruysdael because “spirit began to enter his canvases, and everything became ‘soulful’” (Herbert, 13) and praises van Goyen for his monochromatic works, a style “endowed…with grace and naturalness…an accurate epitome of visible reality” (Herbert, 15). Herbert may see “his attachment to the touchable” (Franaszek, 2019, p. 19) mirrored in the works of Dutch artists, motivating him to write on them.
Herbert compliments the “enormous productivity” (Herbert, 21) of the masters of seventeenth-century Holland, portraying them as admirable. Herbert’s ability to see his values in these works of art could motivate him to preserve the pieces, artists and culture in a positive manner, Herbert spending much of the text praising and emphasizing the beauty of Dutch artwork, culture and life. Herbert describes Holland in the seventeenth century almost as if it were a utopia (Franaszek, 2019). The masters of the Dutch Golden Age are preserved as admirable and superior in their craft in Herbert’s art, and Herbert even criticizes other painters, examining why they pale in comparison to his protagonist. Earlier, it was argued people preserve themselves in art, in desirable states: of covetable social status, of great beauty, of unparalleled grandiosity. By preserving Dutch painters in a positive light, Herbert preserves himself in a similar fashion, because he sees himself in their lifestyles and the associated ideals. He appreciates that “they worked by the sweat of their brows and experienced many slumps” (Herbert, 28). Though Herbert has not commissioned himself to be painted in the image of a god like some aforementioned mythomaniacs, his work continuously commends people who he relates to and identifies with. Herbert’s praise of Dutch values in Still Life with a Bridle could be understood as, in part, a means of preserving Herbert’s values in a favourable light—his text supports the notion that the way he was raised is the ideal way to think, behave and be. He sees his beliefs on how people should live in Dutch art, and preserves it as something to be admired. His values, as revealed by what he values in art, are upheld as morally favourable, within his own art.
Art is a means of preserving what already exists or creating new realities, and is reflective of what is physically and conceptually valuable to an individual or group. Though art can be valued for its insights on these aspects of life, art is, in itself, valuable. Within the text, art is currency, traded in exchange for services, such as “Emmanuel de Witte…giving his entire yearly production in exchange for 800 guldens and room and board” (Herbert, 35), or artistic skill important enough to grant freedom, allowing “Torrentius [to] be released and sent to England…he will devote himself entirely to painting” (Herbert, 91). Herbert explains, “with paintings it was possible to pay off a house, buy a horse, and give a dowry to a daughter if the master did not possess any other wealth” (Herbert, 30). Art is a means of supporting life, a “profession universally recognized and as evident as the profession of butcher, tailor, or baker” (Herbert, 36). Art does not always have to reflect the painter’s innermost thoughts or personal values. Sometimes, artists paint because “the Dutch painter could pay for almost anything with his paintings. He often saved himself from bankruptcy or prison by getting rid of his works” (Herbert, 29). Art relates to life in that it is a livelihood—art pieces are critiqued, compared to others, and then assigned monetary value.
The value of art—personal or economical—can be subjective, as individuals find significance and worth in different aspects of art. In “Gergard Terborch: The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie,” Herbert says “according to general opinion, [the ‘Swearing of the Oath of Ratification of the Treaty of Muenster’] is a masterpiece” (Herbert, 64) yet he finds it “monotonous” (Herbert, 64) and “not Terboch’s best painting” (Herbert, 64). The value of art can fluctuate from person-to-person, as the value of art, and ideas on what it should depict, or what meaning an individual gleans from each work, reflects what is important to an individual in their lives. Art can be the “cold impartiality of a botanist or anatomist” (Herbert, 41) or “an expression of violent, internal states of the artist (like Van Gogh’s sunflowers)” (Herbert, 41). Art can vary in content and style, and the resulting conflicting opinions and beliefs on how art should appear, are a product of the diverse personal preferences of a world of distinct individuals.
Messages extracted from pieces of art can also vary, often speculative unless explicitly outlined by the artist. An art piece’s value can surpass personal preferences of an art style, or interest in the physical subject depicted—the deeper meanings people find in art can define how valuable a work is to them. Examining art pieces, Herbert attempts to understand the artist, and the abstract concepts and metaphysical questions with which they engage. Though still-life, by genre, realistically depicts landscapes, objects, or people, Herbert finds it can reflect life in more ambiguous ways. In addition to depicting physical aspects of life, still-life art pieces can also hold allegorical meanings, which Herbert attempts to uncover (Grol-Prokopczyk, 1994). Searching for messages concealed within art, Herbert attempts to penetrate the mind of the artist, hoping to gain insight on the questions they asked and the concepts which interested them. In exploring the symbolic or masked meanings a work of art may hold, the beholder attempts to understand how the art piece reflects the life of its maker. In turn, these explorations can fulfill the goal of obtaining a more cohesive understanding of the artist, but can also characterize the onlooker, in revealing what they personally find important and noteworthy when viewing art.
Terborch’s works are described in detail by Herbert. He mentions the “heavy, dark background” (Herbert, 67) in “The Lesson,” and comments on Terborch’s typical portrait arrangement: subjects “against a dark wall” (Herbert, 69). Regina Grol-Prokopczyk draws attention to Terborch’s self-portrait, highlighting Herbert’s interest in black backgrounds, “symboli[zing] [to Herbert]…the meaning of the unknown…the mystery of existence, and the chaos from which we emerge and into which we submerge” (Grol-Prokopczyk, 1994, p. 114). To Herbert, the use of black paint holds value and deeper meaning. In the essay’s closing, Herbert imagines Terborch noting “how fiercely [the Dutch] fought for a life slightly longer than the one for which they were destined” (Herbert, 77), as if, preserved in paintings, they were fortified or rendered more permanent, unlikely to be “engulfed by the black background” (Herbert, 77). Subjective meanings found in art can reveal the thoughts of the artist and the art interpreter—though the metaphysical questioning of what comes before birth, and after death, are assigned to Terborch in the text, Herbert is the one who extracts these meanings from his paintings, and Herbert’s fixation with black backgrounds exposes his inner thought-processes, which demonstrate art can reflect the internal states of the individual. Analyzing Terborch, Herbert reveals his own preoccupation with fighting to be remembered, as he supposes the Dutch once did.
Despite the meaning found in Terborch’s painting by Herbert, to some, black backgrounds remain overlooked and ignored. The value of art is subjective, because the individual’s interpretation of art is a product of what a person cares about and finds intriguing, based on their own experiences and lives. Terborch may have intended to reference the inevitability of the unknown in his art, or he may have simply been painting to support himself. The black backgrounds of his work may only be fascinating to Herbert because of the specific way Herbert has learned to view, appreciate, and find meaning in art. The same can be thought of Grol-Prokopczyk, who emphasizes Herbert’s writing on Terborch’s backgrounds—to others, Herbert’s attention to this subject may lack significance—what stands out in art, and what an individual believes is worth mentioning about a work of art, is subjective. Art works are continually used to make claims about their creators—to understand how they lived, and what stimulated their minds. Works of art surpass the confines of time and place, as they can simultaneously reflect both the intellectual values of the art’s creator and consumer. In art, individuals can find allusions to unanswered questions of life, and a piece can hold more or less value to an individual depending on the message gleaned from the work. Art can reveal the intellectual preoccupations of the artist, and those of the beholder. Art relates to life, because art is what artists choose to create, which varies immensely. Art is personal, and Herbert’s attempts to immortalize his exploration of Holland’s past on paper, using vivid description and interpretations of the decisions of artists long ago, is only one kind of art—art can take many forms, and from the text, it could be concluded this is because art is as unique as the lives and intentions of the painters, authors and creatives who make it.
Still Life with a Bridle details the link between life and art according to the work of the Dutch, in which “there is no division in their art between what is great and what is small…They painted apples and the portraits of fabric shopkeepers, pewter plates and tulips, with such patience and such love that the image of other worlds and noisy tales about earthly triumphs fade in comparison” (Herbert, 118). To the Dutch during the seventeenth century, it appears art existed in harmony with life, and though Herbert himself showcases the continuity between the everyday parts of living and Dutch paintings, this concept is also explained in the apocrypha, “Letter.” In it, the author writes artists are “aware of [the enigmas of nature]…[and]…prepare the eyes for never-ending delight and wonder” (Herbert, 150), and the goal of art is described: “to reconcile man with surrounding reality. This is why I and my guild brothers repeat an infinite number of times the sky and clouds, the portraits of men and cities, all these odds and ends of the cosmos, because only there do we feel safe and happy” (Herbert, 150). This perspective on art can be considered commentary on how art exists to embody life, people, and the world, and how life gives artists experiences worth painting or writing about. Herbert writes “if art indeed nourishes artists, it is a mannered, absentminded and often completely unpredictable nourisher” (Herbert, 34) and this could be considered true, inspiration for the works of the Dutch coming from every aspect of life—“they painted everything” (Herbert, 34).
Within this essay, Still Life with a Bridle is used to examine how art and life relate to one another. Art can prolong experiences, or render moments in time relivable, over and over again. Whether it is looking back at Dutch landscapes and seeing the physical world as it once was, or dissecting the intent behind a Terborch—art, across all mediums, is used to express pieces of life otherwise lost to time. Art can be used to fulfill desires or fantasies, to craft an image or legacy, or as a job, to make money and support life. Though art can vary—from emotive impressionism, to near-anatomical still-life, to ekphrasis within an essay—and preferred art style and content can fluctuate across people and cultures, what remains constant is art continually reflects experience, influenced by the individuality of those who create art and seek it out. Art relates to life, and life to art, in that the living may choose to use art in whichever ways it serves their purposes.
Works Cited
Franaszek, A.(2019).‘To look until your head starts spinning’. Werkwinkel, 14(1-2), 9-36. https://doi.org/10.2478/werk-2019-0001
Grol-Prokopczyk, R. (1994). [Review of Still Life With a Bridle: Essays and Apocrypha, by Z. Herbert, J. Carpenter, & B. Carpenter]. The Polish Review, 39(1), 112–116. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25778779
Herbert, Z., Carpenter, J., & Carpenter, B. (1993). Still life with a bridle: Essays and apocryphas. Ecco Press.