Beatriz González Crespo Matrikelnummer: 61800331 Music by Brueghel: Abstract, conceptual and allegorical musical iconography, and context in Orpheus singing before Pluto and Proserpina, by Jan Brueghel KMA Wissenschaftliche Arbeit zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades Master of Arts Des MasterstuDiums Violoncello StuDienkennzahl: RA 066 718 an Der Anton Bruckner Privatuniversität Betreut Durch: LaubholD, Lars-EdvarD Univ.Prof. Dr. Zweitleser: Körber, Till AlexanDer Ao.Univ.Prof. Mag. Linz, 8. April 2021 ANTON BRUCKNER PRIVATUNIVERSITÄT für Musik, Schauspiel und Tanz Hagenstraße 57 I 4040 Linz, Österreich I W www.bruckneruni.at !2 INDEX 1. Index ………… 3 2. Introduction ………… 5 3. Prologue ………… 8 PART 1: 4. Biography: Life and trajectory ………… 16 5. Historical and Musical Chronology ………… 18 6. His work ………… 20 PART 2: 7. Music and allegories ………… 24 8. Brueghel & Music ………… 29 9. Clarifications for the reader ………… 30 10. Orpheus singing before Pluto and Proserpina ………… 31 11. Conclusions ………… 50 APPENDIX: 12. Full painting ………… 52 13. Bibliography ………… 53 !3 !4 INTRODUCTION In this work we have as a reference the painting of "Orpheus singing before Pluto and Proserpine" by Jan Brueghel and we talk about the use by the painter of abstract and/or conceptual musical iconography. As it is in the cases that are treated: - The creatures with a musical aspect/allegory that appear, and - The harp, a musical instrument placed and represented in a different way and with different purposes. The context of the work of art is also dealt with, in terms of the theme and also in musical terms, in this case the Greek myth of Orpheus in Hell, necessary to see the repercussions that this has on its musical content. So, as we just said, one of the reasons for this paper is to see the possible relation between figure and context; to see the influence of the allegories or objects represented (related to the music in this case) with the context or main theme that is represented (the myth). To what extent the theme influences or is taken into account, resorting to truthfulness and accuracy or if they are treated as simple complements, with a certain laxity in their representation. Brueghel is known for his detail, being an expert miniaturist, but there are many details that escape us and that sometimes are not simple to see or that need to be explained, since a work of art, not only serves as an aesthetic recreation for the public, but also possesses a meaning. What are the meanings of the formulations found in Orpheus' painting, from a musical point of view? To what extent is attention to detail offered by a painter? The painting depicts a harp, an instrument that does not directly allude to Greek myth and is anachronistic in the context of the painting. However, the visualisation of a harp instead of a lyre brings us closer to what is known about our time and creates in the painting the capacity for empathy with the public. This work is divided into four blocks. The first one is an initial presentation and includes the prologue, where it is analysed what iconography and iconology are and what functions they have in art. Here we can find the reason for the choice of the painting of Orpheus: A way of bringing together musical inconcretions and mysteries found in art. The second block of the paper (called Part 1) deals directly with Brueghel, his life and his work. In his pictorial works one can find both rural and aristocratic influences, as he ended up working for the Archdukes Alberto and Clara Eugenia. This makes it possible to find musical instruments typical of the street public, such as !5 bagpipes or classic troubadour and court instruments, such as the lute and viola da gamba. The third block (called Part 2) focuses on the painting of Orpheus. We explain how the allegory related to music and the ear is used, that is, the ways of representing music in a painting, either obviously (a violin) or indirectly (a deer). In the analysis of our painting, the musical and/or sound elements that can be appreciated are explained one by one: A harp, a demon singing while reading a score and two characters with a trumpet-shaped snout. There are no specific published analyses of this painting, so I have turned to sources relating to symbolism, abstraction, iconography, religious art in the 15th and 16th centuries, Flemish painting, Greek philosophy and mythology, among others. Since we are talking about sound aspects in a painting, some musical suggestions directly related to the subject of the painting have been included as a complement, which help us to put ourselves even more in context. In the conclusions, we value the subjectivity of symbolism and iconography. Does it mean to us the same thing that a specific icon has meant to Brueghel? It depends on our social, political, religious context... Do we overanalyse and overinterpret the works that are placed before our eyes? This is one of the problems that iconology poses to us and which we have to take into account when analysing or enjoying a painting. That is why, for example, as in the case of the harp in this painting, we cannot be completely rigorous or extreme in our interpretations. We must also take into account, as in this work, that there may be unresolved questions, as in the case of the meaning of the demon-shaped character that appears singing. This may lead to a dead end, something I am opposed to thinking about, but it may also mean that, by asking ourselves these questions and raising them here, we fan the flames so that another line of investigation can be opened on the basis of them. These all are reasons for analysing works of art, among other things, to approach them, to see their relation with us and with the context of when they were created, and to understand what we see from the point of view of our time, thanks to the sources and methods of analysis and of understanding that have been developed and that we have today. In the last block we can find the appendices, with a complete view of Brueghel's painting. !6 PROLOGUE The written literature that compiles and analyses specifically the musical iconography through painting is extensive, although more frequent are to be found the texts about religious iconography and symbology,1 that, in this paper, concern us just in part. With ‘music iconography’ we are referring us to all possible visual representations of the music, such as: sheet music, instruments, etc.; but also allegories, abstract expressions, where an object expresses an indirect relation with music. And I would also include dance as an icon related with music and sound. The dance is also a very important part in the musical context of a scene, that helps us for a bigger comprehension of it and, in the case of Brueghel’s paintings, for an understanding of the popular folklore. The information that the iconography can give us is relevant, if not necessary, in the field of the Classical Music: for organologic research and for the historical interpretation;2 and, in a profound aspect, combining both of them: for the possible design, recreation and construction of instruments faithful to their epoch. This last point is, of course, relative, because we have to keep in mind the possibility of inaccuracy by the painter depending on his own knowledge or on the quality of the help that he could have had, such as: close look to instruments, transcriptions of notes or sheet music made by an amateur or a professional musician, etc.; or even the possible minimal intention of realism that he wanted to express intentionally. But there is a deeper understanding of the objects and scenes that we see. Although the ‘iconography’ has taken almost all prominence in the theoretic analysis of pictorial works, there is another term that we should introduce: the iconology. While the iconography describes the object directly in their physical and visual aspects, what is obvious to our sight, the iconology, sometimes essential in the description and analysis of paintings, looks for the references and the meanings of that object for being where it is. Like we expressed with the allegories, an object can have a reference or a symbology to something that it is not directly related with. In simpler words, iconography is the classification: It could be a “What” and a “How”; iconology is the interpretation: a “Why” and a “What for”.3 1 See Bibliography, page 63. / Kopp-Schmidt, Gabriele: Ikonographie und Ikonologie. Eine Einführung. Deubner Verlag für Kunst, Theorie & Praxis, Köln, 2004, pp. 10-11, 13-14. 2 Ausoni, Alberto, Music in Art: A guide to Imaginery (for the German translation: Die Musik Symbolik und Allegorien, 2006), Paul Getty Museum, Santa Monica CA - United States, 2005. p. 6. 3 Kopp-Schmidt 2004, pp. 59-60. !7 Iconology could be an aspect within the iconography, but, with the separations of the terms, we are also separating the subjectivity that the iconology could show,4 because this aspect can be a personal opinion, based or not in research or experience or comparison,5 or even in oral tradition and culture,6 and the same object can have different meanings in its iconology, depending on the context where we find it; getting, in this way, many differentiated theories and presumptions. It is another subjective aspect when we don’t have a title or a description by the own painter. Before the studies of the iconology, the theories of the symbolism exist for a long time with different thinkers like Georg Hegel7 and Ernst Cassirer.8 The discipline of the iconology was founded by Aby Warburg9, based on Florentine Art.10 His idea was to get closer to the mentality of the men who produced the paintings.