The Theme of Music in Northern Renaissance Banquet Scenes Robert Quist
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2004 The Theme of Music in Northern Renaissance Banquet Scenes Robert Quist Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES THE THEME OF MUSIC IN NORTHERN RENAISSANCE BANQUET SCENES By ROBERT QUIST A Dissertation submitted to the Program in Humanities in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Fall Semester, 2004 The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Robert Quist defended on October 29, 2004. ___________________________ Charles E. Brewer Professor Directing Dissertation ___________________________ Patricia Rose Outside Committee Member ___________________________ Leon Golden Committee Member ___________________________ Russell M. Dancy Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies has verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENT In writing this dissertation, I have gained an appreciation for the consideration and abilities of my committee. Dr. Charles E. Brewer has shown remarkable insight, patience, and understanding. He has honored my work with constructive advice that has directed me to become my own worst critic. Throughout the course of my Ph.D. work, Dr. Golden has been a major source of inspiration and knowledge. Dr. Rose gave me my first real exposure to rich arena of northern Renaissance Art. She has also been a great source of general art history knowledge. Dr. Dancy has given me important insights regarding philosophical concepts of music and art. I would, therefore, like to thank these scholars for their tremendous help. I should also like to acknowledge and express gratitude to the museums and collections for their willingness to grant permission for the use of images reproduced in this dissertation. These individuals and institutions include: Sylvia Inwood and the Detroit Institute of Art, Emil Krén and Web Gallery of Art, Grete Toté and Koniklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten in Antwerp, and Frans de Jong and Museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam. To my parents who have supported me both financially and morally during my studies, I owe a dept of gratitude. I would like to express gratitude to Dr. Lee Ann Westman for her willingness to proofread the final drafts of this dissertation. Finally, I would also like to express gratitude to my wife for the sacrifices that she made during the course of my studies. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES........................................................... vi ABSTRACT ...............................................................viii INTRODUCTION .............................................................1 1. LAYERS OF MEANING, REALITY, AND ACCURACY IN IMAGES OF MUSIC AND FOOD.................................................................8 Feasting in Europe from Antiquity to the Renaissance and the Role of Music within the Banquet .........................................................8 Musical Banquets and the Association of Food and Music .......................15 Music and the Joys of Abundance vis a vis the Anxieties of Gluttony..............22 Instruments as Social Attributes ...........................................39 Instruments as Character and Moral Attributes................................50 Instruments as Symbol vs Instruments as Reality ..............................62 2. MUSIC IN BATHING, MYTHOLOGICAL, PHANTASMAGORICAL, AND ALLEGORICAL SCENES CONTAINING BANQUETS .......................68 Music and the Symbolic Banquet ..........................................68 Fountain of Youth and Bathing Scenes ......................................69 Mythological Scenes ....................................................76 Music in Phantasmagoric Feasting Scenes ...................................89 Music in Allegorical Scenes .............................................129 iv 3. MUSIC IN BIBLICAL SCENES CONTAINING BANQUETS .....................133 Music and Feasting in the Bible ..........................................133 Music in Old Testament Scenes...........................................134 Music in Feast of Herod Scenes ..........................................140 Music in Prodigal Son Scenes ...........................................146 Music in other New Testament Banquet Scenes ..............................150 4. MUSIC IN PEASANT SCENES CONTAINING FESTIVALS, BANQUETS, AND MEALS ........................................................155 The Peasant Feast and Music.............................................155 Music in Festival Scenes................................................156 Music in Smaller Peasant Banquet Scenes ..................................165 5. THE VARIED EXPRESSIONS OF NORTHERN RENAISSANCE MUSICAL BANQUETS ................................................179 APPENDIX A ..............................................................183 APPENDIX B ..............................................................211 APPENDIX C ..............................................................213 BIBLIOGRAPHY ...........................................................215 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH...................................................231 v LIST OF FIGURES Fig. 1. Pieter Bruegel, Battle of Carnival and Lent, 1559. ............................183 Fig. 2. Rhenish Master of the Paradise Garden, Garden of Paradise. C. 1410-20 ..........184 Fig. 3. Rhenish Master of the Paradise Garden, Garden of Paradise, detail...............185 Fig. 4. Unknown German Master, Virgin and Child with Psaltery and Angels, 1415 .......185 Fig. 5. Lucas Cranach the Elder, Rest on the Flight into Egypt. 1504....................186 Fig. 6. Albrecht Altdorfer, Rest on the Flight into Egypt. 1510 ........................197 Fig. 7. Hieronymus Bosch, Garden of Earthly Delights, Hell Panel. C. 1510-15 ..........188 Fig. 8. Pieter Bruegel, Mad Meg, detail, 1562 ......................................189 Fig. 9. Pieter van der Heyden, The Blue Ship, 1559 .................................189 Fig. 10. Lucas Cranach the elder. Fountain of Youth, 1546 ...........................190 Fig. 11. Albrecht Dürer, Mens’ Bath, 1498 ........................................191 Fig. 12. Hieronymus Bosch, Ship of Fools, 1490–1500 ..............................192 Fig. 13. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Triumph of Death, 1562 ........................193 Fig. 14. Frans Floris, Feast of the Gods, 1550 ......................................194 Fig. 15. Giorgione, Pastoral Concert. 1508-9 ......................................194 Fig. 16. Hieronymus Bosch, St Anthony Triptych. Left panel, 1501 .....................195 Fig. 17. Hieronymus Bosch, Saint Anthony Triptych. Center panel .....................196 Fig. 18. Hieronymus Bosch, Saint Anthony Triptych. Right wing,1501 ..................197 Fig. 19. Hieronymus Bosch, Last Judgment Triptych, 1486 ...........................198 Fig. 20. Hieronymus Bosch, Last Judgment Triptych, center panel. 1482 ................199 Fig. 21. Hieronymus Bosch, Last Judgment Triptych, right panel ......................200 Fig. 22. Hieronymus Bosch, The Seven Deadly Sins, 1480 ............................201 vi Fig. 23. Lucas van Leyden, Worshiping the Golden Calf, 1530 ........................202 Fig. 24. Jacob Cornelisz van Oostsanen, Saul and the Witch of Endor, 1526. .............203 Fig. 25. Quenton Massys, Saint John Altarpiece, 1507-08 ............................203 Fig. 26. Quentin Massys, Saint John Altarpiece, left wing............................204 Fig. 27. Jan Sanders van Hemessen, The Prodigal Son, 1536. .........................205 Fig. 28. Martin de Vos, Marriage at Cana, 1596-97 .................................206 Fig. 29. Joachim Beuckelaer, Village Feast .......................................207 Fig. 30. Joachim Beuckelaer, Village Feast, detail..................................207 Fig. 31. Gillis Mostaert, Village Feast ............................................208 Fig. 32. Pieter Bruegel, The Wedding Dance, 1566 .................................209 Fig. 33. Pieter Bruegel, Peasant Wedding, 1568 ....................................209 Fig. 34. Pieter Bruegel, The Peasants’ Dance, 1568 .................................210 Fig. 35. Pieter Aertsen, Egg Dance, 1552. ........................................210 vii ABSTRACT Banquets and casual eating scenes in northern Renaissance art frequently include musical instruments for a variety of purposes. Northern Renaissance works such as Pieter Bruegel’s Battle of Carnival and Lent use images of music in order to emphasize the extreme lifestyles of prodigality and abstinence. The Rhenish Master’s Paradise Garden, however, includes a psaltery in order to stress temperance and harmony. While specific instruments reflect stereotypes regarding elements of social class and morality, these stereotypes are contradicted by the artists’ works and real life situations. The cosmic significance of musical iconography ennobles the feast scene by offering a more civilized counterpart to simple eating. Nevertheless, northern artists frequently express a level of irony in such works. Albrecht Dürer’s Mens’ Bath condemns sensual overindulgence that led to disease and moral disorder. Hieronymus Bosch’s works show an ironic world where musical instruments perform on sinners. Bosch commonly places musical instruments in the context of eating in a fantastic manner that raises