Kenneth Clarke by Zhang Dare
Man's feelings for animals have always been a mixture of fear, adoration, greed, cruelty and love, and this tangled emotion is vividly expressed in art. Recently, the art history book "Animals and People: The Relationship between the Two in Western Art from Prehistory to the Present" launched by China National Geographic interprets the relationship between animals and people in Western art works and reveals the artistic traditions and social factors behind it. There is harmony in symbiosis, there is also human worship and fear of animals, there is observation and aesthetic examination of animals, there is cruelty when hunting and killing...
The Paper's special edition of the book chapter "The Pet Animal" for the benefit of readers.
Manet, "The Cat on the Roof"
The love of animals is often considered by intellectuals as an example of modern sentimentality. So at the beginning of this section, I would like to take the example of the feelings of a man whose mind is great, and who is undoubtedly Leonardo Davision. Da · Finch. "He loves horses and all animals, and for that he pours out his greatest love and patience. When he passes a bird market, he takes the birds out of their cages, buys them for as much as they pay, and then lets them fly into the sky and give them back the freedom they have lost. This well-known account of Vasari is confirmed by Leonardo's manuscripts, especially as an early traveler named Corsali wrote in a book that in the days when Leonardo lived, there was a moderate tribe that never ate the flesh of any creature, as our Leonardo Dalai Lama wrote. Da · Finch. As a result, Leonardo not only loved animals, but was also a vegetarian, a consistency that is very rare among animal lovers today.
But to distinguish between observation and love in painting seems to be an overly subtle, or at least very subjective, task. The example of Stubbs is particularly typical, and both his Green Monkey and Brushing Up Hamburton can be placed in this section. However, there is a clear difference between Vittore Carpaccio or Titian's puppy and Pisanello's sketch, which is one of the most important factors in the relationship between humans and animals. If the horse is the hero of the previous part, then the dog is the hero of this part.
Why not cats? This is a mystery. There may be as many cat lovers as there are dog lovers, and the degree of love may be even better. They play an important role in literature, with cats inspiring good poetry and dogs producing bad poetry. And the cat looks very beautiful, and can become an irresistible subject for the painter. But the fact remains that since ancient Egypt, the number of works representing cats in art has been very small. Leonardo · Da · Finch painted cats more out of curiosity than out of love. Chardan's cat is painted with a touch of cute evil, and there is hardly anything more friendly than Manet's Cat on the Roof.
The cat in Rico's pen
Rico liked to express the movement of cats, but they were not like domestic animals, more suitable for grouping with leopards and lionesses, but smaller; a painting of a cat's head by Delacroix is equally unparalleled.
Horgas Cats from Graham's Children
It seems that only in William Hogarth's Children of Graham can the eager London cat be seen as a friend of the family, and a sexy kitten in Pierre-Auguste Renoir's painting makes it feel like it has a very close relationship with the little girl.
Renoir's cat
The French-Swiss painter Théophile Alexandre Steinlen appears to have been the only talented artist of the late 19th century who liked to paint cats. Otherwise, they would have been left to people like Henrietta. Mediocre people like Henrietta Ronner came to paint. Cats are alienated and independent, and there may indeed be many environments that are very favorable to them, but they are foreign to humans. But, except in China, why did they only inspire poets and not painters?
The cat by the late 19th-century French-Swiss painter Théophile Alexandre Steinlen
However, the dog appeared rather late in the artwork, and the first sculptural masterpiece in the illustration was the 6th-century BC Calf in the Acropolis Museum. The theme of a shepherd carrying a calf on his shoulders, through the integration of form, makes people and animals unified, far more cute than the Egyptian gods with animal heads.
The Acropolis Museum of Athens holds the 6th century BC "The Bearer"
Although only one piece of the ancient calf has survived to this day, there must have been others, as the subject was resurrected in Christianity, and one of the most famous early Christian sculptures, the Good Shepherd, once housed in the Lateran Museum, appeared. There are also some works that show good shepherds that have survived, but are usually relatively roughly made. Then, somehow, the subject disappeared. Is it because of its association with paganism that tarnishes the subject? Or is it because the close union of animals and humans threatens the Christian creed of the unique superiority of the human soul? We have no way of knowing, but we can only regret the loss of a subject that can greatly enrich the art of sculpture.
One of the early Christian sculptures, The Good Shepherd
I moved from great things to small things, because human love for animals is usually expressed in small works of art, which are actually adult toys. There is a strong element of play in our relationship with animals, and in the process of playing with them, we forget the difference between each other - language ability. Kids would rather play with a teddy bear than a doll, and they also have long imaginary conversations with teddy bears. In this way, the barrier between man and animal is broken. This natural exchange continues into adolescence, sometimes even later. How many children who go to boarding school mind more about being separated from their teddy bears than with their parents? (I've been told that kids are now allowed to go to school with their own toys.) How many adults are still reading Kenneth S. Kenneth Grahame's The Wind in the Willows, and Beatrice's Potter's book, in which they are able to enjoy the fantasy that animals can talk like humans!
Little blue hippopotamus
Of the countless toys made from "beloved animals," I can only give three examples: the little blue hippopotamus, which was most beloved in ancient Egypt; the Greek pottery owl of the 6th century BC; and a bronze piglet unearthed from Herculaneum, whose vitality and joy bring me joy more than the perfect bronze statue of a man from the Hellenistic period in the Naples Museum.
Bronze piglet
There are two memorable passages in Homer's epic that show that the love and understanding of animals dates back to antiquity. The first, in the Iliad, describes the Achilles' horses learning that their handlers were "dead, dead at the hands of the murderous Hector without blinking an eye." At the mercy of Ottomewon's coaxing and whipping, they refused to leave. "They stood motionless—like a stone tablet, standing on a grave, guarding a dead man or woman—quietly driving a beautifully crafted chariot, their low heads pressed against the ground, tears pouring out of their eyes, and wetting dust—they mourned their handlers." Another is a clip from the Odyssey in which Oedysseus disguises himself to hide penelope and the suitor, but is recognized by his old dog: "The old dog, Argos, is covered in lice and lies across the dung heap. At that moment, when it sensed the coming of Oedysius, it wagged its tail and withdrew its pricked ears, but it was powerless to move its body, to lean closer to its master, and to get closer to him—the latter caught a glimpse of this scene and wiped away the tears from the corners of his orbit..."
These are the remains of beautiful animal works in Greek art. But I think the love of animals increased in the Middle Ages, when pride in human reason was limited to the clergy, and the vast majority of laity were illiterate. His contemporaries must have been delighted to hear that he had described animals as his brothers and sisters, as recorded in the Fioretti, which is widely circulated among the laity, and this feeling of closeness to animals was bound to be rejected by the official views of the Roman Catholic Church. St. Francis speaks to Gubbio's hungry wolf and holds its paws, and he makes the wolf swear that if the inhabitants of the city give it food, it will no longer hurt people, a story that has an appeal that transcends the boundaries of doctrine or common sense.
Dog by the bedside of a medieval gentleman
Dog by the bedside of a medieval gentleman
In the Book of Luxury Prayers, two puppies are allowed to feast.
We know that when a medieval gentleman went to bed, a dog would be at his feet to warm each other until his owner was finally occupied by the chill of death and kept the position. We know that the Duke of Burgundy, as always, indulged himself and had 1500 dogs; in the Très Riches Heures, two puppies were allowed to feast and eat next to plates.
Jan van Ike The Puppy in Portrait of the Arnolfini Couple
In what is probably the first full-length portrait, a puppy occupies the foreground of the painting, jan Jan Arnolfini's dog introduced us to a new inhabitant of the animal world, the furry pet dog, who has shared human affection with mastiffs or great Danes to this day.
Puppies that appear in the Cluny Unicorn tapestry
Unsurprisingly, one of them appears in the Cluny Unicorn tapestry with the inscription "Mon seul désir" (my only wish), which seems to be the most popular of all the much-loved animals in this fascinating series.
Carpaccio's puppy that appears in St. Augustine's study
A furry puppy was even allowed into St. Augustine's study, and to his surprise, it sat in the middle of the armillary sphere and astrolabe, watching the saint witness the illusion of Saint Jerome's death. Who else but Carpacchio would put it there? It can be inferred from Karpacchio's entire lifestyle that he loved dogs, and that he left us with the most authentic dog in a painting, crouched at the foot of a seated courtesan, a painting in the Correll Museum in Venice that was praised by Ruskin for his unsparing words.
Carpaccio's Dog in the collection of the Correll Museum in Venice
Among Italian artists, another certain dog lover was Paulo Berger. Veronese. In at least 6 of his magnificent works, including The Last Supper, a dog, usually a large dog, can be seen. When Henry Hugh Armstead carved the straps of the pedestal for the Albert Memorial, Paul Armstead carved the straps of the pedestal for the Albert Memorial. Veronese was the only one allowed to be with his dog.
Piero · Dee · Piero di Cosimo The Death of Procris (recommended for horizontal viewing)
The most beloved dog of the Renaissance was Piero Dee · The one painted in Piero di Cosimo's Death of Procris. The dead girl lay on the ground, mourned by two creatures, a half-human, half-beast, goat-legged Favon who caressed her gently, and a dog, which looked at her with human sadness and seriousness.
Piero · Dee · Cosimo Forest Fires Collection of the Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
Of all the renaissance artists, Piero, the most human-hating artist, was the most human. Dee · Cosimo seems to have the greatest sympathy for animals, and he has left us a painting entirely with animals as the protagonist. This is Forest Fire, in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford University, and is one of a series of paintings representing early human history, perhaps made up by Piero from Lucretius and Vitruvius according to his own understanding.
However, although humans did not appear, bulls, bears, and some deer and pigs could be found with human faces. The combination of animals and men that fascinated the Egyptians was founded in Piero Lopez. Dee · Cosimo's mind arose when he created a depiction of brutal and tyrannical scenes, The Battle of centaurs and The Rapites, in the collection of the National Gallery in London. These ferocious centaurs from early Greek mythology also appeared in the inter-column walls of Olympia. Homer wrote of a wise centaur, Achilles' mentor Chiron, and under his influence, the ancient and Renaissance periods began to adopt a more friendly view of the half-human animal.
Botticelli Minerva Teaches Centaurs Collection of the Uffizi Gallery
Nothing is more moving than Botticelli's Minerva Lesson Centaur, which is in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery. The dignified and beautiful goddess stroked his hair, and he looked back at her with an expression of gratitude and awe on her face, and he carried with a little fear, worried that the wisdom flowing from the goddess's fingers would complicate his animality.
Titian for Claris · A puppy in a portrait painted by Clarice Strozzi
Jan · Arnolfini decided to have the artist paint his puppy in his portrait. Unlike his wife, the puppy was apparently painted based on real objects, a practice that would appear in many portraits over the next century. I cite Titian as Clarisse. For example, the portrait painted by Clarice Strozzi (like the cat in "The Children of Graham"), the puppy looks more vivid than the child, and the collection of Giovanni S. Berger in Kassel is more vivid. Del · The same is true of the famous portrait of Giovanni dell'Acquaviva.
Velázquez accompanies Cardinal Fernando's hounds
Velázquez accompanied Baldassa. Prince Carlos' hound
This practice continued a century later, with some of the most splendid portraits of dogs appearing in the works of Diego Velasquez, such as those accompanied by Cardinal Infante Don Fernando and Baldassa. Prince Carlos' hound.
Velázquez accompanied Philip Prince Prospero's snow-white puppy
No puppy in the painting is more with Philip Prince Prospero's snow-white puppy is even more endearing.
The dog in Las Meninas
But Velázquez looked further ahead. In Las Meninas, the gloomy animal lying in front of the dwarf is not only the greatest dog in art, but also adds a tinge of unsettling air to the gentle, genteel scenes depicted by the painter. It seemed to respond to the contempt of the arrogant dwarf behind him (Mary Babera). As usual, this mysterious artist makes us feel confused about his true intentions.
Gainsborough, Pandita · A white animal that looks like a fox in Perdita Robinson
British portrait painters of the 18th century were undoubtedly influenced by Titian and continued to use dogs as companions for the people they painted. The most elegant is Thomas Gainsborough's "Pendita · The fox-like white animal in Perdita Robinson can't be classified as any modern dog species—it may be the closest thing to a white fox dog, but it looks so cultured that we think it's bound to win an award at the Crufts Dog Show.
Animals in Gainsborough's double portrait "Early Morning Walk"
But is it really Pandita's dog? It reappears in Gainsborough's double portrait Of the Morning Walk. It is also the subject of a painting in the Tate Collection, one of the earliest portraits of dogs in the Tate collection, which seems to have once belonged to Gainsborough's friend Abel. In any case, he liked to paint it so much that he painted it into his most important commissioned work.
Reynolds, Jane The dog in Miss Jane Bowles
In contrast, Joshua Reynolds' "Jane Eynolds" The dog in Miss Jane Bowles is really its owner and is loved by its owner. This fascinating painting perfectly represents the close and intimate relationship between animals and children.
Lancier, "Solemnity and Audacity"
Sentimentality refers to increasing the appeal of feelings to the public by exaggerating and abusing them, which was not uncommon in the 18th century, but by the 19th century, as the audience increased, sentimentality became rampant and naturally appeared in the representation of animals. This is accompanied by an annoying habit of imposing human traits on animals. Sometimes the horse is used as an attempt, of course, the main victim is the dog, and the most successful practitioner of this is Lancil. In the mid-19th century, Dignity and Impudence were by some of the most popular animal paintings. It is vulgar. But Lancier is a good artist, and in my opinion, even One of his most sentimental works, The Old Shepherd's Chief Mourner, is in a way a moving one.
Lancier, "The Old Shepherd's Sacrifice"
Some people say that the UK is the world's most dog-loving country, but this is an illusion. In Turgenev's Hunter's Notes, the love of dogs and horses is described in many passages, at least as long as it has been found in English literature. However, some countries despise dogs for no reason. In Semitic countries, dogs were considered unclean—"Is your servant a dog?" Why do you want to do something like this? And the puppy that accompanied Tobias on the journey is evidence that this folklore originated in Persia. In India and most Islamic countries, the situation of dogs is very miserable. Even in Catholic countries, they are treated cruelly by ordinary people because they are told that dogs have no soul. Just as the Neapolitans say "Why are there no Christians" while whipping his donkey, I also know that some very wise Britons objected to the Anglo-Saxon obsession with dogs. They were very intelligent and unsentimental women Edith Edith Wharton was shocked. When asked to make a list of her seven "major hobbies" in her life, after "Justice and Order", "Dog" came in second place, and "Book" came in third place. But, in one diary, she glorified her feelings a little: "I'm actually afraid of animals, almost all animals, except dogs, and even some dogs." I think it's because of the 'we' in their eyes and the 'non-us' hidden behind them. This is so tragic that it reminds us that humanity has divided and discarded them, leaving them in a state of eternal speechlessness and enslavement. Why? Their eyes seemed to be asking us. ”
Animals and People: The Relationship Between the Two in Western Art from Prehistory to the Present
(The author of this article, Kenneth Clarke, is a prominent art historian of the 20th century, who served as director of the National Gallery of Art and Professor Slade of Oxford University; translator Zhang Gan is a professor and doctoral supervisor in the Department of History at the Academy of Fine Arts of Tsinghua University.) The original title is "The Beloved Animal", and the full text is excerpted from the "New Athens" series of "Animals and People: The Relationship between the Two in Western Art from Prehistory to the Present", which was edited by The Paper. ）
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