Art

Ambrogio Lorenzetti and Pieter Bruegel the Elder lived and painted in very different worlds.  However,  even though their work is separated by over two centuries and vastly different cultural factors, both Lorenzettis The Good City Republic  and Bruegels Wedding Dance  share at least one significant commonality.  That is, each work elevates the ordinary to the extraordinary, capturing a scene of commonplace life and the people of their respective communities and inviting the viewer to covet the kind of life which is depicted.  The motivating factors which lay beyond each artists moving creation differs slightly, but each artist seemed to have ambitions to use his work to further or enhance social change in some way.

Lorenzettis The Good City Republic is part of a three paneled fresco entitled The Allegory of Good and Bad Government commissioned by the republican government of Siena.  During a period in which much of Europe was still under rule by monarchs, the rulers of Siena felt the need to remind the public of the benefits of republican ideals, in order to protect and support that particular form of rule.  Lorenzettis mural served as a mild persuasion, depicting an idyllic republic community in which peace, harmony and security reign.  In the painting, the people of Siena seem economically prosperous and there is obviously a great climate of social interaction, indicated by a thriving marketplace, a group of people dancing together and even a wedding procession. When contrasted to the life depicted under the tyranny and corrupted rule of monarchy (as illustrated in another of the panels), the idealism of the type of republicanism represented by The Good City Republic seems even more appealing. It doubtless would have served to encourage the people of Siena to want to protect their form of government.

In contrast to Lorenzettis work, Bruegels Wedding Dance seems much more earthy and fun-loving, however, there are equally strong political and social factors which motivated Bruegels work.  As noted by art critic, Rebecca Mazzei, Bruegel painted Wedding Dance  during a time in which his Netherlandish society was under threat (Mazzei 1) from the strict morays of Roman Catholicism.  Bruegel, perhaps fearing the loss of long-held and beloved cultural traditions, painted a scene of a raucous wedding party, full of merriment and color, motion and life.  While Lorenzettis work showed the harmonious mix of social classes (i.e. it depicted  country and city folk, rich and poor folk getting along), Bruegels painting focused on elevating just the life of the peasantry.  Bruegels images seem to be suggesting that, in the simple life of common folk, lies the beauty and heart of Netherlandish culture. Rather than seem vulgar, the cheeky images of peasants drinking, dancing, kissing and misbehaving, comes off as very charming and engaging.  All the behaviors which might be characterized as vice or sin  by the Roman Catholic Church, Bruegel re-envisions as life-affirming, joyous expression.  

While it is impossible to measure just how much of an impact Ambrogio Lorenzettis The Good City Republic and Pieter Bruegels Wedding Dance had on their respective societies, it is clear that each of these important works contributed much to the common dialogue.  Further, beyond any political or religious ambition each artist may have had for his work, ultimately, it is the beauty of ordinariness, humanity and the  common man  that got a well-deserved moment in the spotlight as a result of these paintings.