Art

1.What incorrect assumptions about the subject matter and meaning of Pieter Breugel the Elders peasant painting does Svetlana Alpers argue previous art historicans have maid when describing the artistic aims of these works

Previous historicans, especially those of the nineteenth (19th) century, assumed Pieter Breugels art to be depicting moral sins.  For one, they have accused Breugels  Wedding Dance  to have displayed human lust   the foreground illustrating the  abandoning of human instincts  as the dancers have only pleasure and satisfaction to think about.   According to Alpers, this is a rather biased view of Breugels art, for the 19th century historicans have  compared their  solemn  wedding traditions to that of the peasants way of celebration during Breugels time. (165)  Subsequently, she stated that in the sixteenth (16th) and seventeenth (17th) century, artists like Breugel painted only what they see around them out of sheer interest. (165) It is far from the symbolic pieces of art done today.

2. What does Alpers claim may have led Breugels well-to-do patrons to prize his and other artists paintings of peasant life

During the time of Phillip II, the peasants suffered tremendous financial difficulties therefore, they cannot celebrate weddings and banquets with utmost style like those of the gentry.  They celebrate these events with great fun and  leisure  therefore, art pieces with themes of such attracted middle class patrons. (Alpers 168-169)

3. What is  the comic mode  and how does Alpers argue that this mode of representation affected or guided Breugels picture of sixteenth century peasants

Alpers stated that the comic mode of Breugels art is the feeling of  separateness  from the paintings. (174) According to her, Breugel dressed himself up as a peasant in order to go to the festivities nevertheless, he was not one of them. (174)  He was there but he viewed the peasants from afar -  just like some few characters found in his art the  Wedding Dance .  The people who view his art is invited into the festivities but they can never really join and it is never really known whether this mode was intentional. (Alpers 174)