72. The moment after the perfect snapshot
Is life ever really "still"?
This post is a fourth experiment in presenting two pieces back to back, without my usual interpretation section. (here are the first, second, and third such posts!) I hope you can enjoy puzzling out shared themes, or perhaps ways in which each one builds upon the other.
suggested reading method
To best savour this artwork, please take a moment to eliminate distractions. Consider minimizing all other windows on your computer; putting other devices (phone, tv etc) aside; taking a deep breath, to the full extent of your lung capacity; and focusing solely on the “artwork 1” and “artwork 2” sections.
Once you’ve processed those to your satisfaction, the rest of the post is optional reading, provided only for context about the artists.
artwork 1
The Overturned Bouquet by Abraham Mignon. Dated between 1660-1679. Oil paint on canvas. Sourced from the Rijksmuseum.
artwork 2
Still Life
When everything lies there in fallen heaps
thoughts, moods, duets
⎯ lies there despoiled
without tin foil ⎯ and the scraped membrane
⎯ all the layers washed away ⎯
of the bloody conjunctiva stares into silence ⎯
what’s left?The sixty-four-thousand-dollar question! But who in his senses
asks it any more ⎯
Renaissance reminiscences,
Baroque overlay,
castle museums ⎯an end to drilling,
but still no ground water,
the wells dark,
the styles exhausted ⎯time has acquired a stillness,
the hour breathes
over a wine jug,
it’s late, the last blows have been traded,
a clinch and a hang on the ropes
before the bell ⎯ I give the world
to anyone who wants it, let them be happy:the player’s not to turn serious
the drinker’s not to wander into the Gobi desert
even a lady with lorgnette
entertains aspirations to happiness:
well, let her be happy ⎯the lake rests at ease,
rimmed with forget-me-nots,
otters laugh.
by Gottfried Benn. Sourced from The Poetry Foundation.
context
Abraham Mignon (1640 - 1679) was a still life painter who was born in Germany and moved to Utrecht. He had artistic training in both Germany and the Netherlands, and is known for his sought-after paintings including fruit, flowers, animals, insects, and game pieces.
Gottfried Benn (1886 - 1956) was a German poet, essayist, and physician in the German army during World War I. Due to his experiences in the war, some of his poems deal with nihilism and physical decay. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature five times and won the Georg Büchner Prize, the most prestigious award for German-language literature.
What similarities and differences did you notice? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!