Man steekt zijn pijp op 1658 - 1677

Editor: Here we have Wallerant Vaillant's "Man lighting his Pipe," a graphite drawing dating from between 1658 and 1677. The scene has a casual, almost domestic feel, but there is also a lingering melancholic aura. What symbols do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, immediately, the pipe speaks to ritual, doesn’t it? The careful lighting, the smoke curling—consider the transience of smoke, its association with memory and fleeting moments. The pipe isn’t just a pipe. It signifies contemplation, perhaps even escapism. Editor: I hadn’t thought about the smoke like that. What about his clothing and the objects in the background? Curator: Indeed. The sitter's cap with a feather has playful overtones – suggestive of revelry, but even more strongly that it is artifice – it may signal something more hidden than obvious. Notice, too, the simple jug – an element of daily life that takes on greater symbolic resonance depending on what you believe the jug contains; nourishment, plain water or wine perhaps? Each represents a possible spiritual journey, an important part of what objects and possessions represented for 17th century audiences. Editor: So, objects themselves are cues or a type of short-hand for communicating more profound thoughts and beliefs? Curator: Precisely. How did people communicate across distance and time, before the modern era? Symbolically and with cultural traditions; it makes you think about our contemporary reliance on directness and whether that truly communicates our complex emotional states. Editor: This has really changed my perception of genre painting; there's a lot more happening than what first meets the eye! Curator: I hope now, when you look, you’ll see cultural memory speaking and cultural continuity developing across decades!