abstrakt w j. angielskim: |
The aim of this article is to present the figure and work of the most outstanding Dutch
poet and playwright of the 17th century, Joost van den Vondel, „the Dutch Shakespeare”. He
was born in 1587 in Cologne, into a family of Mennonites who fled from Antwerp, and lived
in Amsterdam, where he ran a hosiery shop, wrote and met on friendly terms with the largest
minds of the period. During his long life (he died at the age of 92 in 1679) Vondel wrote 24
tragedies, numerous lyrical poems, satires, polemics, didactic poems and an epic about John the
Baptist. He also translated classical authors - Sophocles, Seneca, Horace, Vergil and Ovid. In
the 17th century Netherlands Vondel gained a literary authority; he was regarded as a Prince of
Poets, the father of Dutch poetry, the only one who was equal to the classical authors. Finally,
he achieved the highest distinction - when a laurel wreath was placed on his head in 1653.
After anthropological and comparative research as well as an experiment used in criminology
when comparing different facial composites (the technique of which is similar to that
of drawing or painting) was conducted, Anna Jasińska’s hypothesis that Philips Koninck’s
painting entitled The scholar in his study, which is in Jagiellonian University Collegium
Maius Museum’s collection, presents Vondel himself seems to be reasonable. It is probably
also the poet’s last image, made shortly before his death, which makes it a very important
discovery in the field of the Dutch-related research. However, in such a case the painting
should be dated approx. 1679 (and not about 1645). I would disagree with the opinion that Koninck’s painting presents the scholar in his study. Nothing indicates that it is the figure of a scholar or his place of work, and the objects shown
in the painting are only media of a conventional vanitative content, typical of the period, and
not the attributes of a scholar. These objects make us perceive the painting as an allegory of
old age or passing, and not the image of a researcher and intellectualist, which is additionally
confirmed by a great accumulation of vanitas motifs. I think that a more proper title would
simply be Joost van den Vondel (?) in the evening of his life or The portrait of an old man. |