Posted on 08/31/2009 3:21:49 PM PDT by Daffynition
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A restorer's work has found a hidden image of a butchered pig in a painting from the collection of Michigan's Calvin College.
The 17th century Dutch work Barn Interior is one of 16 paintings that Calvin alumnus Cornelius Van Nuis gave the Grand Rapids school two years ago.
Egbert van der Poel's work shows a woman and two children inside the barn. Van der Poel lived from 1621 to 1664.
Last summer, Calvin director of exhibitions Joel Zwart sent Barn Interior to Chicago art conservator Barry Bauman.
"What with chemicals and soot and dirt in the air, paintings naturally get darker," Zwart said in a statement. "When they get cleaned, there's a change in appearance."
He noticed that a ladder on the left side of the painting had been heavily painted over and the paint was flaking.
Underneath, he discovered a pig, butchered and stretched hanging upside down from the ladder.
"It was painted over, and the obvious question is, Why was it painted over?" said Zwart. "Well, it was most likely not covered over by the artist. Very likely a wealthy patron bought it.
"It's this grotesque scene, this butchered animal hanging in a barn. And quite likely this patron hired another artist to paint it over."
[snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at dailyillini.com ...
AP Photo/Calvin College, Joel ZwartThis undated photo released by Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., shows the painting Barn Interior before it underwent restoration. An image of a flayed pig has been painted over. AP Photo/Calvin College, Joel Zwart
It was originally titled “Th...Th...That’s All, Volks!”
Great post, thanks.
Have a long time interest in Dutch art especially the 16th and 17th cen.
But dogs can’t tell it’s not bacon.
Per chance ... was a copy of Obama’s long-form birth certificate also found in the picture ???
I’m just guessing but I suspect that the artist felt that it dominated the painting. Personally I like it better without the pig.
Noes, OBammy BC not heres either, not even painted over ...
You're going to have to do some clicking [I don't know how else to do it; it's too large for a screen capture], but your interesting comment is addressed.
Click - case studies
Click - 2009 Historical Rewards: A Dutch and a Flemish Discovery.
Click - Enter
The first four pages contain interesting historical and genre info.
The Dutch painters of people in daily life and surrounding
are the best.
This is fascinating. Real - not Photoshopped - layers.
Thank you much. Its pretty obvious that a butchered animal was an extremely common scene at that time. Sounds like I may have been correct in assuming the pig was painted over to redirect the viewers eye to the center of the painting.
I don't consider it to be a "grotesque scene" at all! Daily life with abundant food isn't grotesque. What I find odd is the head like object to the left of the ladder on the floor. Any ideas as to what it is?
Any enlarged image I could find seems to cut that shape right off ...I don’t know, it could be saddlebags or some leathery item. ;)
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