Dear Caroline, Nicely put. Music is certainly an ephemeral art. There is, for example, a nice vanitas on the title page of Fuhrmann's _Testudo Gallo-Germanica_ (1615).
We have been discussing Holbein's "Ambassadors" of late. The most significant feature of this painting is the extraordinary skull painted in the foreground towards the bottom of the painting., The only way you can see that it is a skull is to view the painting with your eyes virtually looking across the flat surface of the painting. When you are driving along the road in England, you may see the word "Slow" written on the tarmac. If you're in Wales, you'll see "Araf". >From the car driver's viewpoint the letters look normal, and they are easy to read. If you get out of the car and stand over the road where the writing is, you'll see ridiculously elongated letters. So it is with Holbein's skull. Death is everpresent, but not something we readily perceive. The skull, of course, reminds us of death, and the fact that our days are numbered on this earth. One aspect of the painting is often overlooked: high up on one side (I forget which) there is an image of Christ on the Cross hidden amongst the curtains. Christ may be shoved to one side, but he is the answer to death (virtually unrecognisable, yet in the foreground). If the painting is reproduced in a modern book, it may be trimmed to fit neatly on the page. This cropping often removes the Crucifixion, and thereby removes one of the most important messages in the painting. Holbein's "Ambassadors" was restored a few years ago. I have seen the painting in the National Gallery in London before and after restoration, and I do have my doubts about the efficacy of the restoration. It was certainly a contentious issue at the time of the restoration. The colours are now brash compared to how they were before restoration. What I cannot tell is whether the restorers have significantly altered what was there. Maybe Kenneth Be has some inside knowledge he can share with us. By the way, it is perfectly understandable that Holbein should have chosen the upper octave of the fourth course for his broken string. Apart from the first course, that upper octave fourth is the thinnest string on the lute, and so the most likely to break. Martin's comment about the thin string being on the bass side (like with the baroque guitar) may be hugely significant. I'm afraid my memory takes me no further than before with regard to identifying the music. I know it has been identified as a Lutheran hymn of some kind. If I find out more, I shall pass it on. Best wishes, Stewart McCoy. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Caroline Usher" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, October 22, 2003 7:56 PM Subject: Lute as a vanity > The tradition of vanity pictures or emblems goes back to Ecclesiastes: "Vanity, vanity, all is vanity." And so forth. > > This life is temporary and ends in death and decay. Remember that you too shall die, and repent so as to have life everlasting. These pictures often contain a skull to drive the point home. Also dying flowers, dead game animals, a bowl of fruit going bad. . . musical instruments. Stringed musical instruments. Musical instruments with a thick coating of dust on them. Where are their players? They have left the room, perhaps forever. > > I imagine the vanity meme has its roots in the Dance of Death tradition that arose from the great plagues of the 14th century. Death is shown calling everyone to dance his dance. None can resist, be they emperor, pope, king, queen, burgher, housewife, cobbler, musician, beggar. > > Music exemplifies the vanity of worldy life and worldly pleasures because music is a temporal and evanescent art. It lasts a brief time, then ends, unlike painting or sculpture. What instrument should represent the temporary nature of music? Some instruments are bowed or blown and the sound is continuous as long as the musician provides the effort. But a plucked string begins to die away immediately and is particularly apt to represent the temporary character of music and this life. A broken string? At any moment, in the middle of your performance, Death may tap you on the shoulder and interrupt your music . . . . > > I believe I have seen the harp in this role, but it is more commonly associated with King David and the psalms. The lute was a more common instrument and so more apt to represent something that applies to everyone. > > The existence of this tradition has nothing to do with people playing the lute, composing for lute, enjoying lute music, or eating pheasant and fruit. > Caroline > ********************************* > Caroline Usher > DCMB Administrative Coordinator > 613-8155 > Box 91000 > > > >
