Prostitution in Dutch-Flemish Art - Essay Example

Dutch Art- A depiction of immorality Introduction: The most significant yet vague era that occurred during the initial construction of different forms of art was the 'Dutch Golden age' which was a true depiction of creativity and mesmerizing art. The painting era in the Dutch antiquity too is the 'Dutch golden age' and the inception of this era took place from the 17th century when Dutch as a state was blooming. The painters in this era have left the deepest of an impact on the world of art and creativity. The paintings produced in this period were representing a set of themes which were employed by the painters representing their remarkable state of mind and the way they perceived life and emotions. They captured each emotion and took care of every little detail that could change the subject of the painting. These artists were meticulous enough when it came down to the choice of color palette and how to convey the message they bear in mind in a stabilized yet innovative manner. The different themes that represent the most notable era for the world of art and culture were historical paintings, portraiture (both group and single entity), genre paintings, landscapes and still life paintings. Historical paintings presented the real heroic scenes from the history with a touch of religious and national background. Portrait paintings included famous groups of people and their luxurious lifestyle and royal structures of various landmarks. Genre paintings on the other hand, gave a visionary meaning to mundane life along with an illustration of many Dutch quotes, proverbs and moralistic messages. Landscape paintings beautified the Dutch landscapes with the innovative imagination that made these artists produce such classic works of art. Still life paintings provided the Dutch painters to experiment with different textures and surfaces along with a merit of creating magic by the help of lighting effects. The socio-economical, political and religious position of the Netherlands helped in the emergence of a lucrative environment for the sphere of art. A great number of pictures and artists emerged during the 'Dutch golden age'. The popularity of genre paintings increased in between the span of 1600 to 1650 that well-preserved the scenes from everyday life while capturing the rhythm and thought provoking life back in the sixteenth century. Dutch genre paintings particularly in the sixteenth century were an excellent source of inspiration when it comes to the portrayal of family values, gratitude, social and moral responsibilities and duties. The mid-century genre paintings mostly portrayed women busy in indoor activities and taking care of the household. However, paintings which had depictions in them of women who were busy in any of the outdoor activities were often questioned and strongly criticized on moral grounds, specifically indicating towards the provocative character of a woman. Dutch Culture and Prostitution: It is believed strongly that prostitution as per the Dutch culture is an expression of art and ingenuity which clearly predicts the existence of prostitution as a part of their culture and custom. Amsterdam, the Dutch capital is using prostitution as an instance to make way for artistic excellence along with cultural values and a representation of the Dutch people since it became a part of the global map. The Dutch culture and the candidness to prostitution within it has compelled the Dutch people to accept it as a legal part of their constitution which distinctly states that prostitutes can pursue their profession legally along with the payment of mandatory taxes. This quite evidently means that prostitution is acknowledged as standard and treated just like any other job that provides an individual with a monetary outcome. Therefore, the Dutch society who always fairly accepted the notion of prostitution because of its evident existence in their antiquity now has accepted prostitutes as legal workers having a legal job moreover, a contributing part of the society. In the middle age of the Dutch society there was a lack of acceptance found in the people for prostitution but it was still to a certain extent tolerable because of the protection it provides to the womanhood from rape and other sorts of violation. Nevertheless, there were a few conditions that were introduced by the governing bodies for the prostitutes and their clientele to follow. The first condition was that of a prostitute's incapability when it comes to marriage and the other was that the married and Jewish men were not allowed to hire a prostitute. During this era prostitution was still considered as somewhat dishonorable which depicted the importance of honor back in early modern Dutch society. Till the fifteenth century, the Dutch people were successful to keep prostitution from spreading as much as it did right after it. Then came along the sixteenth century in which the prostitution as a profession was based on regulations because of the emphasis on religion and imposition that acknowledged prostitution as a sin and a crime before the court of law. This scenario instantly altered itself when the Netherlands upraised and their religion converted to Calvinism. The morals enlisted under the religion of Calvinism did not correspond too well with the government policies which resulted in public promotion of prostitution and the prostitutes found a way to earn a livelihood. The seventeenth century marks an open showcase of sexuality in paintings and literature. Literature on the contrary, promoted the negative image of prostitutes describing them as sluggish and ugly women. Paintings promoted the positive image portraying them as charismatic beautiful young women and their clients were showed off as mere fools who were easily deceived by them. The eighteenth century indicates the correspondence of government laws with that of religious laws. Geographical differentiation was introduced in this period because of the separation between the middle class and the lower class which were acknowledged as rather indecent. This dilemma in the Dutch society gave birth to a negative yet disrespectful image of women which was quite apparent in the art and literature perceived in the modern era. A recent study shows that majority of women working as prostitutes are foreigners due to which the country is faced by numerous cases of human trafficking. The current legal status of prostitutes is that they have full access to social security system and they are open to join unions with proper health care and social facilities. Prostitutes residing in the Netherlands are working under various types of prostitution such as their existence in sex clubs and private places which is perhaps the most common. The other types involve window prostitution, escort facilities and in their own personal space or houses. The Dutch ministry of Foreign affairs estimated the population of prostitutes in the Netherlands back in the year of 2000 as somewhere in between 20,000 and 25,000. The Golden artists and their work: The most significant names that emerged in the category of genre paintings in the 'Dutch golden age' are Johannes Vermeer, Pieter De Hooch, Gerard Ter Borch and Gerard Van Honthorst. These names are acknowledged as the most powerful names in the artistic world and genre art which comprises of everything from the extra-ordinary scenes of domestic life to the biblical themes. Johannes Vermeer: He was one of the most prominent and a pioneer of Dutch art who expressed his thoughts and emotions on the canvas remarkably and his work mostly revolved around embellishing the people and their simple lifestyles by the help of moderate colors with a stable structure. He and his work is also remembered and relished thoroughly with the name 'Dutch master' that according to many best described him and his achievements in the sphere of art. Johannes Vermeer has been criticized by many historians and culturists for quite a few of his works, namely 'The procuress of 1657' which clearly represented his sexual thoughts and desires. It was more accurately acknowledged as a depiction of Prostitution and other immoral acts. 'The Procuress of 1657': This painting particularly depicts the sexual desires based on business and monetary benefits. It further involves a man caressing a young unmarried woman's breasts which is perhaps a clear depiction of sex out of marriage and a warped behavior that might involve prostitution. The painting also gives away a fourth figure in the scene with a smirk and an upraised wineglass that convinces the artistic world to believe in the strong element of prostitution that exists in this painting. The image involving wine has also persuaded people to think twice concerning the moral behavior of the figures in this painting. Johannes Vermeer produced 35 paintings; the most prominent among them were that of a solitary young woman in interior settings and contemplative atmosphere. However, there are many paintings by him specifically producing an image of a young man and a woman and a silent interaction between them. 'The music lesson and a laughing girl', this painting also provides us with many hints towards a conclusion that the couple might be involved in a sexual relationship or perhaps an indication of perversion. Vermeer employed various tools to create a sexual gesture within the painting or at least the possibility of it to be there. These tools were perhaps a smirk, a wineglass, an inappropriate look towards a woman or marked simply by an unmarried woman in the company of an unknown man. Pieter De Hooch: Another eminent figure from the antiquity of Dutch art is Pieter De Hooch who was a genre painter and excelled a little too much during the 'Dutch golden age'. His work is celebrated mainly because of his focus on the everyday scenes with a touch of moral anecdotes and Dutch sayings. His paintings depicted middle-class domestic life along with his work which was believed in having a remarkable resemblance with that of Johannes Vermeer. He understood the importance of the effects light that can transform the entire theme behind a painting along with space and techniques. Pieter De Hooch's work could be differentiated from that of Vermeer's by his use of warmer colors and shades. Merry Company: This painting is still remembered as one of Pieter De hooch's remarkable achievements in the Dutch art antiquity. The painting comprises of four men and two women and it seems as if one of the men has just entered with a hat in his hand while another one of them is wrenching a bell cord that is perhaps meant for to call upon the servants. The third man on the other hand is captivated by the cheerful tunes composed by him on his violin and the fourth one is caressing the breasts of a young woman on his left. The picture clearly portrays that these people were apparently having the best time ever while indulging in some immoral activities. This painting can be examined while having many aspects to it, the first one out of which is the questionable portrayal of woman in Dutch art as the servants and various gestures made by men to take advantage of that but we cannot conclude that right away because of women's active part in such immoral activities too. The other aspect to it is that of the notoriety of the Dutch people and their lack of morals which can be the apparent most reason for the rejection by the Puritans who sailed from England in the Mayflower from stepping on the realm of Holland. The objection by various historians and artists in the past has always wavered in between the morality of the Dutch people through the eyes of the painters of the Seventeenth century and the portrayal of Women in these paintings. Many factors within this painting promote prostitution and the exploitation of the sacred image of a woman that many religions point out quite often and which is quite a mark on womanhood itself regardless of any creed and religion. Gerard Ter Borch: A notable painter belonging to the 'Golden age' of Dutch art who excelled in historical and biblical themes is the great Gerard Ter Borch. He excelled in historical and biblical themes promoting immensely since the beginning of Genre paintings along with a deep connection with the embellishment of landscapes and portraiture. By the end of 1653, Gerard Ter Borch was done with his art training right after which he went to Amsterdam and Haarlem to further furnish his artistic skills and knowledge. The initial paintings by him involved military life with the usage of dark colors portraying remarkably the heroic and love scenes and that too with the right values. His latter work involved the elite and elegant portion of the society. The Musical Party: This painting is a mere depiction of the simple Dutch traditions in the seventeenth century which involved renowned quotes and metaphors on love and gratitude among family folks, couples or perhaps a friend and an unknown single woman. It portrays a young woman playing a famous instrument from Dutch antiquity named as 'The theorbo'. This work of art was mainly famous and something that gave it the animation that it required was because of the facial expressions of the woman, her pose and the gestures involved. The clothing also played an integral part in the translation of this image along with the representation of the eminence of the Dutch music as an enhancement in the interaction between a man and a woman through music. It is perhaps a visual depiction of a single young woman who tries to communicate with a man through music that could be the reason for their immoral behavior because it is believed that music to a certain extent is a catalyst that persuades people to take the wrong and immoral path. The woman can be acknowledged as a prostitute purely because of the expressions on her face along with the opinion formed because of other paintings by Gerard Ter Borch that depict prostitution, nudity, use of alcohol and many other activities conveying an immoral message. Therefore, this painting was yet another addition to the paintings that portrayed women as objects and the ones to serve men and satisfying their needs which involved many immoral acts as well. Artists from the 19th and 20th Century: After the 'golden era' a few notable painters from the 19th and 20th century also left behind an impact on the cultural value of Dutch art. These artists produced paintings which depicted a more contemporary age and the altering times in Dutch culture. The most aspiring names among these artists are that of Vincent Van Gogh and Piet Mondriaan. Vincent Van Gogh: Born in Groot-Zundert, Holland, Vincent Van Gogh was a great influence on the latter ages of Dutch art and culture. According to him color was the ultimate of an expression in a painting with his upbringing in a highly civilized and religious household his belief in art that could provide an inner satisfaction became robust and the main goal that of a painter's is to embellish the subject employed. His work is mainly classified as vague and impulsive which portrays his in-depth understanding of the spiritual essence of a man and nature. His paintings were a clear depiction of his mental state which is known to be vulnerable and turbulent because of many medical conditions that he was going through. Vincent's work will always be remembered for bringing about a change in the sphere of Expressionism which for many is acknowledged as a natural capability. Expressionism can be identified through the paintings which are rich in expression of inner feelings about a certain subject by the use of symbols and a particular style. However, to understand Vincent's work one has to gain knowledge regarding his turbulent life and events that changed him which were portrayed by him on the canvas to express his inner feelings. He once said very eminently for the learners of art that in order to understand expressionism in art you have to explore the biography of the painter. Vincent had two failed love tales which made a huge impact on his mental and physical well being but he had two inspirations for his work to look forward to as well. One can easily identify elements in his paintings portraying his frustrations and the downfall in his life through the colors and the subjects he employed to express himself in the paintings. Sketch of Sorrow: Vincent Van Gogh was a notable painter when it comes to romance and the feelings attached with it and he well expressed it in his work. Vincent Van Gogh belonged to a highly spiritual and religious family who believed in strict values and whoever trespasses the lines was acknowledged by them as a paragon of immorality and suspicion. During the eventful life time of Vincent his love for his first cousin 'Kee' has been known to make a massive influence on his perception of art and expressionism. Vincent expressed his deep feelings for his cousin but he was devastated after he discovers that she was never interested in him or his feelings. This turned Vincent's life upside down which is quite apparent in his paintings after this tragic turn in his life. Vincent's family particularly his father maintained a distance from him after he discovered that he has stepped out of the line that their religion has provided them with and that too by expressing his love for his first cousin which his father thought was a source of shame for him and their family. Vincent and his rebellious nature convinced him to leave home and live on his own, during which he met up with 'Sien' who was a low class prostitute and they moved in together. Vincent drew a sketch of Sien which depicted the turbulent life that she went through and how he understood exactly what she has been going through. Living together they both understood each other and their lives which were one way or the other a source of depression for both of them. Vincent, knowing Sien and her personal suffering looked after her needs and tried to make her happy and content. He lovingly drew her sketch in which he portrayed her personal suffering and distressful life because of which she was suffering from issues pertaining to poor health and other biological conditions. Vincent's family moved further away from him after they heard he has been living with a prostitute which was highly inappropriate and considered a sin according to their religion. This sketch was highly criticized by artists and historians because of the presence of prostitution after the Golden era and how it has been there through out the Dutch antiquity and there will be no denying it. Nonetheless, this sketch proves the existence of prostitution in the 19th and 20th century as well when it was considered to a certain extent controversial and provocative which proves that prostitution has been a part of Dutch art since the beginning and one of the inspirations of Dutch artists. Pieter Mondrian: A renowned 19th century Dutch painter who contributed immensely to De Stijl art movement which was a mere radical for the Dutch art and culture. He was born in Amersfoot, Netherlands and his familiarization with art goes back in time when his ancestors presented the artistic world with a few marvelous paintings and other forms of art and with his own father as an art teacher. He promoted to the genre of impressionism and naturalism by embellishing scenes of landscape and other natural sights. His work did not portray prostitutes within the frame but he was sure influenced by many painters such as Braque and Pablo Picasso, a Spanish painter who highly appreciated prostitution as an inspiration for his work. Mondrian specialized in an artificial looking art which was purely based on geometrical lines and shapes promoting to an absurd form of art; his work was also known as Neo-plasticism. More than his work his character influenced the Dutch art along the years; his interest in women and thoughts on marriage as nuisance were highly criticized after his death. His work has no eminent value for the artistic world but it was more of a gem for the architectural world because of his use of lines and grids. His character as an artist has been taken more into account in the Dutch art because of his intimate relationships with prostitutes and married women. Pieter's work did not however produce the existence of prostitution but his character did at every point which makes it clear for many to conclude that Dutch art has been inspired by Prostitution and immorality with their painters who have confessed time and time again their candidness with prostitutes along with alcoholism and many other immoral acts. Conclusion: The agreement on the depiction of prostitution in Dutch art can be understood extensively by a look on the great paintings of the 'Golden age' produced by some notable painters. However, to say that prostitution was a proper concept back in that age has not been identified as yet because we being the people belonging to the modern era can easily identify it as prostitution and alcoholism but we cannot conclude that the people from that age considered it to be an immoral behavior. Nonetheless, the existence of prostitution in Dutch art is very prominent and one can easily point it out in the Dutch art of the eighteenth and nineteenth century as well. Also with the existence of prostitution the image of women has been affected because of the Dutch art in the seventeenth century that promoted it a bit too much. These paintings depicting prostitution should not be considered as an artists' flaw or their immoral behavior but it should rather be acknowledged as a part of the concept of art in that age and these artists consumed those environments the best way possible by the help of their remarkable artistic instinct and creative yet innovative styles of portrayal which perhaps is how an artist would perceive it at least. They captured prostitution because of the existence of it in different portions of the society while preserving the basic culture of the Dutch people. Evidently, these paintings have also provided us with many apparent traditions of the Dutch society and how these artists have promoted in shaping up their culture. End Notes: Nils Johan, Love for sale: A world history of Prostitution, (Grove Press, 2004) 291. Svetlana Alpers, the art of describing Dutch Art in the Seventeenth Century, (Rand Corporation, 1983) 222. Sheila D. Muller, Dutch Art: an encyclopedia, (Garland Publishers, 1997) 245. Judikje Kiers, Fieke Tissink and Rijksmuseum (Netherlands), the golden age of Dutch art, (Thames and Hudson, 2000) 145-215. Eric Jan Sluijter, Seductress of sight, (Waanders, 2001) 290. Mariet Westermann, A worldly art: The Dutch republic 1585-1718, (Harry Abrahams, 1996) 65-68. Read More