Chapter 6
The chapter 6 starts off by depicting a portrait by famous painter Quentin Metsys called "The Money Lender and His Wife." It is a painting of two people doing ordinary tasks, but Metsys threw in a lot of symbolism into the painting, mostly Christian symbolism. The painting seems very simple but Metsys' there is a lot of complexity within the painting. For example, there is an oval mirror near the bottom of the painting, and when you look closely, you can a reflection of a detailing window. The significance of this small part is that it is a way for the painter to insert himself into the painting and at the same time the window also references the crucifix.
The chapter 6 starts off by depicting a portrait by famous painter Quentin Metsys called "The Money Lender and His Wife." It is a painting of two people doing ordinary tasks, but Metsys threw in a lot of symbolism into the painting, mostly Christian symbolism. The painting seems very simple but Metsys' there is a lot of complexity within the painting. For example, there is an oval mirror near the bottom of the painting, and when you look closely, you can a reflection of a detailing window. The significance of this small part is that it is a way for the painter to insert himself into the painting and at the same time the window also references the crucifix.
The overall message the painting has is that people have gone away from religion and more towards trading and making money, mercantilism. Metsys most likely made the painting in order to get people to stray away from material devotion and move back towards spiritual devotion. He wants to show that people were very eager to make money and that money would bring happiness but overall is breeds corruption. Metsys goal is just to have people realize what should be most important in their life and that is Christianity.
Chapter 14
In chapter 14, author states that visual art is to make the invisible
visible, and he uses labyrinth and touchstone to describe how money make the
things have value and shows how powerful the money is. Both labyrinth and touchstone
can be a symbol and metaphor for physical money. Labyrinth means everything
always has two meanings, one is horizontal meaning, and the other is vertical
meaning. Like money, a medium of exchange is its horizontal meaning, and a
measure of value is its vertical meaning. Vertical meaning usually has deeper
understanding than horizontal meaning. Labyrinth can help us have more
understanding in money.
Because gold become more and more important for people in their life, so
it a thing to measure the quantity and purity of the gold which is touchstone. Touchstone
brings a mystery to the gold can make people consider gold is valuable. Now, we
have electronic bank, we can transfer the money through our electricity, and
money become an indispensable thing in our life. People prefer to trust a fake
fact rather than a brutal truth which is a horrible phenomenon. Author really
wants a person can stand in front of people bravely and tell the truth to them,
so that people can know what they really want and do not need to live “under
the cloak of rationalized invisibility.”
Chapter 6's painting and the idea of inserting one's reflection seem interesting. I agree with the idea that money bring happiness and corruption at the same time.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6: Nowadays, many people are less care about religion and they just want to make more money. This happens because people will never satisfy with how much money they already had. Besides that, they will do everything, including corruption to make more--which is why there is a saying that the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.
ReplyDeletechapter 6: My chapter is about Metsys as well. I think he's trying to link money and religion is his work and use religion to shape people's perception of money.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6: I guess it is somewhat true that people now care more about money that religion. But I agree that money does bring corruption
ReplyDeleteI don't favor material devotion or spiritual devotion in any way. I think it's important to have a balanced mentality.
ReplyDeleteMoney has two side, seems it like a idea in the whole book.
ReplyDeleteloll It's interesting that I found your two posts similar to the other person's two, which I have read earlier.
ReplyDelete