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Cornelis Cornelisz Van Haarlem
Heraclitus and Democritus, 1617
Thought not a religious scene, this painting conveys a moral message in the guise of two ancient thinkers who had opposite attitudes to life. Democritus (right) was known as "the laughing philosopher" because he found amusement in the folly of the world. Heraclitus, on the other hand, was melancholic and represented the dark side of human nature. Democritus gestures optimistically toward the terrestrial globe, and Heraclitus looks suitably pessimistic.
It is worth comparing the formal language and expression Cornelis employs for these secular figures with those employed by Jacob Jordaens in his adjacent paintings of Saints Jerome and Paul. |