Pipes in Art

[simnettpratt]

That Village News is really cool. Every human in the piece is huddled up; they look like a bunch of penguins. Only the dogs are carefree.
If I was locked in a room for six months with all the Crayolas in the box, I couldn't paint 'huddled' or 'carefree'.
PS Look at the painting again. It's why British folk don't wave to strangers on the street, and why it was a shock to discover Texans do.

 

[edgreen]

I absolutely love the aroma and flavour of pipe tobacco. That said I don't think if I was in bed ill that I could handle three pipe smokers in the same room.
I think the speaking/waving to strangers thing is due still to the differences in how our "people" have experienced war. It is so rare, compared to most of Europe, that any of our major wars are fought here. I think generations of distrust and fear create cautiousness culturally. I assure you, there are neighborhoods in the US in which a hearty Texas "hi" from a stranger is looked on as just as rude.
BTW, the forum spellchecker is an American one. It's telling me that I'm misspelling "flavour"

 

[edgreen]

Douglas Stephens – Home on the Range –

William Blair Bruce – The pipe of peace – 1895

 

[simnettpratt]

My Texan spellchecker says you also misspelled 'Howdy".

PS In one of the forum stickys, it says acceptable spelling is English or British English. Pardon me? Sticky has it backwards.

 

[claypipesarchaeologist]

I'm also loving those Gagnon painting. His style reminds me of a painting that I can't completely recall... I think it was a Russian post-battle scene in the snow
Here'e one of a kid being a little shit.

 

[edgreen]

A loose ball of yarn and the cat's just sitting there. I guess the artist had more experience with incorrigible children than with cats. Or maybe there's something just out of sight, like a big dog, that's keeping the cat up high.

 

[edgreen]

Arthur Lismer – Self portrait - 1924

Arthur Lismer – The Fishermen – 1915

 

[cosmicfolklore]

But, smoking would still be very acceptable at this time, even in a tea room, right?

We tend to have painted such a rosy picture for smokers of the past, but there have been some very draconian laws regarding pipe smokers throughout history. Many of the Germanic burgs had laws that said that men seen smoking were to be beaten with sticks. And, many parts of Europe tobacco had to be smuggled because of bans and also because of outrageous taxes. I've also read several accounts of pipes being made in the basements of potters shops in some European areas to hide them from authorities. This was up until the mid 1700's. However, there have always been areas where smokers were persecuted.

I read a passage concerning Isaac Newton where he had to take the tavern pipe outside, because there was a woman working inside.
We like to perpetuate this notion that we are the first ones to be ostracized for smoking, but the fact is there have always been fluctuating laws concerning smoking. We just happened to be coming out of a time when Big Tobacco (cigarettes) had bought, lied, and corrupted the way for less restrictions. I think that this has just always been a battle back and forth.

 

[edgreen]

Sarah Robertson – Le repose – 1926 grandpa in front right

Jori Smith – Mr. McRobie - 1955

 

[edgreen]

Michael - I'm 6'7", blonde (used to be), and left handed. At some point in time at some places on Earth I could have been persecuted for any of those traits. I remember years of my youth when nearly everyone was smoking, anyplace. The pendulum swings.
I'm still puzzled by Gagnon's "Village life." What exactly is happening in the painting? Is it a bridal auction of little girls? Orphans marrying Jesus?

 

[crazypipe]

 

[edgreen]

I've tried to use my finger to tamp too.

 

[edgreen]

Kathleen Daly – Rene’ – 1935

William Raphael – Montreal Market – 1866 guy to the left with light grey hat

 

[prndl]

"village scene" reminds me of rockwell's post cover "saying grace"...a vision recreated in the harrison ford/kelley mcginnis movie "witness".
tho there is no pipe in either of the latter. 8O

 

[edgreen]

Maurice Cullen – Portrait of a man -1898

Jack Humphrey – St. John Drydock – 1944

 

[edgreen]

That's the end of my Canadian discoveries. Next week is the Netherlands so there will be much Dutch peasantry for awhile.

 

[edgreen]

Jan Steen – The lean kitchen – 1652

Jan Steen – The Merry Family - 1668

 

[edgreen]

Jan Steen – the drunken couple – 1660

Jan Steen – interior of an inn- 1670

 

[edgreen]

Hendrick von Someren – the Smoker – 1620

Vincent Malo – Peasants playing cards outside an inn- 1632

 

[edgreen]

Benjamin Gerritsz Cuyp – peasant interior – 1640

Richard Brakenburg – Village Inn – 1670

Matthijs Maris – Portrait of Louis Sierig, Painter – 1856