Saturday, December 3, 2011

Tower of Babel, by Abel Grimmer (ca. 1570, Antwerp – ca. 1620, Antwerp)

Any enterprise, no matter how magnificent in scale and insight, is bound to fail if devoid of spiritual content (even if it seems like success – the actual absence of spirituality is the failure). Note that the painting looks unfinished! – possibly on purpose. The alternative metaphorical interpretation of this legend (even though not necessarily for this painting) is human inability to communicate and establish true soul-to-soul contact ("everyone speaks his own language"). Finally, the inversion of the traditional interpretation is also possible (along the lines of Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" and Nike) is the romantic human quest for the spiritual heights, despite the resistance of the antagonistic pseudo-gods / hostile destiny.

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