Blog #6

I found the section pertaining to Brueghel & Rubens's "Allegory of Sight" to be very interesting. I have seen this painting before, but never understood the symbolism behind the different objects within the painting. In this piece, the figures were painted by Rubens and Brueghel created the setting. The interests and generous patronage of Princess Isabel and Archduke Albert are displayed in 5 allegorical paintings, the most famous being the "Allergory of Sight". Many of Rubens's works are shown within the portrait, such as the portrait created of the Archduke & Princess, situated on the table. Also, Rubens's "Daniel of the Lions Den", "The Lion and Tiger Hunt", and the "Drunken Silenus" are prominetely displayed within the piece. Amongst the portraits within the painting, there are also books, ruler, compasses, magnifying glass, telescope and eye glass. These seemingly ordinary objects might symbolize spiritual blindness, referring to those who look but do not see. In the upper left corner there is an armillary sphere and a huge globe at the right that might represent the extent of humanistic learning. When I first saw this piece it just looked like a room full of stuff. However, after reading about the painting and understanding the meaning of the objects within the portrait, it became a representaion of spirituality and the quest for knowledge.