Photography steals the soul.
ROBY.PHOTO
HISTORIA DICET,
HISTORIA DOCET
Pestarino Roberto
Cristina Lucchini
PRESENT:
31 FLEMISH PROVERBS
A photographic journey
Through painting and history, with a pinch of irony, 31 messages to better enjoy the day.
Guide to vision
Four steps in a masterpiece
The painting and its history:
The Flemish Proverbs is an oil painting on wood (117x163 cm) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, dated 1559 and kept in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin.
Perhaps inspired by the “Adagia” by Erasmus of Rotterdam, a collection of admonitions that tell the precarious balance of human feelings, between wisdom and madness.
With irreverent wisdom and inventiveness Bruegel narrates almost one hundred and twenty popular proverbs, "the world upside down" with this title (later changed to "Flemish Proverbs") tells in an extravagant and grotesque and at the same time realistic and passionate way, the misery and drama of 'humanity.
Like his "spiritual teacher" Bosh, Bruegel bases his personal culture on popular tradition, proverbs and idioms, in this work he illustrates an entire village by the sea, creating many other small situations in the one scene, building many independent scenes between them.
The work dated 1559, measures 117 x 163 cm. In this space the painter manages to insert the (many) vices and the (few) virtues of humanity, focusing above all on life in the fields and on farms.
The idea, the project.
The thought of quoting a famous painting with my photographs was born in 2016.
I immediately found the painting "Flemish proverbs" fascinating and I began to think how to use it without imitating it clearly, but collect the message of the painter and turn it into something of my own.
I decided after a long time to choose 31 proverbs, one per day of the month. As proverbs are often somewhat demoralizing phrases, I made the version encouraging where necessary,
In each photo appears the easel as a painter , as a tribute and the fragment of painting that recites the proverb.
The clothes used all have a historical accuracy, while the contour objects are deliberately modern.
Even the choice to photograph outdoors is desired, as in the painting itself many proverbs are indicated by characters in the open air.
Thanks to:
Cristina Lucchini;
for having believed in the project, spent hours to assist and advise me, set up the props, find volunteers, dress them and instruct them.
And saying thank you is very little.
A heartfelt thanks to his family, for helping me in everything and being in the photos.
Thanks to all the volunteers who lent themselves to free and trust me, often without knowing me, but I’m here to leave a testimony.
In the grey box: the proverb of 1500, in parentheses a brief explanation.
In the blue box: the positive sense from the photo .
In white (where necessary): some informative notes on the photo.
Banging your head against the wall.
STAY HUNGRY , STAY FOOLISH, "THE WHOLE EARTH CATALOG".
Share them but not skin them.
YOUR ENEMIES OF TODAY WILL BE TOMORROW'S FRIENDS.
390
B.C. Brenno sacks
Rome.
Since then the Gallic tribes
facing the Romans had
only misfortunes.
Put a blue cloak on her husband’s shoulders (betray him).
LOYALTY IS A GIFT NOT A DUTY, "LILLI PALMER".
Fill the well when the calf is already drow.
ATTENTION HAS ONLY ONE EYE THE SENSE OF THEN MANY,
"GOETHE".
Pull to have the longest end.
BRING WATER TO ANOTHER MILL
IF YOU HELP OTHERS YOU WILL BE HELPED,
"GURDJIEFF".
No use crying over spilled porridge.
DON’T CRY OVER WHAT YOU LOSE, CREATE SOMETHING NEW.
Live clinging to the cord of the bag (To love in a venal way).
LIVE THE LOVE
TRY TO LOVE WITHOUT RESERVES.
A hoe without a handle (a person incapable) .
RESOURCES LIVE IN YOU, DON’T FOCUS ON MISTAKES, YOU WILL HAVE THE SOLUTION FOR EVERYTHING
Go with the lantern in hand (Looking for the right opportunity).
WHO SEES AN OBSTACLE, WHO TAKES THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVE TALENT.
The herring does not fry here (It's not going according to plan).
BELIEVE IN YOUR STRENGTH, DO NOT FLATTER FORTUNE.
Who makes the smoke at the steel?
(There are things that cannot be changed by one’s own means).
GIVE ME A LEVER AND I WILL LIFT THE WORLD TO YOU. "Archimede".
The sow pulls the cap, being (negligent leads to disaster).
IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THE DETAIL YOU DON’T GET THE DAZZLE.
Be armed to the teeth.
THE BEST WEAPON IS TO KNOW THE LAW.
To yawn against the oven (To attempt more than one can manage).
AIM AT THE MOON, IN THE WORST CASE, YOU WILL HAVE WALKED AMONG THE STARS. "LES BROWN".
Being suspended between heaven and earth.
AT THE END
OF EVERY CHALLENGE FINDS THE BALANCE.
To always gnaw on a single bone
(To continually talk about the same subject).
I WILL GROW NEW IDEAS,
LIVE TO IMPROVE THE WORLD.
Who needs a nice plate if there’s nothing in it?
MUCH ROASTED AND LITTLE SMOKE.
Fishing without a net.
One of the biggest
forgers of paintings
ancient, it ended up in
ruin for a
distracted use of a
titanium white tube.
ONE WRONG DETAIL AND YOUR LIFE IS RUINED, ONLY FISHING
WHEN EVERYTHING IS READY.
The spit does not turn with him(does not cooperate with anyone).
WE WERE NOT BORN ONLY FOR OURSELVES.
To sit on hot coals.
HAKUNA MATATA
Big fish eats small fish.
A BIG FISH CAN LEARN TO HELP A SMALL FISH.
To be unable to see the sun shine on the water
(To be jealous of another's success).
IF YOU SEE SOMEONE CELEBRATING, PARTICIPATE,
YOU WILL BE RECIPROCATED.
It is ill swim against the current.
On 8 October 1600, while the neighboring municipalities / states are fighting each other, the tiny state of San Marino promulgates one of the first constitutions in the world.
AS A CICADA
AGAINST THE
STORM,"DAVIDE VAN DE SFROOS".
Lay the clogs, (wait for something to happen).
IF YOU REALLY WANT YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR GODOT.
Put the broom at the window (have fun when the boss is not there).
STUDY IS NOT WORK,
BUT THE MOST GLORIOUS FORM OF PLAY
"L.DECRESCENZO".
Throwing feathers in the wind (working without a purpose).
SHAPE YOUR MATTER.
Killing two flies in one go.
TAKE TWO BIRDS WITH A BROAD BEAN.
Fear makes the woman run.
WHO THINK OF WOMEN AS FEARING CREATURES, IS IN ERROR.
Horse edroppings are not figs.
For over 500 years in Antwerp the
buy-sale of diamonds is
concluded with a handshake.
IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE FOOLED, CREATE TRUST.
If one blind man leads another blind man, both will fall into the ditch.
LISTEN TO THOSE WHO ARE WISE AND HAVE LONG SIGHT.
The carcass is where the crows fly.
1814 Napoleon dies because of the Cossacks!
It’s a fake new shot in London to speculate in the stock market.
Napoleone died on 5 May 1821
ALWAYS THINK, SOMETIMES THE TRUTH ISN'T WHAT EVERYONE SAYS.
Last but not least:
Wikipedia,Pietro Allegretti, Brueghel, Skira, Milano 2003. CC-BY-SA