We’re looking at Pieter Huys’ work again today, although
this time with 100% less naked bums and animal demons. No, this is a simpler time, a simpler
theme…and that theme is bagpipes.
"The Bagpiper Player and His Wife" is apparently “humorous
treatment of the heterosexual joie de vivre.” The bagpipes represent his man-bits, and the
tankard, her lady-bits. So apparently
in life a man has a massive bag, some reedy bits, and whines a lot, while a
woman has the capacity to put away a gallon of lager without batting an eye. I’m less sure about whatever it is the woman
is holding. Is it a slice of buttered
bread? Does that represent the sexy
buttery-ness that results from storing your bagpipes in a lady’s tankard? She even brought the bedsheet to the
performance, wrapped around her head.
He doesn't look very keen, does he? I suspect he's pontificating about how tiring it is to blow those pipes, while she is hopefully offering him a piece of ginger root as an aphrodisiac. That tankard of hers will take some filling.
ReplyDeleteLadies are very particular about their tankards being filled satisfactorily.
DeleteI think that the key thing to notice is that they are each holding their own.
ReplyDeleteMind you, when done well, sex can so very often be an unholy mix of making sounds similar to the bagpipes while wondering if the pot is half full or half empty.
It doesn't hurt to keep a set of partially inflated bagpipes under the mattress to make things sound more exciting if you're having an off night.
DeleteWow, they look like a fun couple.
ReplyDeleteI pale to think of their family gatherings. Especially if every man is armed with bagpipes.
DeleteI think she's holding bread, indicating that she's a bit yeasty. That's why old Meth-Mouth is chastising her. Also, I really really really didn't want to think about sex looking at those two.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't considered it an artistic symbol of a yeast infection. Good call.
DeleteMaybe she just stomped on his toe. She looks kind of clumsy. And with the tankard o' brew...
ReplyDeleteShe does kind of look like she's sashaying by in a less-than-sober manner, doesn't she? Poor bagpipe-man.
DeleteI love overt phallic/vaginal symbols. It makes me feel smart for noticing them when really, it's rather perverted.
ReplyDeletePeople throughout the ages have been perverts. Working on this blog has revealed this to me more than ever. But you should still feel smart for noticing, because really bagpipes and tankards are not innately sexy!
DeleteTo me it looks like he's yawning. And he's holding up his hand to say "Hold on one sec, I need to yawn." And then she's waiting for him to stop yawning. This painting is adrenaline fueled excitement.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah...it's really...thrillinzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
DeleteWell that was an instant sexual buzzkill. There are just some people I don't want to picture mating.
ReplyDeleteBased on his work, I thing Huys was probably a walking sexual buzzkill.
DeleteMaybe she found the buttered bread in the tankard and is accusing him of hiding in there because he doesn't have the teeth the eat it but was to embarrassed to say so.
ReplyDeleteIt could indeed be an accusing look on her face, and one of shocked embarrassment at discovery on his. He should have just filled the tankard with soup to soften the bread and had a tasty, less tooth-intensive meal.
Delete