Mars and Venus

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The Adoration of the Magi

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the Primavera

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Botticelli: The Man, the Myth, the Legend

Not much is known about Sandro Botticelli and his life.  Even some of his works cannot absolutely be contributed to him.  In fact, much of what is known about his life is no more than alleged incidents.  However, from his paintings and some incidents of his life, Botticelli can be described as a passionate man who loved new ideas and was sophisticated and intelligent enough to understand them, and a humorous wit.

            Sandro Botticelli was born Alessandro di Mariano dei Filipepi in Florence to Mariano Filipepi in the year 1444.  As his parents were 40 and 50 years old, he suffered from health problems during his childhood and throughout his entire life.  The name "Il Botticello" meant "Little Barrel" and was probably a nickname for his older brother who was reportedly very obese.  By the time of Botticelli’s death in 1510, this nickname had become the family surname.

            After being apprenticed to Fra Filippo Lippi from 1458 to 1467, Botticelli met the Medici family and became a very close member of their circle of friends.  In his Adoration of the Magi, Botticelli painted the Medici around the Holy family, surrounded by their closest friends and allies.  Interestingly, this painting also contains the only suggested self-portrait of Botticelli, establishing himself as one of their friends.

            While with the Medici, Botticelli met Simonetta, the great beauty who was to be is muse.  It is commonly suggested that she served as a model for nearly all Botticelli’s later works, even though she died in 1976 at the age of 22.  In all probability, Simonetta and Botticelli were never lovers, but Botticelli probably felt their friendship embodied the concept of Platonic love, in which the relationship between God and man is replicated between two people.  

            After the death of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco in 1492, Botticelli became a follower of the religious zealot, Girolamo Savonarola, who preached that the “Sword of God” was coming across the mountain to punish the sinners.  Botticelli allegedly was so caught up in this movement that he burned some of his own paintings because he was afraid for his soul.  His later paintings, including the Calumny of Apelles and the Lamentation Over the Dead Christ reflect the apocalyptic theme of Savonarola’s sermons.

            Both of these periods in Botticelli’s art demonstrate that Botticelli loved new ideas and philosophies and illustrate the passion with which he pursued these new ideas.  If the allegations that Botticelli painted Simonetta are true, than he must have believed she was the ideal woman and that their relationship resembled that between Man and God.  He always painted her Venus, the Goddess of Love, or the Madonna, so it is apparent that he admire her.

            From other paintings, one can discern Botticelli’s humor and wit.  In Mars and Venus, Venus is shown alert and awake while Mars is asleep and nude.  Four Satyrs play with his weapons and armor, showing their mischievous nature.  Botticelli’s depiction of an exhausted Mars (after a romantic encounter with Venus) can be seen as a humorous commentary on Women’s triumph over sex and how it makes men unaware and somewhat useless. 

            Scholars do not know much about Botticelli, including why he painted the way he did or what his inspirations were.  However, it seems as though he was passionate and insightful man with a clever wit.  With the lack of documentation and written evidence, this might be all that can be guessed about him.

Response Questions:

 1.  Is there anything in my presentation that you would like me to explain further? (everyone do this question please.)

2.  Dissect the Primavera and describe what it means in your opinion.  Use your own knowledge about the Mythological figures or pictoral cues as evidence to explain your answer.

3.  Botticelli reportedly painted only one self-portrait.  Why do you think he chose to include his likeness in the Adoration of the Magi with the Medici rather than another painting?

4.  Write a narrative about what is happening in Mars and Venus.

Responce: The Face of Criminality

Jared, I thought you made a very thorough presentation.  I cannot recall any moment when you were unclear.  You did a very good job.

The mug shot is a significant part of the criminal justice system and popular culture.  One can search for these simple pictures on Google or in databases and they are so popular that there are television shows that count down the top celebrity mug shots.  A booking shot does not mean the defendant is guilty; just that they have been arrested and booked at the police station.  However, one problem with the wide availability of booking photos is that people often make up their mind about the guilt or innocence of the accused from viewing their mug shot alone.  I do not believe it is possible to discern guilt or innocence from a mug shot, but many people try to do this subconsciously.

From a mug shot, the viewer can read many different emotions on the accused person’s face.  Because these photos are taken when the person reaches the booking station, they are not able to collect themselves or prepare, so whatever they are feeling is often obvious.  Sorrow, confusion, fear and embarrassment can be read on many faces as they are caught off guard.  But, these pictures can be misleading because of the situation in which the subjects find themselves.  Many of these emotions can be a direct result from being arrested and the possibility of facing charges rather than guilt from committing a crime.  Sorrow, anger and confusion are all common emotions after someone is arrested.  Fear is also very common; not the fear of being caught, but the fear of not knowing what is going to happen.  For this reason, it is very difficult to decide that a person is guilty or innocent simply by looking at their mug shot.

However, one mug shot trait is a dead give-away that a crime has been committed.  Often, when a person looks like they are drunk, they are most likely drunk.  Mug shots of people accused of driving under the influence, being drunk and disorderly and similar charges are plastered all over the internet.  This includes those of celebrities.  Some signs of drunkenness are smeared makeup, messed-up hair and a dazed look as if they do not really understand what is happening.  This also applies to people in strange outfits (like the naked man wearing silver body paint) and often, to people who appear naked.  One can almost always guess whether that a person is guilty of a crime from a mug shot with these characteristics.

It is impossible to know if a person is guilty or innocent from looking at their mug shot unless they appear to be very drunk, and a mug shot does not imply guilt or even that a crime has taken place.  However, this does not stop people from speculating on the guilt or innocence of the person in the photograph.  This can be damaging because this kind of speculation can sway the jury one way or another if they are exposed to the pictures through the media.  But, mug shots are an important way of keeping a record of people who have been arrested in case they ever commit another crime, so people will continue to speculate about them until society finds a better way.

 

Response to Sean Johnson's presentation on Caravaggio

Caravaggio is known as the pioneer of the Chiaroscuro technique, where the painter juxtaposes a dark background against a light but shadowy foreground.  The overall effect is that of mystery, shadow and sometimes, a sense of fear―much like a shadowy figure in a dark alley.  Many biographers attribute Caravaggio’s shadowy style to his dark and troubled psyche.  However, chiaroscuro is used to create an illusion of three-dimensional modeling in a two dimensional painting rather than to create a dark and foreboding image.  In reality, Caravaggio most likely used the chiaroscuro technique to create realism and depth, and his shadowy style is not a product of a dark and troubled mind.

It is true that Caravaggio’s personality was not all sunshine and rainbows.  Caravaggio was known for a fiery personality and he initiated many fights, including at least one where his opponent was killed.  He also suffered the loss of his parents when he was only thirteen years old; an event that most likely affected him greatly.  To compound his issues, Caravaggio was exiled from Milan, Rome and Malta and he would likely have been beheaded if someone found him in the cities.  Near the end of his life, Caravaggio’s paintings show beheadings and other grisly violence, including one in which a severed head is his self portrait.  His mortality and possible fate were common themes in the few years before Caravaggio died and they inspired the increase in violence in his paintings.

However, there is more evidence that Caravaggio was merely showing off when he used chiaroscuro.  It is well documented that Caravaggio thought very highly of himself.  He would paint unimportant objects in great detail―possibly just to show how great of an artist he was―and sometimes make the subject of the painting very sparsely detailed and less realistic.  For this reason, Caravaggio would have wanted to create very realistic paintings to display his skill and ingenuity. 

Additionally, when the people in Caravaggio’s paintings are studied, it is apparent that they are not meant to be sinister and dark.  Even in the painting Cardsharps which depicts a poker game in which a youth is obviously cheating, the look on the boys face is one of childlike innocence and peace.  If Caravaggio’s paintings were really meant to be dark and shadowy, the faces of his subjects would also convey villainy and shadow.

Even if Caravaggio’s dark style was intended to convey fear rather than just a sense of depth and dimension, it is possible for an individual to paint a certain way even if his or her past experiences, personality and other characteristics do not match.  For example, Vincent Van Gogh was a person with a dark and troubled psyche and he was reputed to be somewhat insane.  However, he painted a series of sunflowers that portray nothing but happiness.  Contrastingly, Caravaggio could have been a generally happy (if somewhat unconventional and aggressive) person even though he painted shadowy paintings.  It is true that artists paint what they feel, but it is possible for them to paint in a way that one would think was uncharacteristic of them.

"Olympia's Look" by Susan Vreeland

The short story Olympia’s Look by Susan Vreeland tells the story of Suzanne Manet, the wife of Édouard Manet in the days after his death. While asking her nephew to copy her husband’s paintings of beautiful models, she remembers each of the women; particularly the courtesan, Victorine Meurent. Though she has known of Édouard’s many affairs, Suzanne continues to be a loving and attentive wife until he dies from Syphilis. On page 83, she says that the nude painting for which Victorine posed “had been the private trial of her last twenty years, had made her hungry in intimacy in all things―from handing him his scissors for his meticulous beard trimming, to nursing him with bedpans and warm milk”(83). But, though she would never admit this to her husband, Suzanne resents every woman Édouard pursues and wishes he showed her the same affection he bestows upon his young, beautiful models. From the way Vreeland has portrayed her, one would guess that Suzanne projects a façade of confidence to the world, but suffers silently and pines for the love and affection that she does not have. She is a woman who loves her husband faithfully, even though he repeatedly betrayed her.
At the beginning of the story, Suzanne greets her nephew, Albert, after the death of her husband Édouard. As she is talking to him, Suzanne notices that Albert reminds her of Édouard, and the revelation startles her. She imagines she is looking at a young Édouard and even manages to smile as she remembers him. This is my favorite passage of the story because it is sweet in a very sad way. Even after all her husband has put her through, Suzanne is still able to think of him as the young man she fell in love with many years ago.
Near the end of the story, Suzanne reads from Giorgio Vasari’s Lives of Painters, Sculptors, and Artists trying to learn whether it was common for artists to take their models as lovers. She reads a passage about Fra Filippo Lippi and his mistress, a former nun. As she reads, Suzanne silently compares Lippi to her late husband and pities the poor nun of Lippi’s affections. This selection reveals how much of Suzanne’s thoughts are consumed with her husband’s indiscretions and how she pities herself for choosing him. I liked this passage because the love affair of Fra Fillipo Lippi paralleled that of Manet and gave a very clear view into the grief and jealousy Suzanne had suffered.
Suzanne’s life and her view of the world have been greatly affected by her experiences. She had to endure her husband’s infidelities and watch as he showed his young models the attention she felt she deserved as his wife. As a Dutch woman, Suzanne reassures herself, she was peaceful and tolerant of her husband’s affairs, but strong enough not to forgive him. However, Édouard’s flirtations made her more affectionate and loving in the hopes that he would show her the same courtesy. The lack of affection Suzanne received from her husband undoubtedly influenced her character, causing her to long for the love she was denied. But, she still maintained her free will. When faced with a similar situation, many women would have left the marriage, but Suzanne stayed with her husband out of love and devotion.
I thought Olympia’s Look was very well written. Susan Vreeland evoked empathy for Suzanne with the emotional language of her memories and thoughts. The only criticism I had when I read the story was that it would be difficult for someone who was not knowledgeable about Manet’s work to fully appreciate the story. His paintings are alluded to so often (in fact the entire story is centered around them), that many people would not be able to understand some important moments in the story. But, I still enjoyed the beautiful writing and the emotion Vreeland brought to her characters.

David Hockney – David Graves Pembroke Studios London Tuesday 27th April 1982 1982, Composite Polaroid 51 3/4 x 26 1/4 in.Collection David Hockney

Hockney, David.  David Hockney.  Bradford, England: Lund Humphries.  1977.

Print.

This autobiography, though written before Hockney began David Graves Pembroke Studios London Tuesday 27^th April 1982, provided excellent first hand information about the artist’s life and major inspirations, particularly during his art school years and his stint in California.  While studying at the Royal College of Art, Hockney discovered the works of Pablo Picasso and felt that his somewhat controversial work was much better than the paintings of other British artists of that time.  He gushes about Picasso’s aility to return to Classicism from his more well-known Cubist paintings, saying that “lesser artists can’t” (123).Pablo Picasso’s influence is felt strongly in Hockney’s more abstract paintings and his composite photos and Hockney even described his art as an example of Cubism.  The book also chronicles his five-year relationship with Peter Schlessinger, the subject of many of Hockney’s paintings and drawings.  In general, David Hockney’s homosexuality greatly influenced his art, especially his earlier works.

Weschler, Lawrence.  True to Life: Twenty-Five Years of Conversations with David Hockney.  University of California Press: Berkeley and Los Angeles, California.  2008.  Print.

This book is a great resource because most of the text is from interviews with David Hockney.  The first chapter, “Camera Works: Staring Down a Paralyzed Cyclops (1983)” provides insight into David Hockney’s photography.  Initially, Hockney used photography to jog his memory while painting.  However, he did not like how wide-angle cameras distorted the picture, so he began to make “joiners” or Polaroid Collages to fix this problem.  He would take multiple photographs of the same subject from different angles and distances, cut them up, and then reassemble the pieces onto a grid.  Over the next three months, Hockney completed over 140 Polaroid Collages.  This book does not mention David Graves Pembroke Studios London Tuesday 27^th April 1982, but it contains information on other works of art in which David Graves is featured, including The Scrabble Game, Jan. 1 1983.  From this section, the reader learns that David Graves was a close friend of Hockney.

Falco, Charles M.  Abstract of a Lecture on this Work: The Science of Optics; The History of Art.  (2008).

                University of Arizona.  Web.  2 February 2009.  http://www.optics.arizona.edu/SSD/colloq.htm.

This website was created by a friend of David Hockney, Charles Falco.  Hockney worked with Falco and David Graves, the subject of David Graves Pembroke Studios London Tuesday 27^th April 1982, on his research of Secret Knowledge.  David Hockney observed that many paintings from the early Renaissance looked photographic.  He claimed that artists from that time must have had optical aids.  I used this website to find a relationship between David Hockney and David Graves.  In real life, Graves was probably an aide or assistant to David Hockney.

Ann Looking at her Picture David Hockney ARA.  Art-eFact.  (2008).  Art-eFact Galleries Limited.  Web.  2 February 2009.  http://www.art-efact.com/Detail/DavidHockneyARAAnnLookingAtHerPicture.htm.

This website does not have much information, but it does provide some important background information on David Graves.  David Graves and his wife, Ann Upton, were good friends of the artist.  The couple and their young son, Byron appear in many of Hockney’s portraits.  However, Byron died in 1982.  

Children of the Screen

                In her article Children of the Screen, author Hannah Baylon argues that today’s “society insists upon mechanistic production, encourages mindless entertainment, and exalts ravenous consumption of extravagancies”.  She depicts our society as superficial, materialistic and monotonous in our daily routines.  In short, we have adapted to a screen based environment that will ultimately be harmful to society.  Many people would be appalled to be labeled in this way and would enthusiastically deny Baylon’s claim.  But, in truth, we are children of the screen.

                Most people are guilty of this; working long hours and spending the rest of our day engrossed in our favorite television show or another mindless distraction.  Today, it seems the only life that is acceptable in society is a life of long, monotonous labor.  After all, it is the American Dream to work hard and make money so one can afford the luxuries of life and truly be happy.  We all strive to meet this goal that has been driven into our brains as the only acceptable way to live our lives, but most of us will not be any happier when we fulfill our collective “dream”.

                Even I am guilty of adapting to our screen-based environment at times.  Though I am a student, I work for long periods of time and unwind by distracting myself with television, solitaire on my computer, or other somewhat mindless activities.  I follow the lives of celebrities, even though I do not worship them as some people do, and someday, I want a nine-to-five job in a business setting.  However, I do not think I have adapted enough to be controlled by our screen-based society.  I consider myself an intellectual, so I often busy myself with crossword puzzles and reading along with other activities that require problem solving and thinking.  More importantly, I have not lost my connection with nature and the simple pleasures of returning to the natural world.  One of the simplest pleasures (but easily the most rewarding) is that of walking down the streets on a foggy night without the noises of cars speeding down the road or the view of buildings along the horizon.  When I find myself immersed in nature, rather than the urban confines of civilization, I am elated and at peace with myself.

                Ms. Baylon accompanies her article with a provocative portrait that embodies the characteristics of our screen-based environment.  The girl in the photo stands before a blank screen with a large chain around her neck and duct tape over her mouth.  The blank screen in the background communicates a mindlessness and monotony that personify our screen-based society.  The chain around the model’s neck represents society’s imprisonment in the screen based society and how we cannot escape.  Finally, we are powerless to speak out against our lives, as is portrayed by the duct tape across the girl’s mouth.

                Obviously, there are some aspects of our society that are less than desirable.  We work for so many hours in a day that many people cannot be as close to their family and friends as they should be, causing tension.  Many people believe that celebrities have all the answers because they are wealthy and famous, even when they do not.  However, the screen based society has brought the world closer together through technology and production of goods and services is high enough to meet demand from the people.  Screen based environments can be beneficial to society and harmful toward it at the same time, but I believe that the less desirable aspects far outweigh the benefits.

Picture of Dorian Gray

                The Picture of Dorian Gray, Albert Lewin’s film adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s novel of the same name is a story about the struggle between an individual’s conscience and the façade he puts forth to society.  The film tells the story of Dorian Gray, a young man who stays forever young and handsome while a portrait of his likeness ages in his place and shows all the sins of his life.  When he is a young man, Dorian has a portrait painted of him by his friend Basil Hallward.  Basil and his young niece, Gladys believe the painting to be the most beautiful, but Basil also believes it was as if something supernatural were guiding his hand.  Caring only about his youth and pleasure, Dorian wishes that he could stay young forever.

                While traveling the world, Dorian hears the beautiful Sybil Vane singing at the Two Turtles.  He comes back every night to hear her sing and eventually, they meet and fall in love.  Dorian is determined to marry Sybil, but his friend Lord Henry Wotton devises a test to see if she is virtuous.  At first, Sybil passes the test, but falters.  The next day, Dorian writes a letter to Sybil, saying that he no longer loves her because she is not as virtuous as he thought.  He then leaves to travel.  However, when he returns, Dorian notices that his portrait has changed; the mouth now shows a hint of cruelty.

                At this moment, Dorian thinks that he would give his soul if only the portrait would change while he stayed the same forever.  He decides to live purely and nobly and writes a letter to Sybil begging her to take him back.  But, he learns from Henry that Sybil has died after swallowing something.  Naturally, Dorian blames himself.  He covers the painting and locks it in an attic with other relics from his carefree youth.  He vows to never let another person see the portrait again.

                Dorian’s portrait continues to take on the burdens of his age and sins as the years pass.  People grow weary of him, because he cannot bear to be away from the portrait, fearing someone might discover the monstrosity it has become and know the sins he has committed.  He meets Gladys, Basil’s niece and falls in love with him.  He tries to warn her that he is not a good person, but she tells him that there is no evil in him.

                On his thirty-eighth birthday, Dorian sees Basil and shows him his painting after being told of rumors being spread about him.  The portrait shows a middle-aged man, afflicted with leprosy and twisted with the sins he has committed.  It is hideous.  Suddenly, Dorian is overcome with hatred for Basil and the fear that he will betray his secret.  In a moment of rage, Dorian stabs Basil, further marring his portrait with blood.  Soon after, he proposes marriage to Gladys.

                In the following scene, the audience sees a street preacher on a dark street.  He preaches to a group of bystanders, asking, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul?”  Dorian gets out of a coach and stands, listening and pondering the man’s words.  As he walks away, we see Sybil’s brother in the audience.  This was my favorite scene because of the darkness that contrasts with the rest of the film.  The only other times the scenery is not well lit are the times when Dorian is in his attic, examining his portrait.  Whenever he is in public, he is well lit and the entire setting is bright.  I also liked the preacher’s words because it is as though he is delivering a message directly to Dorian.  In fact, Dorian reacts as if the preacher’s words have a profound effect on him, as if he realizes then that he has given up his soul.

                After his friend Allen Campbell and Sybil’s brother die, Dorian says good bye to Gladys, hoping this one good deed would be reflected in the portrait.  As he moves into the light to view the picture, he can see evidence of his good deed in the monster’s eyes.  Fearing he would be tempted by the portrait further, Dorian stabs the monster in the heart with the same dagger he used to kill Basil.  As he dies, the picture of Dorian Gray returns to its original beauty, while he is transformed into his true self.

                In The Picture of Dorian Gray, the portrait represents Dorian’s conscience.  Though he never changes and stays young and beautiful, his picture shows all his sins.  The film’s message is that of the conscience, rather than the soul.  After telling Dorian of Alan Campbell’s death, Henry utters the words, “How rarely we know what goes on inside a man.”  Though he is speaking of Alan, Henry’s words can be applied to Dorian.  While the entire world may only see his good looks and innocence, Dorian must live with his sins and faults every day.  His constant reminders of his wrongdoings torment him at all times.  The Picture of Dorian Gray teaches the audience to live purely and nobly, because even if an individual puts up an innocent façade, he must still live with the decisions he has made and the sins he has committed.

The man in the seventeenth portrait is painted in a disjointed, mosaic form.  He is wearing a mismatched shirt and jacket and he sits in a large room of which the walls are lined with full bookcases. Beside him on a glass table sits a vase of tulips.  The man is alone in the large room.

                This man is a forty-five year old History professor at Columbia University.  He lives in New York City, in a spacious loft apartment near the campus.  The professor received his undergraduate degree from Columbia and returned after receiving his Doctorate to begin a fifteen year career.  In addition to teaching full time, the man is a lover of books―especially History books―and his apartment is filled with accounts of everything from the history of the Aztecs to the American Civil War.  He has even written a few books of his own.

                The professor is cultured and quiet.  He is a thoughtful man that would be perfectly content to keep to himself and immerse himself in his books.  Often, he disappears for days at a time while he pours over a new book and emerges only when he becomes too hungry to concentrate.  The man is also very organized and neat.  His apartment is spotless and orderly, with everything in its place.  However, he is also very eccentric and slightly absentminded. 

                A year ago, the man received divorce papers from his wife of twenty years and the love of his wife.  They met at Columbia when they were still in school and were married a few years later.  The couple never had any children because they were both busy with careers, but they had a very loving marriage.  However, two years ago, the man became detached and buried himself in his work.  Slowly, he distanced himself from his neglected wife.  Finally, she left him and filed for divorce.

                Since his divorce, the man has again busied himself with his books and his teaching.  This has helped to distract him from the pain of his divorce, but he can still feel her absence at times.  The man’s wife always chose his outfits for him because of his lack of understanding of fashion.  However, with her gone, he often stands staring at his closet, wondering what she would pick for him to wear (he is usually wrong, like with the jacket and shirt he wears in the portrait).  He also keeps fresh tulips in a vase on his table because tulips were his wife’s favorite flower.  Recently, it has become a habit for the man to buy tulips on the way home from work, even though he no longer does it on purpose. 

                This portrait shows a man whose first love is his work.  Though his love of history caused him to lose his wife, but he returned to it with the same fervor as before.  He is sometimes sad and lonely, but he is happy with his lifelong pursuit of knowledge and his love of history.

Who is that Person?

The man in the seventeenth portrait is painted in a disjointed, mosaic form.  He is wearing a mismatched shirt and jacket and he sits in a large room of which the walls are lined with full bookcases. Beside him on a glass table sits a vase of tulips.  The man is alone in the large room.

                From his hairstyle, outfit and glasses, one can guess that the man is in his mid-forties.  His pants are somewhat short, showing his ankles, and they remind me of something that my father would wear.  However, his lack of grey hair or visible wrinkles leads me to believe that he is not any older than fifty years old.  The man’s jacket and shirt suggest a person who is somewhat eclectic and cares little about fashion.  The mosaic style of the portrait also hinted at eclecticism. The expression on his face, as well as the way he folds his hands in his lap lead me to believe that this person is very intellectual, quiet and polite.

                My first thought about this person after seeing his portrait was that he must be a professor or he must have another profession that requires him to be well read and intelligent.  Along the wall in the background are many bookshelves full of books.  This man probably either loves to read and research or collects books to display in his apartment.  The man’s slightly eclectic and professional outfit also led me to believe that he is a professor and an intellectual.

                The man’s surroundings make him seem as though he is a successful individual who has a high income.  The room he is in looks like it is a loft apartment, perhaps in a large city such as New York City.  On the second story wall, there is a large painting, suggesting that the man earns enough money to buy expensive items.  His face also has an air of sophistication when examined closely.

                As I examined the portrait, it seemed to me that this man was alone, and that the size of the apartment emphasized his solitude.  Though there are no actual clues in the painting to suggest that this man lives alone, the feeling of loneliness lingered in my mind as I examined the portrait, so I decided that he must be lonely.  Beside him on the table, there is a vase of tulips, possibly refuting my idea that he lives alone.  However, the rest of the apartment is very neat and tidy and there are some decorations, like the painting.  It is entirely possible that the man could appreciate beauty and that is the reason he keeps tulips.

                This man is obviously a successful and sophisticated intellectual.  He seems contemplative and satisfied with his life and his apartment suggests a tendency to be very organized.  However, to me, the painting hints at the solitude of a man who probably cared more about intellectual pursuits than other people close to him.