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At the end of the 15th century, Netherlands artists such as Hieronymus Bosch (c. 1450-1516) and Pieter Bruegel the Elder (c. 1527-1569) helped create the tradition, still alive far into the 17th century, of illustrating proverbs and other popular wisdom. Jordaens was one of the last great practitioners of the genre.

The illustration of the proverb

In order to leave no doubts as to the picture’s contents, the artist has illustrated the point that one should stick with one’s own class by presenting four couples, each of them personifying the simple message with almost demonstrative didacticism.

All are seated around a table, their faces turned to us as though on a stage. On the floor is a boy with a dog (or the other way around) and a girl with a doll; to the right is a pair of young lovers locked in a tender embrace; in the middle an elderly married couple sings; and to the left we see a friar and a nun, an odd couple, perhaps - and yet!

Another motif - another proverb

On closer inspection, perhaps this picture also incorporates another motif: an illustration for a proverb often used by Jordaens: "As the old sing, so the young pipe", as the little boy and girl purse their lips, seemingly mimicking the old people’s song. In another of the artist’s pictures the proverb is illustrated very literally: the girl plays a whistle, while the boy smokes a pipe.

Details

  • Title: Like to like
  • Creator: Jacob Jordaens
  • Creator Lifespan: 1593 Antwerpen - 1678 Antwerpen
  • Creator Nationality: Flemish
  • Creator Gender: Male
  • Creator Death Place: Antwerpen
  • Creator Birth Place: Antwerpen
  • Date Created: 1640-1645
  • Værktekst: Siden 1400-tallets slutning havde nederlandske kunstnere som Hieronymus Bosch (ca. 1450-1516) og Pieter Bruegel den Ældre (ca. 1527-1569) været med til at skabe den langt ind i 1600-tallet endnu levende tradition med at illustrere ordsprog og anden folkelig visdom. Jordaens var en af genrens sidste store dyrkere. Anskueliggørelse af ordsproget For at ingen skal lades den mindste smule i tvivl om billedets indhold, har kunstneren her anskueliggjort ordsproget om, at lige børn leger bedst, ved hjælp af fire menneskepar, der hver for sig og sammen på en nærmest demonstrativ pædagogisk måde personificerer udsagnets enkle budskab. De er alle anbragt omkring et bord, for tydelighedens skyld med front mod beskueren, ligesom på en scene. På gulvet en dreng med en hund (eller omvendt) og en pige med en dukke, siddende til højre et yngre, ømt omfavnende kærestepar, midtfor et par gamle, syngende ægtefæller og til venstre en munk og en nonne, et noget umage par, og dog. Et andet motiv - et andet ordsprog Måske indeholder fremstillingen ved nærmere eftersyn som sidemotiv endnu et af Jordaens yndet og ofte benyttet ordsprog, nemlig: "Som de gamle synger, sådan piber de unge", idet den lille dreng og pige trutmundet fløjtende synes at gentage de gamles sang. I andre af hans billeder er det skildret helt bogstaveligt: pigen spiller på fløjte, mens drengen ryger pibe!
  • Teknik: Sort kridt, pensel, brun blæk, vandfarve og dækfarve
  • Proveniens: Gave fra Kunstkammerforvalter Lorenz Spengler 1810
  • Provenance: Acquired 1810
  • Physical Dimensions: w21.8 x h13.9 cm (Without frame)
  • Dansk link: http://www.smk.dk/index.php?id=1296
  • Dansk Titel: Lige børn leger bedst
  • Type: Drawing
  • Rights: Statens Museum for Kunst, http://www.smk.dk/en/copyright/creative-commons/
  • Medium: Black chalk, brush and brown ink, water-colour and body-colour

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