Pieter van Laer was a member of the Bentvueghels, a society of primarily Dutch and Flemish artists active in Rome from about 1620 to 1720. All of the members were given nicknames. Pieter was affectionately known as "Il Bamboccio", or "Ugly puppet". We suspect this might have had something to do with his ill-behaved mustache. He primarily painted bowling scenes, scenes of peasants with cattle, and other subject matter of interest to virtually no one. This could possibly explain why he is not as popular as the bibulous Dirck van Baburen, whose Bentvueghel nickname was "Beer Fly." This dismissal is not quite fair, however, for van Laer is responsible for the remarkable "Magic Scene with Self-Portrait," in which he depicts himself successfully managing to magically summon the devil. The look on his face is priceless as the devil's claws enter from stage right. Us, we don't even fool around with Ouija boards. We do bowl occasionally, but have no paintings of ourselves bowling because, since Pieter van Laer's time, painters no longer hang out in bowling alleys.
The mustache is ridiculous, hideous, and utterla despisable. If the devil is indeed a man of wealth & taste, he drags the man to a barber immediatley.
Posted by: Jan Martin Löhndorf | April 26, 2011 at 03:09 PM
Ew. Ill-behaved is right.
Posted by: gillian | April 26, 2011 at 07:03 PM
Great post. And yes, echoing Jan Martin, the mustache is ridiculous, hideous, despisable. I want one.
Posted by: Martijn | April 27, 2011 at 05:04 AM
It looks like it's trying to flee his face.
Posted by: UF MIKE | April 27, 2011 at 07:57 AM