Painting Analysis Jean Ger

The painting I have chosen to analyze is "Allegory of Earth and Water" by Jan Brueghel Il Giovane. The painting illustrates a natural, almost primitive setting. The two center subjects of the painting are two women who seem to have gathered fruits and vegetables from their surroundings. On the ground there are an assortment of vegetables and fruit (cabbage, grapes, etc.). Adjacent to the food on the ground there are primates consuming the food, adding to it's primitive setting. The ocean is abundant with a variety of sea life, and the subjects are surrounded solely by nature. There is little evidence of man-made crafts. In the background within the forest we can see what looks like a community of men and horses. In accordance with gender roles, I would normally assume that the women are the "gatherers" and the men are the "hunters" for food in their community. However, the men seem to be dressed more modern than the main women subjects, who are more loosely dressed, so it makes me question whether they are a part of the same community. Additionally, there is a baby running around nude within the flora, which adds to the painting's primitive setting. This painting seems almost Utopian, from it's abundance of sea life, food, nature, and color. This painting struck me the most out of the gallery because it reminded me of another painting we analyzed in the Making of the Mediterranean Istanbul module, which depicted the Orientalist idea of a primitive, natural, untouched New World that the Old World fetishized. Comparing those notions with "Allegory of Earth and Water" and my idea of an Utopian ambiance, I believe that the artist may have yearned for a more primitive lifestyle, characterized by an abundance of food and untouched lands.