| Project by YorkshireStewart | posted 394 days ago | 267 views | 1 time favorited | 13 comments |  |
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In the Musée Mayer van der Bergh, Antwerp, Belgium is an oil painting on wood by Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1525 – 1569). It depicts Twelve Flemish Proverbs. One of the proverbs shows a peasant sitting on the floor between two stools. The text on the panel tells us: ” In the past I was the greatest glutton of all. Now I have lost everything and I am left sitting in the ashes between two stools” Mediaeval Flemish is a little tricky, so I went for the English!
The triangular stools were a Northern European style throughout the Middle Ages. The type appeared in many paintings of the 15th to 17th Century and were acceptable to all levels of society. Here is the whole painting. I’m not sure what the proverb at bottom right is meant to be!
There are two forms of the stool in the painting; backless and backed. The backed one, that I chose to make, has one of the legs extended and fitted with a rail to make the back. It’s one of the first ‘big’ items I made on the lathe, some eight or nine years ago, and it’s still one that I enjoy. I use some rough sawn 4” x4” fence posts for the legs. The style is sometimes called a nightwatchman’s chair or I’ve heard it called a cockfighting chair as it’s just as comfortable leaning forward; legs straddling the upright.
I drew the above information from a book whose title I’ve forgotten (tut!), but it contains many examples of furniture made following the style of pieces in paintings.
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.
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13 comments so far
MsDebbieP
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12282 posts in 698 days
posted 394 days ago
thi is really unique.
fascinating.
-- "Functional WoodArt" by Debbie, Canada (http://www.execulink.com/~yohan)
mrtrim
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1548 posts in 418 days
posted 394 days ago
very cool would make a good guitar playing stool
ThreeJs
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79 posts in 477 days
posted 394 days ago
That is a really nice. The wife says, “It would be awesome with a woven bottom.”, but I think it is really cool the way it is.
-- David, Charlotte NC (http://beechcreeknaturals.etsy.com)
DAN
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3501 posts in 520 days
posted 394 days ago
I like it !
-- ..... art for lifes sake ... danwalters@lumberjocks.com
Karson
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13762 posts in 938 days
posted 394 days ago
Stewart that is a very unique chair. At least in my parts of the world.
Great job.
-- Karson Southern Delaware karson_morrison@bigfoot.com
Thos. Angle
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3432 posts in 500 days
posted 394 days ago
That is a great piece, Stewart. I think I know the proverb for the picture in the bottom right corner. To the cowboys it has to do with the wind.
-- Thos. Angle, Owyhee Design, Oregon
TomFran
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2371 posts in 532 days
posted 394 days ago
Stewart, Great job on this very interesting chair!
I have to say though, I sure am glad for the one (chair) I am sitting on today with all the nice padding ;^D
-- Tom, Surfside Beach, SC - Romans 8:28
Todd A. Clippinger
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2671 posts in 637 days
posted 393 days ago
This is a really neat design. I like it, nice work. I appreciate the background too.
-- Todd A. Clippinger, Montana, http://amcraftsman.com
cajunpen
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5345 posts in 603 days
posted 393 days ago
Good explanation of the background of the chair and outstanding execution – the chair is beautiful, but a bit small for my back end.
-- Bill - "Suit yourself and let the rest be pleased." http://www.cajunpen.com/
snowdog
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688 posts in 520 days
posted 393 days ago
I love the back story. The chair looks pretty uncomfortable for sitting but great to look at.
-- "so much to learn and so little time"..
CharlieM1958
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4592 posts in 756 days
posted 393 days ago
Thanks for the history lesson, Stewart. After this and the “throne” it seems you have a penchant for medieval seats of all types. :-)
-- Charlie M. "Woodworking - patience = firewood"
YorkshireStewart
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653 posts in 439 days
posted 393 days ago
I’m glad you all found that of interest. I’ll grant you it’s not ultra-comfortable. It is, in fact better facing backwards with arms folded on the ‘backrest’ but it lives in the bathroom usually with spare towels on.
ThreeJs – I did consider a caned bottom (eh?) when I made the chair but decided on doing it as faithful to the painting as I could.
Thos. Angle – I think you’re probably right. So that expression is at least 500 years old!
CharlieM – Good point. I do know which is the most comfortable!
-- Res severa verum gaudium - True pleasure is a serious business.
jockmike2
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4497 posts in 784 days
posted 392 days ago
Mr. Stewart I am sure the Europeans do not know how to be comfortable. It seems they take comfort in self deprevation of one sort or another. Espesecially comfort. mike
-- Mike. Profisher50@yahoo.com