피터르 브뤼헐의 <아이들 놀이 Kinderspiele>(1560)에 나타난 ‘놀이’의 도상 연구

Abstract

About 250 children playing 91 plays are pictured in Pieter Bruegel the Elder (1527-1569)’s kinderspiele (1560) which was painted when he was in Antwerpen. This paper aim to examine the social and cultural backdrops in which the ‘children’s games’ was introduced as a subject of painting in the late 16th century, and to investigate the characteristics of the plays by categorizing the plays according to several points of view. And finally, discourses regarding interpretations about the meaning of play images in kinderspiele is briefly discussed. The plays in Bruegel’s can be classified by month or season, by stage of life, and by the use of children’s toys or instruments. And according to Roger Caillois’s Agon, Alea, mimicry, and Ilinx, the plays in kinderspiele can be categorized. There also are classifications for each images of kinderspiele based on whether it is individual or grouped, depending on gender. There were interpretations of kinderspiele viewed from various perspective. One of those argues that it is ‘a visual encyclopedia of plays’. There also are a point of view maintaining that it is an emblematic interpretation of season and stages of life. Some insist that kinderspiele is a kind of ‘theatrum vitae humanae’ or ‘theatrum mundi’. And theories maintaining that kinderspiele were ‘miniatures of adult’s various activities’ or ‘reflections of adult’s world’ were also suggested. The results of iconology which was deepened and came to fruition in the 20th century tended to provide ample and useful frame of interpretation for understanding the essence of Bruegel’s works. And the attitudes of the art critics who were based there views on it seemed to have preponderant tendency to find out emblematic symbolism from kinderspiele. It is true that the emblematic interpretations of play images prepared the clear and systematic frame of understanding about Bruegel’s works. But some critical alternatives were also suggested with conceivable reasons arguing that if we consider the dynamic and transitional characteristic of the Northern Renaissance and abundant openness of meaning of Bruegel’s works. Critical view repeatedly and unquestioningly accepted assumptions of such frame of interpretation suggested by emblematic theories might results in fallacies. ‘Children’s games’ are human contraption intended for social, cultural accommodation of man to his society and also those are a physical expression of ontological existence of man. In this context, as art is an effective tool which communicates human essence mediated in plays, understanding plays represented in art works valuable approach to broaden the horizon of meaning that dwells in play.