Self-Portrait with Magic Scene by Pieter van Laer (Interpretation and Analysis)

Self-Portrait with Magic Scene
Source: Google Arts & Culture

Happy October to all the art lovers out there! It is now October first, or, as I like to call it, the start of spooky season. Throughout October, I plan to bring you a selection of the creepiest, weirdest, most disturbing, and overall spooky pieces of art in the Western canon.

To kick off October, I want to share one of the weirdest and most dramatic self-portraits I’ve ever seen: Self-Portrait with Magic Scene by Pieter van Laer. I had the privilege of seeing this painting in the MET Museum in New York City (although, I don’t think it usually resides there), and I had to stare at this painting for at least four minutes before I understood what I was looking at.

The painting depicts the artist in the guise of a sorcerer, surrounded by alchemical instruments. His mouth hangs open in a scream of fear, while the scarlet claws of a demon or devil reach out towards him from outside of the frame. Presumably, the sorcerer has summoned the demon— accidentally or on purpose— and now rejects his actions.

The piece reminds me of the German story of Faust (or Doctor Faustus in Christopher Marlowe’s play). In this tale, Faust is a successful, yet unsatisfied scholar. Seeking knowledge and power, he makes a pact with the devil for unlimited knowledge and pleasure in exchange for his soul. Faust lives happily for a while before living to regret his decision when the emissaries of the devil arrive to drag his soul to Hell. The moral of the story is that arrogance and pleasure seeking lead to ruin. Faust’s belief in his own cleverness and belief in his own infallibility ultimately brought him to endless suffering.

According to my research, this piece is classed as a canon painting, a sort of subcategory of art in which music stands in for virtue or knowledge. It may be easy to overlook, but there is a piece of sheet music in the foreground of Self-Portrait with Magic Scene. However, instead of standing in for virtue, in this case, the music is a reminder of the sorcerer’s hubris and folly—a dark twist on a canon painting. According to my research, the writing on the canon reads “Il diavolo non burla, non burla,” which translates to “the devil doesn’t jest, doesn’t jest.” It’s quite a dark song.

Why exactly van Laer chose to portray himself in this Faustian role is unclear; perhaps it was an elaborate joke or a reminder to himself to resist pride. Alternatively, it could have been some sort of admission of a sin that van Laer had on his conscience; although, if he really believed that he was on the road to Hell, van Laer probably wouldn’t have treated the subject so lightly. Regardless of his motivations, the result is one of the most fascinating (and spooky) paintings now in existence. Plus, it teaches an important lesson. Remember: the devil doesn’t jest!

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.