Pieter de Ruiter, who designed Planetarium Zuylenburgh, made this triptych in 1975. He based his pendrawing on the 12th chapter, which is also the last one, of the biblical book of Ecclesiastes, The Preacher, who by some is thought to be king Solomon himself. The drawing expresses the transience of life, like the Vanitas paintings from the 15th and 16th century did. One of these Vanity paintings, an early 16th centry Flemish one, belongs to the Zuylenburgh art collection and adornes the room with the planetarium that Pieter de Ruiter designed and built. It portrays St. Hieronymus (in Greek that means Holy Name), who translated the bible from Greek into Latin, the famous Vulgate.[ click here to see it and click it away again ].
Famous expressions like “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity” and “There is nothing new under the sun” come from the book Ecclesiastes. Together with the Psalms it became one of the most popular and widely read books of the bible. Pieter de Ruiter has given the last chapter of the book his own figurative expression, working in a style that somehow evokes the old Flemish masters. Click the triptych to wander through it…
The left drawing – This is a representation of the pursuit of power without conscience or moral sense. The war elephant crushes two obstacles on his way to power: the faith and justice (Lady Justice). He can be stopped, but Mercury (trade), breaks the crossbow. Only the fortress Hoopa (Spes) on the center drawing still remains. Where the elephant has passed the trees are dead and the birds have been hanged. The constellation where the elephant seems to come out is the constellation of Serpens, symbol of cunning and deceit. The Latin motto means something like injustice leads to anger, so in this way seek power can only cause misery. To emphasize again, all this is topped off with a fool and a clenched fist in the flag. Even death is not far away in this way of life.
The middle part – the tower of the church is that of De Lier, a village in the Westland where the de Ruiter family came komen. The tower is drawn accurately, but the church space is very different. The tower had to be very high, but the first piece fell askew. Then a second piece put it right, but even then it subsided completely. Then again one floor it again, sagging and they gave it up. Therefore, for me, this tower is an example of far too grand plan and does not reflect well. The astronomical clock is a reference to the temporary nature of everything. The rear part of the building is a skull shaped house. Ecclesiastes 12 tells about the decay of the aging human body. – Pr 12: 2 – the sun and moon are darkened. – Pr 12: 3 – the guards tremble and the strong men curve themselves, arms and legs are weak: they are the two curved pillars on the side of the house. – Pr 12: 3 – the grinders shut down and there are not many left: are designed teeth, but I’ve drawn a mill. – Pr 12: 3 – Those who look through windows lose their luster, ie the eyes, but I drew whores because they also look through windows. – Pr 12: 4 – closing the doors to the street ie you become deaf. I let a funnel close hammering on the side. The voice is high like a bird, this is the little birdhouse on the side. The mill in location of the brains means that you can be crazy or demented. – Pr 12: 5 – horrors on the road. That is robbery in the foreground. – Pr 12: 5 – man goes to his eternal home and mourners go around. This is the funeral procession on the left. The dead tree symbolizes death. – Pr 12: 6 – lamp broken, the pitcher shattered and the wheel broken at the well. Next to it is a figure that proposes a preacher. The four people in the inverted pyramid depict the religions in general. They are engaged in on the ground surface that humanity represented by a cross. Everything is in one spot. I did this because I believe it is not about the kind of faith, but only about one thing: love your neighbor as yourself. I the plants, the boat and the balloon are nice, but they mean nothing. The fort Spes [Hope] belongs to the the left drawing.
The right drawing – This represents the pursuit of money and possessions, but without conscience. The ship represents the man on quest through life. On deck we see two unicorns (symbol of purity) chained employed to raise the anchor (symbol op Hope) so they can sail faster and more flying money bags can be harpooned. This means that Love and Faith should disappear. The tour is accompanied by aggression, see the opened hatch guns and weaponry in the crow’s nest. Surely there are warnings. The motto above the sundial means short are the days of men, and on the side is a man pointing to a clock. Too bad that is that the only light is crowned on board by the folly. The money box on the flag is symbolic of the nature of the trip, but the bird on the string represents a person who lives and thinks that he is free, but is actually bound by greed.
Ecclesiastes Chapter 12 (King James Version)
1 Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;
2 While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain:
3 In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened,
4 And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low;
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the Almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
8 Vanity of vanities, saith the preacher; all is vanity.
9 And moreover, because the preacher was wise, he still taught the people knowledge; yea, he gave good heed, and sought out, and set in order many proverbs.
10 The preacher sought to find out acceptable words: and that which was written was upright, even words of truth.
11 The words of the wise are as goads, and as nails fastened by the masters of assemblies, which are given from one shepherd.
12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.