• Schorsch@feddit.org
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      4 days ago

      Having lived in the Netherlands myself for some time in the past, I love these paintings so much!

  • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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    4 days ago

    I really like this painting. What do you think the symbolism is of the right house having it’s window and door ajar, but the left house is closed? What about the black cat in the man’s shadow? Why is the man on the right dressed like he just took off his suit jacket after work but the woman he lives with is dressed in shuffling around clothes, or even what some people would call trashy clothes, just like the neighbor in yellow?

    No offense meant, I’m a tall white man that likes that kind of shirt, has tattoos, and drinks beer and smokes weed and cigarettes. Speaking of, did you see the leaves of his pot plant slipping through the fence in the bottom left? Took me a minute.

    • merde alors@sh.itjust.works
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      1 day ago

      some more:

      • decomposing wooden boards / painted
      • book / mobile phone
      • dirty / clean bricks

      No offense meant, I’m a tall white man that likes that kind of shirt …

      do we need to introduce “race” to this? “no offence meant” again. Would you feel less “legitimate” to speak about this painting if you had nothing in common with the pictured?

      • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        I just didn’t mean to offend people who dress like that because I am definitely that guy sometimes. Only mentioned race because I am that “race” superficially.

        I’m wearing a muscle shirt under my hoodie as I type.

    • Smokeydope@lemmy.world
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      4 days ago

      The symbolism of the windows is a physical allusion to the differing in preferences of two different kinds of people. One household prefers open cool air drafts while the other prefers warm still air. They share the same physical structure like a old split up town home so it may be another source of contention not ever getting the house preference perfect.

      Honestly I think the cats there just for a cute detail for those looking close, perhaps the artist made a mistake or blot with the shadow and turned it into a feature. Not everything has to have five layers deep symbolic meta-meaning. Its a cute black cat.

      The man is dressed like that because he just got home from work, while the elderly woman probably stays at home as a houe wife as was the traditional dynamic for many of the older generation.

      The young pot smoking couple represents a younger generation with different values and ethics. This particular couple seem slightly slobby allowing their trash and weed to bleed into the others property while unconcerned with appearances or judgments from others. As a pot smoker I don’t like my herb associated with selfish littering jerks but those types do exist I guess.

      • MutilationWave@lemmy.world
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        4 days ago

        Thanks. I look like the bad neighbor in the summer, minus the weight and the hair, and I definitely don’t litter my beer cans. Or grow my own weed yet.