Tag Archives: thistle


Anonymous Flemish artist

The panel below is what one would see when today’s diptych is closed.  The grinning gent holds a scroll that warns, “Leave this panel closed, otherwise you’ll be angry with me.”

Anonymous-Flemish-artist,-Satirical-Diptych,-early-16th-century_closed

(closed)

Upon opening the diptych, the viewer is greeted with an ass shot of the cheeky man from the closed panel and opposite it, a fool who makes a hilarious gesture, mocking the viewer’s disobedience.

Anonymous-Flemish-artist,-Satirical-Diptych,-early-16th-century_open

(open)

A scroll on the full-moon panel declares, “It’s not my fault because I warned you in advance!”  On the right panel, another scroll proclaims, “Moreover, we wanted to warn you so you wouldn’t jump out the window!”

The thistle protruding from the flasher’s undies is a symbol of pain, defense, and misanthropy.

By an unknown Flemish painter.