The Zodiac of Jacob de Wit Room

Jacob de Wit Room, Bijbels Museum, Amsterdam  

This was the original reception hall of the Cromhout houses in Amsterdam. The ceiling in particular is the part of the room that interest me, the fact that they includes a well thought zodiac rulership. The ceiling is painted by Jacob de Wit in 1718. It is made up of ten canvases crowded with a variety Roman gods and the 12 zodiac signs in a setting of carved oak beams. Jacob de Wit is known to paint very fast, able to complete a painting in a mere two hours.

  The gods with all the might and the least of the clothes they could afford. Jupiter in the center with, well … the zodiac, and if you see it closely, four personification of the seasons: two o’clock position: Ceres as the summer (you can see her sickle there), Proserpina is above her (holding ears of wheat); ten o’clock Bacchus as the autumn (a bit of a party there, he’s with his companions); seven o’clock is I don’t know who that is, represents the winter, probably Father Winter or Vulcan; and on four o’clock Flora as the spring (why oh why is she in Libra . . .).

Other frames on the ceiling represent each of the sign of the zodiac with a certain symbolic rulership for each of the signs.

	Aries The central figure is Jason, and the hanged sheep is the golden fleece as Aries, supposedly hanged on an oak tree (or a dead oak tree in this case) around a sacred grove. Beneath the sheep is the sleepless monster (like me). Once you see the color of the cloud is getting darker, it means that the god is basically very low in the sky and very close to you, so the angle is kind of awkward. Anyway, I prefer Mars to be in the scene, but Jason is also great, what power Aries is that red robe and the armor, so it is okay.
	Taurus  Venus and Cupid (or Amor) playing along with Taurus, very high above the sky (I have to zoom in my camera into this small spot in the painting). Taurus is supposedly the image of Zeus as the white bull who abduct Europa to Crete, so there’s a love thing going on there.
	Gemini Gemini depicted as two putti, the blonde one with clothes is probably Pollux, the immortal one, while the other “unadorned” one is the mortal Castor; or they are probably just a mere putto dudes. Flora is above them carrying a basket of flower. Supposedly she represents spring, so I think she’s actually belongs to the previous Taurus depiction, although she is way too far from Venus and Cupid. Below them is Iris, goddess of rainbow, female version of Mercury, very suitable for the Gemini canvas.
	Cancer Continue down the rainbow, and very close to me (notice the dark cloud again) is Juno, naturally with peacocks hanging around. Below her is Cancer as the yummy lobster. I think Cancer is the worst depicted signs of all. It was often depicted not as a crab but as something else, either as lobsters or a monster (obviously in those days, people never saw a crab). This depiction of Cancer is interesting, because it is red, which means it is well-cooked and ready to be eaten lol. Cancer is supposedly the giant crab which was sent by Hera to agitate Heracles while he was fighting Hydra, but while the crab clung onto his toe (giant crab clinging on Heracles’ toe???), it was stomped and crushed. Later, Hera commemorates her crab as Cancer. Very weird indeed.
	Leo Hercules holding his signature club together with Leo the lion, way above the heaven. The lion is probably a mere symbol of Hercules’ courage or probably represents the Nemean Lion(?). If it does represents the Nemean Lion, I guess they stop fighting in the end.
	Virgo One of the nicest painting I think. The central figure holding a sickle is Ceres. Proserpina is the one holding ears of wheat. The figure crowning Ceres must be Virgo. Since some representation of Virgo is a maiden holding ears of wheat and (sometimes) winged. I think Proserpina could well be representation of Virgo, since she’s not only holds ears of wheat, but also seems to have a wing (her billowing robe).
	Libra Bacchus and the satyrs, drinking . . . below age Libra tried to join them. Bacchus is often personified the season of autumn, so October (Libra) and autumn is a good match.
	Scorpio Vulcan is the center figure, and Scorpio is there, trying to scare a person, probably Orion? Why do Vulcan have to be the central figure of Scorpio? He might be the personification of winter .  Coincidentally, the “volcano” of Vulcan also represents the destruction power of Scorpio in astrology.
	Sagittarius Nessus kidnapping Deianira, Hercules’ mistress. The ancient time is full of rapists, I think women actually enjoy being kidnapped back then lol. Sagittarius is ruled by Jupiter, who is an amorous god, probably that’s how you interpret this painting. Astrology is full of suggestion. The same kind of suggestion influence people these days with the “modern astrology”; it plays with your mind.
	Capricorn The central figure is Vesta, accompanied by the Vestal Virgins and the organized Capricorn goat. One of my favorite painting in the bunch (my photo doesn’t represent the awesomeness of Vesta’s cloth texture).
	Aquarius Janus showing his young face (you can see the brow of his second old face just behind his head). He is also depicted holding the ouroboros, symbol of continuity. Aquarius is the guy with the urn. He could be Ganymede, or just plain personification of Aquarius.
	Pisces Oceanus and the representation of Pisces, a fished fishes! Awesome as in there are two fishes, but instead of connected with a cord by their tails, the fishes are depicted here connected with a cord by their mouth! and fished! Poor Pisces.