By John Goering
Bret Rothstein, a UC Santa Barbara alum, is making waves in the art history scene with his research into games, from the 14th century to today.
“I am obsessed with paintings that involve games, toys, and playfulness,” Rothstein said at a recent talk at his alma mater.
Rothstein, who is now a professor at Indiana University, Bloomington, gave the last lecture of the academic year for the History of Art and Architecture department, where he did his graduate studies. Rothstein’s presentation titled “The Cheat, the Spoilsport, and the Virtuoso” went over the hidden meanings in certain 16th century paintings that involve games. He says he’s driven to apply a sense of playfulness to academic discourse.
Bret Rothstein, a UC Santa Barbara alumnus who is now a professor of art history at Indiana University, Bloomington, speaking recently about games in art, at his alma mater the History of Art and Architecture department.
The lecture was primarily an analysis of the 16th century painting by Quentin Matsys, “Ill-Matched Lovers.”
The renaissance work depicts a woman caressing the face of an older man as she steals his wallet. Rothstein admitted that he disliked the piece at first because he thought it was just a simple painting of deception. However, after further analysis he determined that Matsys had more subtle intentions. Rothstein argued that the card game on the table alludes to the viewer that there is some kind of game, or trickery occurring. He also pointed to the fool and dishonest facial expressions to further back his claim. Rothstein stated that people messing with each other and objects is what has inspired his work on games.
People often fit into one of three categories while playing a game, Rothstein explained: the cheat, the spoilsport, and the virtuoso. The cheat’s purpose is to pretend to follow the rules while slyly breaking them. The spoilsport tries to prevent the game from occurring at all for whatever reason. Lastly, the virtuoso is the person who abides by the rules but is also usually the one creating them. Rothstein went over several different examples to show how these conventions hold true for many paintings during the 16th century.
At the wine and cheese reception, Rothstein was surrounded by professors and grad students wanting to discuss his research. He said he fell backwards into the world of art history, initially studying subjects like chemistry and biology, but changing focus after witnessing the “Virgin and Child with Canon van der Paele” by Jan van Eyck.
He says what interests him most about art history is the artist’s ability to put out a work and have people discuss its meaning for centuries.
John Goering is a second-year UC Santa Barbara student, studying psychology and brain sciences.