Democritus, the laughing philosopher ^Sale

Johannes Moreelse (1630)

Johannes Moreelse was a painter from Utrecht, who worked in Rome for several years and was influenced by the paintings of Caravaggio. In his style, he painted scenes with unidealised half-figures and great contrasts of light and dark. The grinning man in this painting represents Democritus, the laughing philosopher. He makes fun of the vanity of us humans and the transience of the world. Democritus pairs with Heraclitus, the weeping philosopher. Moreelse made different versions of both philosophers.