From Farmer to Fisherman

The woman is brewing coffee and the man is smoking a pipe. The little dog in the foreground looks us straight in the eyes. One last coffee, because it’s vespers time. The Catholic faith divides the day with fixed prayers at fixed hours: vespers are the penultimate prayer of the day, at five in the afternoon. Drinking coffee symbolizes cozy chatting, but in this scene the man and woman sit tired and motionless in their chairs, no longer able to carry on a conversation.

In literature, this monumental work by Constant Permeke (1886–1952) is invariably called a peasant scene. The two main figures are identified as farming people, marked by their existence of hard work. They are painted in dark earth tones, solid and robust, bulky and angular. Their hands are as large as coal shovels.

But what sloppy viewers we are. We look mostly unconsciously, causing much to pass us by. Because what turns out when we examine Permeke’s painting closely? We have overlooked one detail. How did the main characters manage to divert our attention from this amazing detail?

I’m talking about the earring on the man’s right ear. Men have always worn earrings for various reasons. The ear ornament served as a decorative accessory, as a symbol of power and status, as a mark of recognition. Sailors and fishermen also wore (and still wear) earrings. For seafarers, it was a kind of funeral insurance. They wore one or two gold earrings, quite heavy and of good quality. This was a means to pay for a possible burial in case of shipwreck far from home. The practice is reminiscent of the ancient story of the ferryman Charon, who transported the dead across the river Styx to the underworld for a fee – a coin placed under the tongue.

So in Vespertijd we are not looking at a farmer and his wife, but a fisherman and his spouse. Besides the typical earring, the boat-neck sweater and the strong chest muscles also characterize the tough seaman.

After his exile in England during World War I, Permeke returned to Ostend in 1919. He settled on the eastern shore, near the lighthouse, at the frayed edge of the fashionable seaside resort and among his beloved fishermen. The farmer may well be a fisherman, but this transformation changes little about the essence of the work. Vespertijd remains one of the absolute masterpieces from the Permeke collection of the KMSKA.

This article previously appeared in ZAAL Z, the museum's magazine. For as little as 35 euros you will receive four editions that will immerse you in the fascinating world of the museum and its magnificent collection.