Parce Domine and the Art World

Published March 19, 2020 · Updated July 6, 2022

Hello, all,

I know I already sent you an email a few days ago, but that was about Incite (insight) before the season began, and after watching Parcel Domine I wanted to shift the narrative a bit.

So…Parce Domine. As you gentlemen mentioned (and recited), it is a Catholic Antiphon, but I believe it has a dual meaning. Parce Domine is also a painting by Adolphe Willette, who at the time was known as what today would be considered a “cartoonist”, most likely of the political variety. Parce Domine depicts a crowd of sinners and saints, either dancing or chasing 2 individuals (a male and a female), the woman holding the man up and seemingly carrying him (or conversely, leading him) ahead of the crowd behind. Angels line the clouds, appearing to sound trumpets as they advance (or, alternatively, sounding an alarm as the pair absconds from the city). As with most works, interpretation is key.

Regardless of your personal take on the artistry, this tells me that the producers of Westworld take art seriously and draw inspiration from famous works, mostly obscure and often “cartoonish”, regardless of their dark foundations. At this point, I would like you to reflect back on Seasons 1 and 2, which were, at their core, theatrical depictions of Hieronymus Bosch’s works, specifically “The Garden of Earthly Delights” (although several of his other works may also correspond to Westworld in minor ways as well).

I’m sending links that will direct you to images of both paintings, as well as interpretations for each. The similarities are astounding, and may give us a better clue as to some of the mysteries surrounding Season 3 and its characters.

https://www.museodelprado.es/en/the-collection/art-work/the-haywain-triptych/7673843a-d2b6-497a-ac80-16242b36c3ce

https://the-history-girls.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-wild-hunt-rides-over-paris.html?m=1

I hope this makes the cut…I’m very interested to hear what you think.

Derek English

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