Aristotle With a Bust of Homer

Artistic improvements and commentary courtesy of Wimsey Bloodhound

Aristotle With A Bust of Homer(Rembrandt, 1653, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). In addition to being a famous Hound, I am also well known as a deep thinking philosopher and I am inclined to look to the ancients as a source of wisdom. (I frequently quote Socrates to my humans and remind them that, “The only true wisdom is in knowing that you know nothing,” because I myself know everything). Rembrandt also looked to the ancients as a source of wisdom, and in this case dosh when a rich Sicilian patron offered him beaucoup de ducats to paint a philosopher. Rembrandt selected Aristotle. Rembrandt chose to contrast two ways of being a genius—Aristotle in the sphere of philosophy and science and Homer in the sphere of literature. Aristotle is painted in the rich attire so well suited to Rembrandt’s gold tones and is wearing the expensive bit of bling given to him by his most famous pupil, Alexander the Great. Sadly, Aristotle was not able to influence Alexander enough to prevent him from roaming around killing people and conquering the world, so we see Aristotle contemplating whether Homer is ultimately the more successful genius. However, I think that Aristotle would do better to contemplate a genius of a canine kind and one who never fails to influence (some might say control) the actions of those around him—a Magnificent Hound! See how noble and wise the sagacious Hound looks as Aristotle touches him on his flat yet pointy head. Aristotle now recognizes that he is in the presence of true genius and gazes at the Hound with unbounded admiration, perhaps ruing just a little that he had not the Hound’s skill when it came to reining in young Greek dictators. (“Aristotle with a Bust of Wimsey”).