As Above, So Below Essay Rudy Rucker’s As Above, So Below is a novel that gyrates upon the most culminating years of Peter Bruegel, a Netherlandish Renaissance artist in the 15th century. Peter Bruegel and his partner are pursuing for a patron, someone to help finance their artwork. After finding a patron, the relationship between the men and the patron becomes burdensome. So, Peter breaks off from both men. 3 years later Peter forms a close, lasting bond with two men, who both help Peter with his troublesome love life with his cheating girlfriend. They go along with Peter as he becomes a more renowned artist. After a year of imprisonment, Peter moves to Brussels in sight of his true love, Mayken. After marriage, and the raising of children,
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Love and trust affected Peter’s life work, his art. Anja, Peter’s first romantic, cheating lover “knew full well that Peter couldn’t work when he was upset… she didn’t like to admit it to herself, she was probably the main reason he’d accomplished so little in the last year” (Rucker, 139). Due to his cheating girlfriend, Peter’s art was affected negatively, derived from emotionally troublesome year. Peter’s art does ameliorate however, when he gets imprisoned in Mechelen due to his insulting lampoon of Cardinal Granvelle. Since he got imprisoned he’d “gotten rid of Anja... and the odd result was that, all of a sudden, his professional career was going very well… he was a prisoner in Margaret’s palace, but he was painting better than ever before.” (Rucker, 152). Peter’s success away from Anja delineates the fact that his emotions are tied in with his success due to his minute accomplishments with Anja, and his vast improvements away from emotional troubles. As he continues, and finds true happiness with Mayken, Bruegel paints his “grandest commission yet, a cycle of six Seasons for Jonghelinck” (Rucker, 230). Bruegel chronologically changes throughout the book, emotionally and physically, shown through the improvement in his
Love and trust affected Peter’s life work, his art. Anja, Peter’s first romantic, cheating lover “knew full well that Peter couldn’t work when he was upset… she didn’t like to admit it to herself, she was probably the main reason he’d accomplished so little in the last year” (Rucker, 139). Due to his cheating girlfriend, Peter’s art was affected negatively, derived from emotionally troublesome year. Peter’s art does ameliorate however, when he gets imprisoned in Mechelen due to his insulting lampoon of Cardinal Granvelle. Since he got imprisoned he’d “gotten rid of Anja... and the odd result was that, all of a sudden, his professional career was going very well… he was a prisoner in Margaret’s palace, but he was painting better than ever before.” (Rucker, 152). Peter’s success away from Anja delineates the fact that his emotions are tied in with his success due to his minute accomplishments with Anja, and his vast improvements away from emotional troubles. As he continues, and finds true happiness with Mayken, Bruegel paints his “grandest commission yet, a cycle of six Seasons for Jonghelinck” (Rucker, 230). Bruegel chronologically changes throughout the book, emotionally and physically, shown through the improvement in his