The Legend of the Baker of Eeklo

Halloween is the perfect time to explore world art that disturbs and horrifies. Bosch, Caravaggio, Goya, and Beksiński are some of the artists known for their eerie and disturbing creative visions, which at times fall into the “memento mori” and “vanitas” art categories. In the similar vein, below is one of the surviving copies of a lost painting titled The Legend of the Baker of Eeklo by Flemish artists Jan van Wechelen (c. 1530 – 1570) and Cornelis van Dalem (1535 – 1573).

The legend is about a baker who would receive visits from people who either wanted to be cured of being “strange” or “slow-witted” or who were just unsatisfied with their facial appearance. These people would come to the baker and he, together with his assistants, would chop off his patients’ heads. To stop the bleeding, the head would then be replaced by a cabbage, as new, “improved” heads, are being prepared, baked and then painted to replace the old ones. Hopefully, the result is one’s improved appearance, or the restoration of one’s mental faculties and vigour.

The painting above demonstrates this tricky process, and one curious feature of it is that the patients appear so calm and collected as the nerve-wracking procedure is underway. It seems that something that should normally horrify is done with much organisation, smoothness and meticulousness, with almost mathematical precision. The system is definitely in order, as people are seen waiting patiently for their new heads, and there is even a queue to be spotted formed of those who came to complain or return the new heads received by their family members (surely they did not come to donate the “unwanted” ones of their recently deceased relatives?).

However, the legend also tells us that there is a chance that one’s head would not be baked properly and the patient can be left worse off – with either a deformed or “deficient” head. If the head is over-cooked, a person may come out too hot-tempered, and if it is under-cooked – they may end up being too languid or even lose their mind. The people with cabbages as their heads appear relaxed, but their hands are still locked in the prayer position – they are hoping that their new heads would turn out be alright. The dog in the foreground also probably symbolises the patients’ complete, but also rather foolish, trust in the process that has no guarantee of success.

The legend was a cautionary tale for children who were dissatisfied with their appearance, and the artwork highlights the foolishness of people who complain about their looks (cabbage, as pumpkin, still stands for “empty-headedness” to this day.) Their true malaise is said to be psychological, rather than physical, and the lesson is that they should cherish what they have, rather than complain unnecessarily or try to improve their appearance by dangerous means.