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Classic and Contemporary Poetry: Explained | |||
"Stolen" by John Updike reflects on the peculiar fate of artworks that have been stolen, specifically referencing the infamous theft at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Through the lens of these missing masterpieces, Updike explores themes of existence, identity, and the impact of art on both its viewers and itself. The poem opens with a nod to a personal note from William Maxwell, anchoring the contemplation that follows in a heartfelt personal directive: "Please go on being yourself." Updike begins with a direct address to the stolen paintings, personifying them and inviting the reader to consider what it might be like to be a masterpiece removed from the public eye and hidden away. The paintings mentioned—Rembrandt’s “Storm on the Sea of Galilee,” Vermeer’s “The Concert,” and Manet’s “Chez Tortoni”—were all famously stolen in 1990 in one of the art world's most notorious heists, still unresolved. By mentioning these specific works, Updike not only grounds the poem in a real historical context but also evokes the cultural and artistic void their absence has created. The poet imagines the stolen paintings as sentient beings, "stacked in a warehouse somewhere, say in Mattapan," deprived of the admiring gazes they were created to receive. This scenario evokes a sense of isolation and boredom, contrasting sharply with the vibrant life these works lived while on display. Updike poignantly notes that the paintings now face "the back of the butcher paper they are wrapped in," a stark and suffocating image that suggests a stifling of their expressive power. The speculation about the paintings' whereabouts continues with thoughts of them potentially hanging in "some sheikh’s sandy palace, or the vault of a mad Manila tycoon." This introduces the idea of art as a commodity, valued not just for its aesthetic or historical significance but also for its status as a trophy or an asset hidden away by the wealthy. Yet, regardless of their physical location, these artworks remain shrouded in "the gloom of criminality," a cloud that darkens their existence and robs them of their purpose. The idea of the paintings' agency, or lack thereof, is a crucial theme. Updike writes, "In their captivity, they may dream of rescue but cannot cry for help." This line highlights the inherent passivity of the artworks—despite their value and the depth of expression they hold, they remain unable to advocate for their own return. They exist in a state of suspension, "The boat tilts frozen on the storm’s wild wave. The concert has halted between two notes." This imagery of frozen time and interrupted narratives reinforces the sense of loss and incompleteness brought about by their theft. Towards the end of the poem, Updike shifts focus slightly to reflect on mortality and the passage of time, contemplating the death of "wise and kindly men" who once might have championed the cause of recovering such lost treasures. The question posed—"who will restore disappeared excellence to its throne?"—suggests a broader meditation on the impermanence of beauty and the transient custodianship of humanity over art. "Stolen" ultimately serves as an elegy not just for the specific artworks mentioned but for all lost beauty and the ephemeral nature of human endeavors to create and preserve art. Through this contemplation, Updike mourns the stolen paintings as both victims and symbols of cultural bereavement, their absence a palpable void in the collective human experience.
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