I have a hunch the writer meant Bosch's version, given that his paintings are so visually dense that anyone would need a long time to take them in. An interesting essay, but I wonder how many other facts were negligently reworked by the author and how this shaped his critical opinions.
Well, looks like it's the Wikipedia article on the paintings that's wrong, sorry about that! I'll try adding the 'Brueghel follower' painting to the list.
I wasn't familiar with this painting, for the very good reason that it doesn't exist
Are you sure? The wikipedia page on Flaubert's novel says: "In 1845, at age 24, Flaubert visited the Balbi Palace in Genoa, and was inspired by a painting of the same title, then attributed to Bruegel the Elder (now thought to be by one of his followers)." And the National Gallery seems to think they have it in the West Building (https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.41602.html).
Salammbo's characters are pretty stilted and awkward too, as is the flow of the story (like Dune's, fittingly, since that was its inspiration). But I don't know how much of that is from translation or being ~200 years removed in writing style.
Essentially, both are about a system that corrupts and does not deserve virtue (the Carthaginian Council; the Padishah Emperor) and virtuous characters (Hamilcar; the Atreides) contrasted against non-virtuous ones (Hanno; the Harkonnens). Baron Harkonnen's anti-gravity implants are Hanno's luxurious slave litter, and his black goo bath is Hanno's cinnamon oil one. ;D
I wasn't familiar with this painting, for the very good reason that it doesn't exist: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temptation_of_Saint_Anthony_in...
I have a hunch the writer meant Bosch's version, given that his paintings are so visually dense that anyone would need a long time to take them in. An interesting essay, but I wonder how many other facts were negligently reworked by the author and how this shaped his critical opinions.