PRESS RELEASE
6 October 2016
Conservation of a 17th-century painting reveals a previously hidden self-portrait of the artist [Type a quote from the document or [Typethe summary a quote of from an interestingthe document At first glance, a 17th-century Dutch painting in the point.or the You summary can position of an the interesting text Royal Collection of a group of inanimate objects appears boxpoint. anywhere You can in theposition document. the text to be a typical still life of the period. However, recent Usebox the anywhere Drawing inTools the document.tab to conservation work on A Vanitas by Pieter Gerritsz. van changeUse thethe Drawingformatting Tools of the tab pull to Roestraten (c.1630–1700) has uncovered a new element quotechange text the box.] formatting of the pull to the picture – the artist's self-portrait. quote text box.]
The conservation treatment was undertaken in preparation for the first-ever exhibition of portraits of artists in the Royal Collection. A Vanitas (c.1666–1700) by Roestraten is one of 150 works that will go on display at The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace next month in the exhibition Portrait of the Artist (from 4 November). The self-portrait of Pieter Gerritsz. van Roestraten in A Vanitas, A 'vanitas' painting was a type of still life that conveyed a c.1666–1700 message about the misguided pursuit of transient earthly pleasures and was particularly popular in the Netherlands during the 17th century. This example by Roestraten shows a number of objects displayed on a chest – coins and a silver pocket-watch on a silk ribbon suggest the coveting of worldly possessions, a glass sphere suspended from above signifies the fragility of life, while a human skull serves as a reminder of the inevitability of death. A book is open at a print of a laughing Democritus, the Greek philosopher, which is inscribed with the lines ‘Everyone is sick from birth / vanity is ruining the world’.
During the removal of discoloured varnish, Royal Collection Trust conservators found the 3cm-high image of the artist at his easel painted as a reflection on the glass sphere. Roestraten can be seen in the surroundings of his studio, looking directly at the viewer and towards the skull and silver ginger jar in the foreground of the picture.
A pupil of the great portrait painter Frans Hals, Roestraten established himself as a still-life artist in London, where he is recorded as having been injured in the Great Fire. Best known for his pictures of luxury objects, he clearly enjoyed challenging the viewer to discover a concealed element in his work, as reflected self-portraits have been identified in at least nine of his still-life paintings.
Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk
Anna Reynolds, Senior Curator of Paintings, Royal Collection Trust, and co-curator of the exhibition, said, 'Vanitas paintings traditionally focus on symbolic objects that are designed to make us think about how we live our lives. The discovery of Roestraten's reflection, previously hidden beneath a layer of varnish, is very exciting and adds a new element to the work – a sort of pictorial game that encourages us to look more closely.'
The practice of artists incorporating their own image into their work through such subtle means or by casting themselves as characters in biblical and historical narratives is not uncommon. In Sebastiano Ricci's Christ Among the Doctors in the Temple (c.1711–16) the artist appears in the role of a doctor holding a magnifying glass, while in Judith with the Head of Holofernes (1613), the painter Cristofano Allori plays a central part in the narrative as the decapitated Holofernes.
Portrait of the Artist examines the changing image of the creative genius through more than 150 paintings, drawings, prints, photographs and decorative arts from the Royal Collection. The exhibition brings together some of the best-known images of artists, including self-portraits by Artemisia Gentileschi and Sir Peter Paul Rubens, and Francesco Melzi's chalk drawing of his teacher Leonardo da Vinci.
Ends
Portrait of the Artist is at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, 4 November 2016 – 17 April 2017.
Visitor information and tickets for The Queen's Gallery, Buckingham Palace: www.royalcollection.org.uk, T. +44 (0)30 3123 7301.
The accompanying publication, Portrait of the Artist by Anna Reynolds, Lucy Peter and Martin Clayton, is published by Royal Collection Trust, price £29.95.
A selection of images is available from www.picselect.com. For further information and photographs, please contact the Royal Collection Trust Press Office, +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected].
Notes to Editors
Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household, is responsible for the care of the Royal Collection and manages the public opening of the official residences of The Queen. Income generated from admissions and from associated commercial activities contributes directly to The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity. The aims of The Trust are the care and conservation of the Royal Collection, and the promotion of access and enjoyment through exhibitions, publications, loans and educational programmes. Royal Collection Trust’s work is undertaken without public funding of any kind.
The Royal Collection is among the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. It comprises almost all aspects of the fine and decorative arts, and is spread among some 15 royal residences and
Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk
former residences across the UK, most of which are regularly open to the public. The Royal Collection is held in trust by the Sovereign for her successors and the nation, and is not owned by The Queen as a private individual.
Admission to The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace is managed by The Royal Collection Trust, a registered charity in England and Wales (1016972) and in Scotland (SCO39772).
Press Office, Royal Collection Trust, York House, St James’s Palace, London SW1A 1BQ T. +44 (0)20 7839 1377, [email protected], www.royalcollection.org.uk