Fied Painting by Matthäus Merian the Younger (1621 – 1687)

Jahel Sanzsalazar I Am Cleopatra: The Seduction and Stoicism of a Newly Identi- fied Painting by Matthäus Merian the Younger (1621 – 1687) The fame of Matthäus Merian the Younger has mended by Michel Le Blond, a cousin of San- dwindled over the centuries even though he was drart and agent to the Queen of Sweden at the once considered “the finest German portrait- British court. Merian’s time in London with Van ist” of his time.1 While there is a very extensive Dyck would have facilitated a technique and ap- body of literature on his father, Matthäus Merian proach that he rapidly put into practice. Follow- the Elder (Basel, 1593 – Bad Schwalbach, 1650), ing Van Dyck’s death in 1641, Merian went on to an engraver and publisher known to the wider Paris where he assimilated the classicising trend public for his contribution to topography,2 and of Philippe de Champaigne, Simon Vouet, and while studies on his sister Maria Sibylla (Frank- Nicolas Poussin. Upon returning to Frankfurt, furt on the Main, 1647 – Amsterdam, 1717) have he soon after left for Italy, a key destination for increased as a consequence of growing interest painters, where he remained from 1643 to 1647; in women artists,3 the number of publications on and whilst there, Merian was in Venice, Rome, Matthäus Merian the Younger remains relatively and Naples, paying particular attention to the limited. Although he was the subject of a mono- work of Guido Reni and José de Ribera. On his graph by Daniela Nieden in 2002 (which remains return to the courts of Frankfurt, Nuremberg, the most extensive text on his work to date), as and Bamberg he took over his father’s publishing well as various articles,4 Matthäus Merian the house while also executing numerous commis- Younger is primarily remembered as a portrait- sions of official portraits based on an acquired ist and a pupil of Joachim von Sandrart (Frank- formula that brought him great renown. furt on the Main, 1606 – Nuremberg, 1688), The discovery of an accomplished Self-por- with whom he worked on various altarpieces for trait, and its subsequent acquisition by the His- German churches, while also being active as an torisches Museum in Frankfurt in 2008 (fig. 9),6 engraver. affirms a new awareness and appreciation of the My interest in the artist’s work developed artist, and a desire to focus on an area of his- some years ago when researching Van Dyck in toric patrimony. This is also taking shape in an Spain, with the discovery of a painting of Ver- ambitious research project that the RKD at The tumnus and Pomona signed “MMerian pinxit” Hague has been developing since 2016 in order to (fig. 2).5 This particular work has proved essential analyse artistic relations between Germany and for determining the artist’s style in relation to the Low Countries, continuing the work of Horst a little-known aspect of his oeuvre, running in Gerson.7 Matthäus Merian the Younger can be parallel to his production of portraits and devo- located at this cultural juncture and hopefully tional scenes. The accomplished quality of this this research will further enhance our vision of painting encouraged a new focus on the artist his work. whilst also emphasising the unconsidered sig- Whilst a considerable number of the art- nificance of his relationship with Anthony Van ist’s portraits have survived to the present day, Dyck, whose London studio he entered at the unfortunately the same cannot be said of his age of eighteen. The young Merian had received history paintings and mythological works, a solid training and arrived in London recom- of which only three are currently known: the Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte 82. Band / 2019 71 1 Matthäus Merian the Younger, Cleopatra with the Asp, ca. 1656 –1657, oil on canvas, 90.2 × 69.3 cm. Paris, private collection 72 Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte 82. Band / 2019 2 Matthäus Merian the Younger, Vertumnus and Pomona, oil on canvas, 186 × 130 cm, signed: “MMerian pinxit”. Barcelona, private collection Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte 82. Band / 2019 73 3 Matthäus Merian the Younger, Artemisia, 1647, oil on canvas, 4 Matthäus Merian the Younger, Artemisia, 1655, oil on canvas, 95.8 × 87.6 cm, signed and dated : “Math [sic] Merian Junior / fecit Aº 133.3 × 120.3 cm, signed and dated: “MATTHAEVS. MERIAN. PINXIT. 1647“. Columbia, Museum of Art & Archaeology, University of Missouri Aº 1655”. Dessau, Anhaltische Gemäldegalerie above-mentioned Vertumnus and Pomona and next to a carpet covered table. Dressed in richly two versions of Artemisia, one at the Univer- coloured materials, her upper body half uncov- sity of Missouri (1647, fig. 3), the other at the ered, her arms forming a circle and her hands Anhaltische Gemäldegalerie in Dessau (1655, clasped, she impassively observes the small sliver fig. 4).8 These three works provide a valuable key of a serpent bite her breast, drawing death near. for future research of this lesser-known facet The presence of her crown and the pearls that of Merian’s activities. Free of the constraints of adorn her loosely arranged hair, ear and wrists portraiture, in these works he reveals himself to assert her regal stature. The curving lines of her be inventive in terms of composition, and faith- arms add dynamism to the pyramidal shape of ful to Van Dyck with regard to technique and a her figure and the parallel diagonals that struc- preference for languid elegance. ture the composition. Cleopatra’s right arm As a consequence of a number of formal anal- forms a perfect circle with the shadow line of ogies with the known works, we can identify Me- her blue mantle completed by her left shoulder. rian’s hand in a Death of Cleopatra (figs. 1 and Her left arm creates a subtle spiralling movement 18),9 a finely crafted and well executed painting, with the elbow depicted by skilful and complex which was considered anonymous and had pre- foreshortening. Particularly notable is the de- viously been attributed to the circle of Gerard de piction of the well-executed hands with their Lairesse, an artist with whom Merian shares a loosely intertwined fingers and backlit palms certain classicising tendency. (fig. 18). In three-quarter pose with her face in com- The figure certainly suggests something of the plete profile, Cleopatra is seated before a curtain Pomona discovered some years ago, sharing the 74 Zeitschrift für Kunstgeschichte 82. Band / 2019 same sensitivities of female beauty and an equal approach to the nude. The depiction of Pomona and that of Cleopatra in the two paintings demonstrate similar features, comparable torsos, and the same pure flesh tones, all expressed with a shared sensuality. Crucially, a comparison al- lows for the recognition of the same type of modelling with equal variation of shades. More closely observed, both faces have a half-open mouth, a partially shut eyelid and downward gaze, a straight shaped Greek nose, and a sub- tly reddish cheek. A robust neck supports both heads; a similar golden tiara and pearls adorn the hair, which falls in considered curls over the shoulders. The draperies with their highlighted creases are closely comparable in both works. Also striking is their chromatic correspondence with the use of the same red-pinkish and blue for the mantles. Thus, I would assert that both paintings are resonant of the same artistic ap- 5 Matthäus Merian the Younger, Cleopatra with the Asp, after 1656 –1657, engraving, 23.7 × 17.8 cm. Stuttgart, proach and therefore by the hand of the same Staatsgalerie, Graphische Sammlung, inv. An 2205 artist. This is further demonstrated by the two versions of Artemisia, half-length figures like portrait and in the celebrated Portrait of a Fam- Cleopatra, where the same stylistic constants ily in the Kunstmuseum Basel.10 In these works, appear. A subtle movement of torsion animates Merian introduced an oriental carpet with a very both female torsos. The attention is drawn to similar design of blue and yellow patterns on a their décolleté and the beauty of their flesh by red ground. Such details not only demonstrate an intensified use of light, contrasting with the Merian’s ability but also appear as a constant fea- shadow of the solid neck, which invades the ture in his work. clavicles and the shoulder on the three works. The coherent style of the above mentioned Importance is also given to the depiction of the works leads to the attribution of Cleopatra to the hands and to the effects of the draperies. With artist, which is further corroborated by an en- regard to that, Merian has a tendency to observe graving signed “M. Merian Junior” (fig. 5).11 This a concertinaed tension in the seam of the fabric work has always been considered one of the art- of the garments, as they appear to fold and fall ist’s finest prints but was never previously asso- from the bodies. In the case of Cleopatra this is ciated with any known painting. No other artist shown at the edge of her white nightdress paris mentioned in the print, so therefore Merian tially covering her breast. In the depiction of Po- most probably was the author of the painting; an mona the same effect appears on both her man- argument, which is also backed up by the style. tles, over the arm falling close to her exposed Further support of this is given by the two im- breast, and on her lap. This is also evident in the ages appearing as reversals of one another, which attire of the two versions of Artemisia.

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