Nineteenth(Century!British!Perspectives!!
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
! ! NINETEENTH(CENTURY!BRITISH!PERSPECTIVES!! ON!EARLY!GERMAN!PAINTINGS:! THE!CASE!OF!THE!KRÜGER!COLLECTION! AT!THE!NATIONAL!GALLERY!AND!BEYOND! ! ! TWO!VOLUMES! ! ! VOLUME!I! ! ! ! ! NICOLA!SINCLAIR! ! ! ! PH.D.! ! ! ! UNIVERSITY!OF!YORK! ! ! HISTORY!OF!ART! ! ! MARCH!2016! ! ! ! 1! ABSTRACT' ! ! This!study!examines!the!British!receptiOn!Of!early!German!painting!in!the! nineteenth!century!thrOugh!the!case!study!Of!the!Krüger!acquisitiOn!fOr!the!NatiOnal! Gallery!in!1854.!It!prOvides!new!infOrmatiOn!about!why!this!cOllectiOn!Of! predOminantly!religiOus!fifteenth(!and!sixteenth(century!paintings!frOm!COlOgne!and! Westphalia!was!acquired!and!hOw!it!was!evaluated,!displayed!and!distributed!in!British! public!and!private!cOllections,!against!a!backdrop!of!midcentury!develOpments!in! British!public!displays!Of!art,!art(historical!literature,!private!collecting!and!the!art! market.!!! ! In!light!Of!lOng(held!perceptions!that!the!acquisition!was!a!mistake!and!that!the! paintings!were!inferiOr!to!early!wOrks!frOm!Italy!and!the!Netherlands,!this!study!Offers! an!alternative!perspective!that!it!was!an!enterprising!attempt!tO!implement!new! models!Of!histOrical!display!in!natiOnal!cOllectiOns,!and!tO!ratiOnalise!hOw!suppOsedly! inferior!paintings!cOuld!have!value!in!public!and!private!cOllectiOns.!By!loOking!at!the! way!these!rediscOvered!German!paintings!were!evaluated,!this!study!advances! understanding!Of!hOw!ROmantic,!schOlarly!and!fOrmal!mOdels!fOr!reexamining!early! paintings!Overlapped,!cOnflicted!and!changed!in!the!nineteenth!century.!The!Krüger! acquisition!and!distribution!successfully!established!a!place!for!early!German!painting! in!the!cOre!cOllections!Of!the!National!Galleries!in!LOndOn,!Dublin!and!Edinburgh!at! early!stages!in!their!develOpment,!but!it!did!little!to!redress!established!prejudice! against!the!school!in!Britain.!Decisions!taken!about!how!these!pictures!were!presented! to!the!public!shed!new!light!On!the!significance!Of!key!individuals!fOr!shaping!lOng(term! perceptiOns!Of!early!German!paintings!in!Britain.!Beyond!the!question!of!German!art,! thOse!decisiOns!reveal!hOw!practical!and!tactical!cOnsideratiOns!cOuld!be!just!as! impOrtant!as!art(historical!ones!in!choosing!what!belonged!in!a!national!collection!of! paintings.!! ! 2! TABLE'OF'CONTENTS! ! VOLUME!I! ! ABSTRACT……….…………………………………………………………………………………………...2! ! TABLE!OF!CONTENTS……………………………………………………………………………………3! ! LIST!OF!ILLUSTRATIONS.………………………………………………………………………………7! ! ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.………………………………………………………………………………...19! ! AUTHOR’S!DECLARATION.…………………………………………………………………………...21! ! INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………………………………………………..22! ! a.!! Defining!the!Topic!of!Study……………………………………………………..26! ! b.!! The!Krüger!Collection!as!a!Case!Study.…………………………………….36! ! c.!! Previous!Research.…………………………………………………………………41! ! ! i.!!!!On!the!Krüger!Collection.…………………………………………………...41! ! ! ii.!!!On!the!Krüger!AcquisitiOn!and!ReceptiOn!in!Britain.……………46! ! ! iii.!!On!LOng!Term!ImplicatiOns:!The!Case!Of!the!Bielefeld!! ! ! !!!!!!!Marienaltar.………………………………………………………………………50! ! ! iv.!!On!British!Reception!of!Early!Paintings,!Mid(Nineteenth!! !!!!!!! ! !!!!!!!Century…………………………………………………………………………….53! ! CHAPTER!1:!! “MUCH!ESTEEMED!IN!THEIR!OWN!COUNTRY,!BUT!SELDOM!ADMITTED!INTO! ! ! SELECT!COLLECTIONS!HERE”:!BRITISH!ENCOUNTERS!WITH!GERMAN!ART!! ! ! UP!TO!1853.……………………………………………………………………………..62! ! a.!! Characteristic!Masterpieces:!Private!and!Public!Education!! ! ! Collections...…………………………………………………………………………...63! ! b.! Buying!Early!German!Paintings!fOr!British!COllectiOns.…………….66! ! c.! HistOrical!Examples:!ROscOe!and!the!Liverpool!Royal!! ! ! Institution………………………………………………………………………………72! ! d.! Christian!Art!and!the!Aders’!and!Other!Collections…………………..75! ! e.! Written!AccOunts!Of!German!Art!in!British!COllectiOns……………..78! ! f.! Attempts!tO!IntrOduce!Early!German!Painting!tO!the!NatiOnal!! ! ! Gallery……………………………………………………………………………………80! ! g.! Literary!AccOunts!Of!Early!German!Paintings!in!German!Lands...84! ! 3! ! h.! Early!German!Paintings!in!British!Art(Historical!Literature……...89! ! i.! Early!German!Paintings!in!Revivalist!MOvements…………………….99! ! j.! ConclusiOns………………………………………………………………………….100! ! CHAPTER!2:! THE!ACQUISITION!OF!THE!KRÜGER!COLLECTION………………………………102! ! a.! The!Krüger!AcquisitiOn!Unexplained……………………………………..102!! ! b.!! GladstOne!and!Dyce:!Friendship,!Faith,!Art!and!Early!German!! ! ! Paintings………………………………………………………………………………106! ! c.! The!Krüger!AcquisitiOn…………………………………………………………120! ! ! i.!!!!!William!Dyce!as!InstigatOr……………………………………………….120! ! ! ii.!!!Gladstone!Expands!the!Project…………………………………………125! ! ! iii.!!Dyce’s!Report!of!the!Inspection!in!Minden………………………..127! ! ! iv.!!Involving!the!Trustees……………………………………………………..133! ! d.!! The!National!Gallery!1853(55……………………………………………….138! ! ! i.!!!!!The!Gallery!in!Transition…………………………………………………138! ! ! ii.!!!!Dyce’s!Vision!for!the!National!Gallery………………………………152! ! ! iii.!!!The!Krüger!AcquisitiOn!Actualises!Dyce’s!VisiOn………………161! ! ! iv.!!!Alternative!Perspectives!On!the!PurpOse!Of!the!COllectiOn...165! ! ! v.!!!!ImplicatiOns!fOr!the!Immediate!ReceptiOn!Of!the!Krüger!! ! ! !!!!!!!Pictures…………………………………………………………………………..172! ! ! vi.!!!Alternative!Perspectives!On!the!Management!Of!the!Gallery!! ! ! !!!!!!!and!ImplicatiOns!fOr!the!Krüger!Pictures………………………….180! ! ! vii.!One!Further!Alternative!Perspective:!BarlOw……………………186! ! e.! Conclusions………………………………………………………………………….193! ! CHAPTER!3:! “PERHAPS!THE!SCHOOL!IS!NOT!LIKELY!TO!BECOME!POPULAR!WITH!US”:!! ! ! INTEGRATING!EARLY!GERMAN!PAINTING!INTO!THE!‘CANON,’!1854(63…195!! a. Integrating!Seventeen!Krüger!Paintings!1854(60…………………..197! b. Disposing!of!Unwanted!Krüger!Paintings,!1857……………………..203! c. Weeding!Out!“Superfluous”!Krüger!Paintings,!1861(62……….…216! d. New!Early!German!Paintings!fOr!the!NatiOnal!Gallery,!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1862(63……………………………………………………………………………….227! ! 4! e. Views!BeyOnd!the!NatiOnal!Gallery:!The!Manchester!Art!! Treasures!Exhibition,!1857…………………………………………………...237! f. Views!BeyOnd!the!NatiOnal!Gallery:!Early!German!Paintings!!!!!!!!!! in!Art!HistOrical!Literature,!late!1850(60s……………………………..246! g. Conclusions………………………………………………………………………….259! ! CHAPTER!4:! “A!REFUGE!FOR!REJECTED!PICTURES”?!KRÜGER!PAINTINGS!IN!OTHER!! ! ! PUBLIC!!AND!PRIVATE!BRITISH!COLLECTIONS…………………………………..262!! ! a.!! LOng!Term!LOans!Of!Unwanted!Krüger!Pictures:!Practical!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ! ! and!Tactical!Reasons…………………………………………………………….264! ! b.!! Early!German!Paintings!and!the!NatiOnal!Galleries!Of!Ireland!! ! ! and!Scotland…………………………………………………………………………280! ! c.!! Selecting!and!Displaying!Krüger!Paintings……………………………..288! ! ! i.!! Ireland………………………………………………………………………288! ! ! ii.!! Scotland………………………………………………………………….…295! ! ! iii.! The!South!Kensington!Museum…………………………………..299! ! d.!! Returning!Krüger!Pictures!to!the!NatiOnal!Gallery,!1889………...310! ! e.! Krüger!Pictures!in!Private!COllectiOns……………………………………315! ! ! i.!! Paintings!Sold!on!by!Watson……………………………………....316! ! ! ii.! Paintings!SOld!On!by!Hermann……………………………………325! ! f.!! Conclusions………………………………………………………………………….332! ! CONCLUSION……………………………………………………………………………………………..337! ! LIST!OF!ABBREVIATIONS…………………………………………………………………………..347! ! BIBLIOGRAPHY…………………………………………………………………………………………348! ! VOLUME!II! ! TABLE!OF!CONTENTS………………………………………………………………………………..383!! ! ! 5! APPENDIX!1:!PAINTINGS!BY,!OR!ASCRIBED!TO,!GERMAN!PAINTERS!IN!THE!NATIONAL!! ! ! GALLERY!COLLECTION,!1824(1900……………………………………………..385! ! APPENDIX!2:! PAINTINGS!PURCHASED!FROM!KRÜGER,!1854!AND!THEIR!SUBSEQUENT!! ! ! FATES……………………………………………………………………………………390! ! APPENDIX!3:! DISPERSAL!OF!THE!KRÜGER!COLLECTION!IN!BRITAIN:!A!SUMMARY……….431! ! APPENDIX!4:! NOTES!ON!THE!RECONSTRUCTION!OF!THE!LIESBORN!ALTARPIECE,! ! ! 2014…………………………………………………………..………………………..!432! ! APPENDIX!5:! BRITISH!SALES!OF!EARLY!GERMAN!ART…………………………………………437! i. ! Summary!Of!Early!German!Paintings!in!a!Sample!Of!AuctiOn! ! Catalogues!by!Decade,!1800(60……………………………………………..437! ii. ! Cluster!Of!Sales!with!Early!German!Paintings,!1851(59………..…440! ! APPENDIX!6:! SEVENTEEN!KRÜGER!PAINTINGS!SELECTED!FOR!DISPLAY,!1854……….…447! ! APPENDIX!7:! PAINTINGS!PREPARED!FOR!SALE!1857………………………………………….451! ! APPENDIX!8:! KRÜGER!PAINTINGS!LOANED!IN!1857!AND!1862…………………………….457! ! APPENDIX!9:! GERMAN!LOTS!AT!THE!1857!SALE:………………………………………………463! ! i.! ARRANGED!BY!BUYER………………………………………………………………..463!! ! ii.!! ARRANGED!BY!COST………………………………………………………………….466! ! APPENDIX!10:!IDENTITIES!OF!BUYERS!AT!THE!1857!SALE……………………………………467! ! APPENDIX!11:!A!BRIEF!ANALYSIS!OF!PRICES!IN!THE!NATIONAL!GALLERY!SALE…………473! ! APPENDIX!12:!LIST!OF!SUPERFLUOUS!PICTURES,!1861……………………………………….476! ! ILLUSTRATIONS………………………………………………………………………………………..479! ! 6! LIST'OF'ILLUSTRATIONS' ! 1.!! Michiel!COxcie,!Man)with)a)Skull,!about!1560!or!later,!National!Gallery,! ! LOndOn,!NG!195!(Image:!ARTstOr).! ! 2.!! Master!Of!the!Aachen!Altarpiece,!The)Crucifixion,)about!1490(95,!National! ! Gallery,!LOndOn,!NG!1049!(Image:!NatiOnal!Gallery).! ! 3.!! Hans!Baldung!Grien,!Portrait)of)a)Man,)1514,!National!Gallery,!London,! ! NG!245!(Image:!ARTstOr).! ! 4.! Lucas!Cranach!the!Elder,!Portrait)of)a)Woman,)c.!1525,!National!Gallery,! ! London,!NG!291!(Image:!ARTstOr).! ! 5.!! Swabian!School,!Portrait)of)a)Woman)of)the)Hofer)Family,)about!1470,!! ! National!Gallery,!London,)NG!722!(Image:!ARTstOr).! ! 6.! A!painter!after!HugO!van!der!GOes,!Death)of)the)Virgin,)after!1500,! ! National!Gallery,!London,)NG!658!(Image:!ARTstOr).! ! 7.!! Style!of!Martin!Schongauer,!Virgin)and)Child)in)a)Garden,)1469(91,! ! National!Gallery,!LOndOn,!NG!723!(Image:!ARTstOr).!