DOCSLIB.ORG

The Craftsman Revealed: Adriaen De Vries, Sculptor

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Craftsman Revealed: Adriaen De Vries, Sculptor This page intentionally left blank The Craftsman Revealed Adriaen de Vries Sculptor in Bronze This page intentionally left blank The Craftsman Revealed Adriaen de Vries Sculptor in Bronze Jane Bassett with contributions by Peggy Fogelman, David A. Scott, and Ronald C. Schmidtling II THE GETTY CONSERVATION INSTITUTE Los ANGELES The Getty Conservation Institute Timothy P. Whalen, Director Jeanne Marie Teutónico, Associate Director, Programs The Getty Conservation Institute works internationally to advance conservation practice in the visual arts—broadly interpreted to include objects, collections, architecture, and sites. The Institute serves the conservation community through scientific research, education and training, model field projects, and the dissemination of the results of both its own work and the work of others in the field. In all its endeavors, the GCI focuses on the creation and delivery of knowledge that will benefit the professionals and organizations responsible for the conservation of the world's cultural heritage. Getty Publications 1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500 Los Angeles, California 90049-1682 www.getty.edu © 2008 J. Paul Getty Trust Gregory M. Britton, Publisher Mark Greenberg, Editor in Chief Tevvy Ball, Editor Sheila Berg, Copy Editor Pamela Heath, Production Coordinator Hespenheide Design, Designer Printed and bound in China through Asia Pacific Offset, Inc. FRONT COVER: Radiograph of Juggling Man, by Adriaen de Vries. Bronze. Cast in Prague, 1610–1615. J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles. Inv. no. 90.SB.44. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Bassett, Jane. The craftsman revealed : Adriaen de Vries, sculptor in bronze / Jane Bassett ; with contributions by Peggy Fogelman, David A. Scott, and Ronald C. Schmidtling II. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-89236-919-5 1. Vries, Adriaen de, ca. 1560–1626—Criticism and interpretation. 2. Bronze sculpture, Baroque—Conservation and restoration— California—Los Angeles. 3. Bronze founding. I. Fogelman, Peggy. II. Scott, David A., 1948- III. Schmidtling, Ronald C. IV. Title. NB653.V74B37 2008 730.92—dc22 2007052151 CONTENTS vii Foreword ix Acknowledgments xi Introduction: The Sculptural Personality of Adriaen de Vries (Peggy Fogelman) PART I METHODOLOGY 3 Chapter 1 Project Method and Scope 11 Chapter 2 Casting Techniques 17 Chapter 3 Visual Examination and X-Ray Radiography 21 Chapter 4 X-Ray Fluorescence Alloy Analysis (David A. Scott) 35 Chapter 5 Core Analysis (Ronald C. Schmidtling II) 45 Chapter 6 Thermoluminescence Dating PART II CASE STUDIES 53 Chapter 7 Psyche Borne Aloft by Putti, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm 63 Chapter 8 Faun and Nymph, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden 73 Chapter 9 Crucifix, Kirchenstiftung Maria Verkündigung, Wullenstetten 81 Chapter 10 Venus or Nymph, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Muséum, Braunschweig 89 Chapter 11 Bust of Emperor Rudolf II, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 97 Chapter 12 Bust of the Elector Christian II of Saxony, Skulpturensammlung, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden 103 Chapter 13 Hercules, Nessus, and Deianeira, Musée du Louvre, Paris 113 Chapter 14 Allegory of the War against the Turks in Hungary, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 119 Chapter 15 Rearing Horse, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 127 Chapter 16 Horse, Národní Galerie v Praze, Prague 135 Chapter 17 Vulcan's Forge, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich 141 Chapter 18 Cain and Abel, University of Edinburgh, Torrie Collection 151 Chapter 19 Juggling Man, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles 159 Chapter 20 Farnese Bull, Schlossmuseum, Gotha 169 Chapter 21 Christ at the Column, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna 175 Chapter 22 Lazarus, Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen 181 Chapter 23 Putto with a Goose, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm 187 Chapter 24 Cain and Abel, Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen 197 Chapter 25 Laocoön and His Sons, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm 207 Chapter 26 Hercules Pomarius, Muzeum hlavního města Prahy, Prague 215 Chapter 27 Mercury (Tetrode), Los Angeles County Museum of Art 223 Chapter 28 Mercury and Psyche (artist unknown), Huntington Art Collections, San Marino 231 Chapter 29 Christ Mocked (artist unknown), Los Angeles County Museum of Art 239 Chapter 30 Hercules, Nessus, and Deianeira (attributed to Crozatier), Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City 251 Chapter 31 Hercules, Nessus, and Deianeira (attributed to Crozatier), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam 259 Conclusion: Adriaen de Vries, Sculptor 273 Appendix A. Glossary 289 Appendix B. Summary Tables 299 Appendix C. Signatures 301 Bibliography 307 Illustration Credits 309 Index vi FOREWORD Working almost exclusively in bronze, Adriaen de Vries art historians, collectors, conservators, and conservation (1556—1626) was one of the most progressive northern scientists a detailed description of the techniques and European sculptors of his time. His innovative composi- materials employed by this important artist. The study tions and modeling techniques foreshadow the power and has allowed reconsideration of the attribution of some of movement of the Baroque style and anticipate the work of the casts and makes an important addition to the body of future artists such as Auguste Rodin. De Vries was also a knowledge on de Vries. technical master, successfully casting even his large and We are grateful to Peggy Fogelman, Ronald E. complex compositions in a single pour, a feat attempted by Schmidtling II, and David A. Scott for their important many bronze artists of the time but only rarely achieved. contributions to this volume. In addition, we would like In 1999 and early 2000 the J. Paul Getty Museum had to acknowledge a debt of gratitude to Francesca Bewer the honor of presenting the exhibition Adriaen de Vries: for her technical expertise and advice throughout the life Imperial Sculptor. Recognizing the increasing importance of the project. Finally, we would like to thank the prin- of technical studies in the scholarship relating to bronze cipal author, Jane Bassett. As a conservator in the Getty sculpture, the Museum's Department of Decorative Arts Museum's Department of Decorative Arts and Sculpture and Sculpture Conservation, in collaboration with the Conservation since 1991, Jane has been responsible for the Getty Conservation Institute's Museum Research Lab, technical examination of a broad range of materials, spe- followed the archival and technical studies done in prepa- cializing in bronzes from the Renaissance to the late eigh- ration for the exhibition catalogue with a comprehensive teenth century. She took the lead in this project from its study of twenty-five bronzes included in the Los Angeles inception, and it was her commitment to ensuring that the installation. The Getty Museum and the GCI have long exhibition had an afterlife that has resulted in the publica- been dedicated to the scientific examination of works of tion of this volume. art, seeking to illuminate both preservation issues and the social and cultural context in which the works were cre- Timothy P. Whalen ated. Both institutions are also committed to the dissemi- Director nation of information gained through such study, and we The Getty Conservation Institute are pleased to present the results of this project here. In its examination of de Vries's work, this book Michael Brand explains how and why technical studies are undertaken, Director illustrates how bronzes are cast, and makes available to The J. Paul Getty Museum vii This page intentionally left blank ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Undertaking a detailed study of bronzes of such beauty and intern in decorative arts and sculpture conservation, who technical virtuosity has been a privilege beyond measure. worked closely with me throughout the initial examina- I am grateful to the lending institutions that generously tion phase of the project. Stephanie Sheerer, then a GCI agreed to allow their bronzes to undergo examination and graduate intern, spent many long hours running the X-ray core sampling for this project. I want to thank Deborah fluorescence instrument, and Jeffrey Maish of the Getty Gribbon, former director of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Museum Antiquities Conservation Department assisted who offered early support of this publication, as well as in the radiography of some of the larger sculptures. Michael Brand and David Bomford of the Museum and I owe a debt of gratitude to my colleagues and con- Timothy Whalen, Kristin Kelly, and Giacomo Chiari of tributors to this volume, Peggy Fogelman, Ronald C. the GCI for their continued support. The results of the Schmidtling II, and David A. Scott, all of whom gener- study are built on the foundation provided by the excellent ously shared their research and insights with me. Anne exhibition catalogue written and edited by Frits Scholten Boulton of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Chandra Reedy of the Rijksmuseum, as well as the early technical research of the University of Delaware, and Karen Trentelman of on de Vries carried out for the exhibition by Francesca the GCI kindly offered generous editing advice. I am very Bewer of the Harvard University Art Museums. I grate- grateful to Antonia Bostrôm, current curator of sculpture fully acknowledge Francesca's help with the interpreta- and decorative arts, for her continuing encouragement of tion of the radiographs and her invaluable advice on this the technical study of bronzes, and Eike Schmidt, asso- volume. Christian Goedicke, previously of the Rathgen- ciate curator, for his helpful guidance and translations. Forschungslabor Berlin, worked tirelessly
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Kunstkammer Wien a Selection of Important
    KUNSTKAMMER WIEN A SELECTION OF IMPORTANT OBJECTS „Krumau Madonna“ Prague (?), c. 1400 Sandstone, cloak originally white and blue, hair and edge of clothes gilt Provenance: acquired in 1913 for the Imperial Collections Kunsthistorisches Museum, Kunstkammer, Inv-no. KK 10156 This sculpture was discovered around 1900 in Krumau in southern Bohemia. It is a perfect example of the „beautiful Madonnas“ so popular in the art around 1400. The Virgin with Child is shown as both the Queen of Heaven and a loving mother. Characteristics of courtly refinement, such as the rich and heavy drapery, idealised features and her gilt hair, are combined with verisimilitude, e.g. the body of the baby. This Gothic masterpiece is clearly informed by the art at the court in Prague. Salt Cellar (Saliera) Benvenuto Cellini (Florence 1500 – 1571 Florence) Paris, made between 1540 and 1543 Gold, partly enamelled; ebony, ivory, Provenience: from the Kunstkammer of Archduke Ferdinand II of Tirol at Ambras; presented to the Archduke by King Charles IX of France in 1570 Kunsthistorisches Museum, Kunstkammer, Inv-no. KK 881 The only extant goldsmith work by the celebrated Renaissance artist, Benvenuto Cellini, perfectly reflects the refined taste of contemporary courtly society. We know it served as a container for the expensive spices, salt and pepper, but the complex pictorial programme culminates in an allegory of the cosmos (complete with the god of the ocean and the goddess of the earth, animals, the four winds and the four times of the day) dominated by the arms and emblems of the patron who commissioned it, Francois I of France (ruled 1515-1547).
    [Show full text]
  • Hans Rottenhammer's Use of Networks in the Copper
    arts Article Intermediaries and the Market: Hans Rottenhammer’s Use of Networks in the Copper Painting Market Sophia Quach McCabe Department of History of Art and Architecture, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA; [email protected] Received: 1 February 2019; Accepted: 16 June 2019; Published: 24 June 2019 Abstract: In Willem van Haecht’s Gallery of Cornelis van der Geest, The Last Judgment by the German artist Hans Rottenhammer stands prominently in the foreground. Signed and dated 1598, it is one of many copper panel paintings Rottenhammer produced and sent north of the Alps during his decade-long sojourn in Venice. That the work was valued alongside those of Renaissance masters raises questions about Rottenhammer’s artistic status and how the painting reached Antwerp. This essay examines Rottenhammer’s international market as a function of his relationships with artist-friends and agents, especially those in Venice’s German merchant community. By employing digital visualization tools alongside the study of archival documents, the essay attends to the intermediary connections within a social network, and their effects on the art market. It argues for Rottenhammer’s use of—and negotiation with—intermediaries to establish an international career. Through digital platforms, such as ArcGIS and Palladio, the artist’s patronage group is shown to have shifted geographically, from multiple countries around 1600 to Germany and Antwerp after 1606, when he relocated to Augsburg. Yet, the same trusted friends and associates he had established in Italy continued to participate in Rottenhammer’s business of art. Keywords: Hans Rottenhammer; social network; intermediaries; mediation; digital humanities; digital art history; merchants; art market; copper painting; Jan Brueghel the Elder 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Adriaen De Vries
    E DUVEEN BROTHERS Paris Library Class No. Stock No. ::::::::::::::::::::::: FROM THE LIBRARY OF { <=*Puveen d^fyroiliers, C^Jnc. 720 FIFTH AVE. NEW YORK O/o. /^l M BOUNQ BY S.Georoe Street, MANCHESTER S?W. BEITRÄGE ZUR KUNSTGESCHICHTE NEUE FOLGE. XXV. I ADRIAEN DE VRIES VON CONRAD BUCHWALD O MIT ACHT TAFELN O LEIPZIG VERLAG VON E. A. SEEMANN 1899. Dem Andenken MEINER MUTTER Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/adriaendevriesOObuch Inhalt Seite I. Einleitung I II. Lehrzeit io III. In Augsburg 14 IV. In Diensten Rudolfs II 32 V. Arbeiten für den Fürsten Ernst von Schaumburg 63 VI. Die Brunnen für Fredriksborg und Danzig 74 VII. Aufträge Wallensteins 83 VIII. Schluss 92 IX. Verzeichnis von Werken des Adriaen de Vries 98 Anmerkungen 104 I Einleitung Ein glücklicher Fund war die Veranlassung zu vorliegender Arbeit. In der Kirche des Dorfes Rothsürben unweit Breslaus entdeckte ich zufällig ein gänzlich unbekanntes Werk des Adriaen de Vries. Adriaen de Vries hat keinen Namen in der Kunstgeschichte. Aeltere Nachrichten, die sich über ihn hier und da finden, sind dürftig, auch nicht frei von Widersprüchen und Fehlern. Karl van Mander erwähnt ihn kurz an einzelnen Stellen seines Schilder- buchs, Sandrart bringt zuerst eine Art von Biographie des Künstlers. Er giebt als dessen Geburtsort „Gravenhaag" an und erzählt, dass er „von der Natur selbst zum Bildhauer angetrieben sehr viele Lebens- grosse Bilder von Stein, Wachs und Erden gemacht, solche auch hernachmals in Metall gegossen und sich durch die stete Uebung mehr als kein anderer zu seiner Zeit in Ruhm gebracht, wie dieses seine sehr lobwürdige Werke erstlich in Italien allwo er die Antiken aufs genaueste ergründet an Tag legen, dann er in der Akademie zu Florenz immerzu der beste gewesen".
    [Show full text]
  • The Cathar Crucifix: New Evidence of the Shroud’S Missing History
    THE CATHAR CRUCIFIX: NEW EVIDENCE OF THE SHROUD’S MISSING HISTORY By Jack Markwardt Copyright 2000 All Rights Reserved Reprinted by Permission INTRODUCTION Shortly after the dawn of the thirteenth century, a French knight toured the magnificent city that was then Constantinople and, upon entering one of its fabulous churches, observed a clear full-body image of Jesus Christ gracing an outstretched burial cloth.1 Those who advocate that this sydoine was, in fact, the Shroud of Turin, are challenged to credibly account for the relic’s whereabouts both prior to its exhibition in Byzantium and during the period spanning its disappearance in 1204 to its reemergence some one hundred and fifty years later.2 In this paper, the author suggests that medieval crucifixes, orthodox and heretical, evolved from increased awareness of the sindonic image and that these changes mark the historical path of the Shroud as it traveled in anonymity from East to West. THE ORTHODOX CRUCIFIX By the early third century, the cross was the recognized sign of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire and, over the next several centuries, the use of this symbol became so widespread that it is found on most remnants of the era.3 Perhaps repulsed by the ignominious nature of Christ’s death,4 the earliest Christians did not portray his crucifixion. “The custom of displaying the Redeemer on the Cross began with the close of the sixth century”5 and the first datable manuscript image of the Crucifixion is that found in a Syrian Gospel Book written in 586.6 The sudden rise
    [Show full text]
  • Sources of Donatello's Pulpits in San Lorenzo Revival and Freedom of Choice in the Early Renaissance*
    ! " #$ % ! &'()*+',)+"- )'+./.#')+.012 3 3 %! ! 34http://www.jstor.org/stable/3047811 ! +565.67552+*+5 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use, available at http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp. JSTOR's Terms and Conditions of Use provides, in part, that unless you have obtained prior permission, you may not download an entire issue of a journal or multiple copies of articles, and you may use content in the JSTOR archive only for your personal, non-commercial use. Please contact the publisher regarding any further use of this work. Publisher contact information may be obtained at http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=caa. Each copy of any part of a JSTOR transmission must contain the same copyright notice that appears on the screen or printed page of such transmission. JSTOR is a not-for-profit organization founded in 1995 to build trusted digital archives for scholarship. We work with the scholarly community to preserve their work and the materials they rely upon, and to build a common research platform that promotes the discovery and use of these resources. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. http://www.jstor.org THE SOURCES OF DONATELLO'S PULPITS IN SAN LORENZO REVIVAL AND FREEDOM OF CHOICE IN THE EARLY RENAISSANCE* IRVING LAVIN HE bronze pulpits executed by Donatello for the church of San Lorenzo in Florence T confront the investigator with something of a paradox.1 They stand today on either side of Brunelleschi's nave in the last bay toward the crossing.• The one on the left side (facing the altar, see text fig.) contains six scenes of Christ's earthly Passion, from the Agony in the Garden through the Entombment (Fig.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Santo Spirito in Florence: Brunelleschi, the Opera, the Quartiere and the Cantiere Submitted by Rocky Ruggiero to the Universi
    Santo Spirito in Florence: Brunelleschi, the Opera, the Quartiere and the Cantiere Submitted by Rocky Ruggiero to the University of Exeter as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Art History and Visual Culture In March 2017. This thesis is available for Library use on the understanding that it is copyright material and that no quotation from the thesis may be published without proper acknowledgement. I certify that all material in this thesis which is not my own work has been identified and that no material has previously been submitted and approved for the award of a degree by this or any other University. (Signature)…………………………………………………………………………….. 1 Abstract The church of Santo Spirito in Florence is universally accepted as one of the architectural works of Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446). It is nevertheless surprising that contrary to such buildings as San Lorenzo or the Old Sacristy, the church has received relatively little scholarly attention. Most scholarship continues to rely upon the testimony of Brunelleschi’s earliest biographer, Antonio di Tuccio Manetti, to establish an administrative and artistic initiation date for the project in the middle of Brunelleschi’s career, around 1428. Through an exhaustive analysis of the biographer’s account, and subsequent comparison to the extant documentary evidence from the period, I have been able to establish that construction actually began at a considerably later date, around 1440. It is specifically during the two and half decades after Brunelleschi’s death in 1446 that very little is known about the proceedings of the project. A largely unpublished archival source which records the machinations of the Opera (works committee) of Santo Spirito from 1446-1461, sheds considerable light on the progress of construction during this period, as well as on the role of the Opera in the realization of the church.
    [Show full text]
  • Michelangelo Buonarroti Artstart – 3 Dr
    Michelangelo Buonarroti ArtStart – 3 Dr. Hyacinth Paul https://www.hyacinthpaulart.com/ The genius of Michelangelo • Renaissance era painter, sculptor, poet & architect • Best documented artist of the 16th century • He learned to work with marble, a chisel & a hammer as a young child in the stone quarry’s of his father • Born 6th March, 1475 in Caprese, Florence, Italy • Spent time in Florence, Bologna & Rome • Died in Rome 18th Feb 1564, Age 88 Painting education • Did not like school • 1488, age 13 he apprenticed for Domenico Ghirlandaio • 1490-92 attended humanist academy • Worked for Bertoldo di Giovanni Famous paintings of Michelangelo The Sistine Chapel Ceiling – (1508-12) Vatican, Rome Famous paintings of Michelangelo Doni Tondo (Holy Family) (1506) – Uffizi, Florence Famous paintings of Michelangelo The Creation of Adam (1508-12) – Vatican, Rome Famous paintings of Michelangelo The Last Judgement - (1508-12) – Vatican, Rome Famous paintings of Michelangelo Ignudo (1509) – Vatican, Rome Famous paintings of Michelangelo The Drunkenness of Noah - (1508-12) – Vatican, Rome Famous paintings of Michelangelo The Deluge - (1508-12) – Vatican, Rome Famous paintings of Michelangelo The First day of creation - - (1508-12) – Vatican, Rome Famous paintings of Michelangelo The Prophet Jeremiah - (1508-12) – Vatican, Rome Famous paintings of Michelangelo The last Judgement - (1508-12) – Vatican, Rome Famous paintings of Michelangelo The Crucifixion of St. Peter - (1546-50) – Vatican, Rome Only known Self Portrait Famous paintings of Michelangelo
    [Show full text]
  • Michelangelo Buonarotti
    MICHELANGELO BUONAROTTI Portrait of Michelangelo by Daniele da Volterra COMPILED BY HOWIE BAUM Portrait of Michelangelo at the time when he was painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. by Marcello Venusti Hi, my name is Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, but you can call me Michelangelo for short. MICHAELANGO’S BIRTH AND YOUTH Michelangelo was born to Leonardo di Buonarrota and Francesca di Neri del Miniato di Siena, a middle- class family of bankers in the small village of Caprese, in Tuscany, Italy. He was the 2nd of five brothers. For several generations, his Father’s family had been small-scale bankers in Florence, Italy but the bank failed, and his father, Ludovico di Leonardo Buonarroti Simoni, briefly took a government post in Caprese. Michelangelo was born in this beautiful stone home, in March 6,1475 (546 years ago) and it is now a museum about him. Once Michelangelo became famous because of his beautiful sculptures, paintings, and poetry, the town of Caprese was named Caprese Michelangelo, which it is still named today. HIS GROWING UP YEARS BETWEEN 6 AND 13 His mother's unfortunate and prolonged illness forced his father to place his son in the care of his nanny. The nanny's husband was a stonecutter, working in his own father's marble quarry. In 1481, when Michelangelo was six years old, his mother died yet he continued to live with the pair until he was 13 years old. As a child, he was always surrounded by chisels and stone. He joked that this was why he loved to sculpt in marble.
    [Show full text]
  • Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist, Saint Peter, and Two Angels C
    National Gallery of Art NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART ONLINE EDITIONS Italian Paintings of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries Tuscan 13th Century Madonna and Child with Saint John the Baptist, Saint Peter, and Two Angels c. 1290 tempera on panel painted surface (original panel including painted frame): 34.3 × 24.7 cm (13 1/2 × 9 3/4 in.) overall (including added wooden strips): 36 × 26 cm (14 3/16 × 10 1/4 in.) Inscription: on the scroll held by Saint John the Baptist: E[C]CE / AGNU[S] / DEI:[ECCE] / [Q]UI [TOLLIT PECCATUM MUNDI] (from John 1:29) Samuel H. Kress Collection 1952.5.60 ENTRY The enthroned Madonna supports her son, seated on her left knee, with both hands. The child, in a frontal position, blesses with his right hand, holding a roll of parchment in his left. The composition is a variant of the type of the Hodegetria Virgin; in the present case, she does not point towards her son, as in the Byzantine prototype, but instead presents him to the spectator. [1] Her affectionate maternal pose is thus given precedence over her more ritual and impersonal role. But Mary’s pose perhaps has another sense: she seems to be rearranging her son’s small legs to conform them to the cross-legged position considered suitable for judges and sovereigns in the Middle Ages. [2] The panel is painted in a rapid, even cursory manner. The artist omits the form of the throne’s backrest, which remains hidden by the cloth of honor, supported by angels and decorated with bold motifs of popular taste (an interlocking pattern of quatrefoils and octagons).
    [Show full text]
  • Biographical Dates
    BIOGRAPHICAL DATES 1475 March 6, born in the village of Caprese in Tuscany, second son of Lodovico (1444-1531) and Francesca. Lodovico, grandson of a successful banker and son of an unsuccessful banker in Florence, lived on a small income from land and occasional government posts; at this time he was Podesta (governor) of Caprese. March 31, Lodovico's term expired; the family doubtless returned to Florence. The oldest son, Lionardo (1473-1510) entered the Dominican order in Pisa in 1491 and played virtually no part in Michelangelo's life. 1477 May 26, brother Buonarroto bom. 1479 March 11, brother Giovansimone born. 1481 January 22, brother Gismondo bom. About this time the family was living in an apartment rented from Lodovico's brother-in-law, a dyer. December 6, mother died. 1485 Father's second marriage to Lucrezia Ubaldini (d. M97)- 1488 April 8, Michelangelo left grammar school and was apprenticed for three years to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. MICHELANGELO [1] 1489 Left Ghirlandaio and studied sculpture in the gar- den of Lorenzo de' Medici the Magnificent. 1492 Lorenzo the Magnificent died, succeeded by his old- est son Piero. 1494 Rising against Piero de' Medici, who fled (d. 1503). Republic re-established under Savonarola. October, Michelangelo fled and after a brief stay in Venice went to Bologna. 1495 In Bologna, carved three small statues which brought to completion the tomb of St. Dominic. Returned to Florence, carved the Cupid, sold to Baldassare del Milanese, a dealer. 1496 June, went to Rome. Carved the Bacchus for the banker Jacopo Galli. 1497 November, went to Carrara to obtain marble.
    [Show full text]
  • Bernini Struts
    Part II Material and Social Transformations 3 Bernini Struts Michael Cole Few works in the history of sculpture are more admired for the sheer skill of their carving than Gianlorenzo Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne (figure 3.1). Charles Avery counts it among the pieces that established Bernini as ‘‘the greatest sculptor in the world.’’1 Peter Rockwell maintains that ‘‘any sculptor who looks at Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne can only come away astonished.’’2 And Howard Hibbard concludes his discussion of the statue by suggesting that it is too dazzling, showing ‘‘a quality of immature excess, of virtuosity for its own sake.’’3 The Apollo and Daphne has come to stand as the perfect antithesis to the modernist principle of ‘‘truth to materials,’’ the ultimate illustration of the artist defying his medium’s very nature. Indeed, it has become difficult, in view of the Apollo and Daphne, to imagine what Bernini could not make marble do. No wonder Jennifer Montagu caused a small sensation when she argued that its most famous features were executed by Bernini’s gifted assistant Giuliano Finelli rather than by the master himself.4 Bernini began the Apollo and Daphne in 1622 and had largely completed it by 1624, the last year of his employment with Cardinal Scipione Borghese. Roughly contemporary with the sculptor’s David (1623–4) and still standing in the building for which it was made, it represents the culmination of a series of works that, as Rudolf Preimesberger sug- gested in a classic article, ask to be measured collectively against a sixteenth-century, largely Florentine, tradition.5 The Apollo and Daphne and the other statues Bernini made for the Cardinal were collectors’ pieces, appealing explicitly to a cultivated audience with a historical sensibility and a keen awareness of sculptural practice.
    [Show full text]
  • Pappot Wiersma Jonghelinck TEXT FIGURES And
    Jacques Jonghelinck (1530-1606), bronze sculptor of the Low Countries in the 16th century Arie Pappot and Lisa Wiersma Abstract Today, the sculptural oeuvre of Jacques Jonghelinck (1530-1606) is scattered over the world, and has not received much technical attention. A comparison between his works and that of Leone and Pompeo Leoni (1509-1590 and 1533-1608) tells us more about the impact of Italian bronze sculpture on the techniques of Netherlandish workshops, and helps determine the characteristics of Jonghelinck's bronzes. In both workshop practice and his use of materials, Jonghelinck clearly followed his Milanese employer. Alas, not that many monumental sculptures left the artist's workshop, but the pieces that did demonstrate his artistic resourcefulness. In this paper, particular attention is paid to the Planet Series to support this statement. Additionally, we argue that the artist might have been trained by an Augsburg master, as a result of which he would have become the perfect Renaissance bronze sculptor with an outstanding background in goldsmithing. Introduction Jacques Jonghelinck was one of many Netherlandish artists of his generation who spent time in Italy.1 He was born and raised in Antwerp, worked in the Leoni workshop in Milan around 1552, and settled in Brussels and later in Antwerp as a court sculptor, medallist and mint master. Few examples of monumental metal sculpture are known from the Low Countries in the first half of the 16th century, the period preceding Jonghelinck's career. The flourishing production of sculptures in brass - including, for instance, the late gothic Mary of Burgundy in Bruges – declined.
    [Show full text]