“HISTORY OF ART” converts itself finally into the true protagonist mistakes begin, and also where their causes BY ERNST GOMBRICH of the book. In other words, Gombrich gives become apparent. The selection was influenced ANTÓN CAPITEL testimony to human´s capacity of producing to a great degree by the difficulty of obtaining such a great and diverse quantity of most the illustrations as well as the contents of the “History of Art”, by Gombrich, a famous book with esteemed artistic products. book. In other words, in many cases the works of unusual deficiencies. In his text about “A note of art books”, Gombrich art are subordinate to the content, and not the says that “Art history is a branch of history”. He other way round. This is a common fault of critic who writes this is in complete agreement with books of Art and Architecture, if not of all E.H.Gombrich: “History of Art”, pocket edition this affirmation and thus he feels obliged to genres to a certain extent. This coincidence, in Spanish by Phaidon, 2010. gravely dissent some contents of the book in however, doesn´t alleviate its gravity, as within particular. this book this distortion is very abundant. In the first place, we shall look over all the Let´s continue. As the book unravels unknown The famous book “History of Art” by Ernst errors and mistakes concerning the anthology artists of very scarce importance start appearing Gombrich was published for the first time in the that are presented within the book. This bears most of whom are Central European or British. United Kingdom in its primitive version. Since great importance as it is the book´s main These are just a handful of them: who are Peter then it has gone through 16 revised editions, reference. Effectively, the book delves straight de Hooch, Melozzo da Forlí, Konrad Witz, with numerous reprints. In 2006 the first pocket away into explanations of the artists through Mabuse, Nicholas Hilliard, Jean Goujon, Jacques edition was printed in London in English, of their particular works, a rather estimable Callot, Simon de Vlieger, Jan van Goyen, Jan great quality, and with printings of the 413 characteristic, as mentioned beforehand. The Steen, Jacob van Ruisdad, Willem Kalf, William images that constitute its anthology. The book fact of having chosen and reproduced the Hogarth, Jean-Baptiste-Simeon Chardin, John has been translated into numerous languages. particular works in question constitutes as, to a Singleton Copley, William Powell Frith, Pierre In 2010 the pocket edition also appeared in great extent, one of the main features of the Bonnard, Ferdinand Hodler, Káthe Kollwitz, Emil Spanish. The blurb of this edition begins by book, if it is not indeed the most important. Nolde, Grant Wood? While this question is rather affirming that “History of Art” [by Gombrich] The book has been widely published and sold in rhetoric, I truly insist that the reader replies, “is the most popular and famous book of art Spain, to the point that it is even used for who are they? They are people of a very second ever published”. We don´t doubt it, and it is academic purposes. Thus it makes sense to rank and so absolutely dispensable. Nevertheless, precisely this enormous diffusion that has begin with a quantitative analysis of the these characters provide the backbone of the invited me to write the published notes as anthology, with the aid of the book´s index. In book to a great extent, for their abundance if follows. this way, we can verify that out of the 400 nothing else. works of art chosen to represent Art History of My respect and inclination towards Gombrich´s the world throughout time, only 6 of them are Does Gombrich, therefore, align himself with works is based upon my reading of several of his pictures or buildings within Spain. This seems the small-minded traditional interpretation so more important books. Among them it seems to be extremely unusual, specially given the typical of British and Dutch protestants, that convenient to me to point out “Art and Illusion”,” collective memory of such museums as the undermine Spanish culture, a culture which, The Image and the Eye” and “The Preference by Prado among many others. But let´s continue: even at this point in history, many consider as the Primitive”. These are wonderful books, and only Switzerland and Holland have 6 references worn? Or is it, simply, because the book is I recommend them entirely. Some time ago, just as Spain, Russia has even fewer (despite British? If so, why is it translated into other when the first Spanish edition was published, I the Hermitage Museum !!), Belgium has 8, languages and sold in the same version? Should had had a certain temptation to read “History Austria 17, United States, 26, Germany 28, we continue to stand by such a form of cultural of Art”, although I didn´t do it. But last year, France 50, Italy 65 and the United Kingdom 71. colonialism that permeates through such when I was living in London, I found the pocket It is very clear that Gombrich, Austrian Hebrew second-class material? English edition in the National Gallery bookshop. residing in Great Britain, is a grateful man who When I verified that this edition was so has been knighted as “Sir”. But let´s continue a systematic verification. beautiful, carefully compiled and cheap, I While the Alhambra features as an example of convinced myself to buy and read it in English. I From the anthology and throughout the text it Architecture, de Mosque of Cordoba does not. did it with pleasure and care. In Madrid I later is possible to deduce which of the painters Neither does Santa María del Naranco or El verified that the pocket edition had also been Gombrich considers as most important as he Escorial, or Gaudí, or any other such examples published in Spanish, and this discovery brought dedicates to them the illustrations of four or that the reader would expect. While the book is me to write the present commentary. more works; one could say that their authors preoccupied with themes such as China, Persia are “geniuses” within the History of Painting. or Primitive Art, it ignores Spain, Portugal and Firstly, I would like to express gratitude that Thus Leonardo features four times, Durero six, the Americas. With regards to the latter, the such a great professor dedicated himself to the Rapahel five, Rubens five, Velázquez five, United States is the only country featured –and divulgation of Art History, and that he put upon Holbein four, Rembrandt six and Picasso six. yet somewhat bad choices are only taken from himself the obligation to talk about Art through Michelangelo has only three works, although it 20th Century Art and Architecture. In other all the periods of humanity, from Prehistoric is true that there are four illustrations of the words, both Pre-Colombian and Colonial cultures times to the 20th century. Apart from Gombrich Sistine Chapel ceiling, accompanied by only one are ignored. Thereby it also ignores the , nobody or almost nobody has done it, thus, sculpture (one of the slaves). Tiziano, Correggio, wonderful Renaissance cathedrals of Spain and the diffusion and prestige of the work comes as Caravaggio and Goya also have three, and thus Spanish America, unique pieces in the world. no surprise. As Gombrich visits all times and the first and the two last appear underestimated Also obscured is the important Latin American styles with a distinctive quick yet dense pace, in a certain sense. We must emphasise the Baroque. he combines an historical organization of mistakes of believing that Holbein lies among periods with an accompanying explanation of the “geniuses”, and of equalising in number the Neither do Francisco de Zurbarán nor Ribera the works´ relationship with their surrounding works of art by Correggio with those of feature among the painters, as neither for and society´s ideology. Neither can one forget Michelangelo, Tiziano, Caravaggio and Goya, as example does Luis Meléndez, the Spanish genius the morphological and individual analysis that already mentioned. On the other hand, of still life in the 18th Century. However, while picks up on changes of vision and taste, as well memories of Giotto and of El Greco are gravely this is the case, the book does feature very as the instruments, discoveries, and the offended with two illustrations and the memory average examples of British still life. We could particular characteristics and qualities that of Mantegna with one. Did Gombrich not know overhaul the Spanish picture to find many more make each work somehow notable and that Giotto and El Greco are as important as the absences (over-all in comparison with the list of significant in the development of history. others? Was he of a different opinion? unknown people before transcribed) but let´s Therefore one can say that it is this process that Here, therefore, is where the anthology´s move on to clearer examples. The choice of El

“The history of art” Antón Capitel English version El lugar (II) CPA_03 P141 Greco paintings is quite absurd (there are only exaggeration to the average English or North with Boyle´s Chiswick House in London while he two faintly important paintings, and from New American, one thing remains certain; that it is fails to recognize the great Ledoux, for instance. York and Boston museums !!). The choice of impossible to be an expert in History of Art With regards to Soane, only a relatively Velázquez paintings is better, as the book without knowing Madrid. unimportant picture of his has been chosen. The features “El aguador de Sevilla” and “Las British Houses of Parliament, and no other, is Meninas” and the portrait of Inocencio X, but One more thing : while it is possible that other also not unexpectedly included as are examples then again it also features the relatively authors are not as disciplined as Gombrich, it is by Victor Horta and not of Gaudi; yet another unimportant painting of a member of the Royal noteworthy that the bibliography in History of example of a lack of clarity. Family (from a Viennese museum). Goya is Art not only is compiled solely out of books completely undervalued, not simply because produced in England, but only out of books With regards to XXth Century architecture, the only three of this paintings appear, but most of translated into English. Thus books in their disaster could be no less complete. The anthology all because the very choice of them is not original language German, French, Italian, appears to be ridiculous, to the point of being convincing. Neither does Carlos IV´s family nor Spanish or other languages are absent. They rogue. How can he dare present himself as an the paintings of “2 de mayo” feature, for simply are not used. To compile a bibliography educated person, and why has no one advised example, nor many other very important works. solely out of books in English is not only a him? The examples chosen include one Meanwhile, though Picasso is not undervalued pretension tinged with racism but also, most of considerably minor work by Wright (could it as far as quantity is concerned, his chosen all, a notable mistake. For example, the not so have been so difficult to choose another?), the works too are extremely unsuitable. systematic but very lucid author Eugenio D’Ors Rockefeller Center (out of where did this trace (Xenius), whose few to none works have been of apparent lucidity arise?) and Gropius´ We´ve already been noticing that such cases translated into English, would have made Bauhaus. No other traces of modernism exist, occur not only with Spanish Art. Giotto, excellent material for the Austrian professor. neither Le Corbusier nor Mies van de Rohe or Mantegna and Tiziano are similarly undervalued, His ignorance of “Three Hours in the Prado Alvar Aalto; these common and scandalous and quite absurdly, Guardi is featured instead Museum”, one of the best books written about absences are simply unforgivable. The ultimate of Canaletto, who, in spite of his importance in painting, strikes one as a grave fault. If he were point of destruction could not have been more England, does not appear. Indeed, it was he to read it, he would have surely enjoyed it. rugged: the AT&T by Johnson and Burgee (who who painted Greenwich Hospital. With regards Nonetheless, and fortunately enough, knows why it was necessary to chronicle the to Mantegna, many of his important works are Gombrich´s book does bring to mind something “post”?), and the most conventional, sad ignored, such as the wonderful “The Death of of Eugenio D’Ors lucid positions and formal Stirling; the amplification of the Tate Gallery. It the Virgin” (in the Prado museum) , or the analysis. is true that little can be included, but this is not fresco paintings of the “Camera degli sposi”. a reason to do one´s job so badly. “The Triumph of Ceasar” was also ignored, But if we want to highlight the book´s true despite it being in London´s Hampton Court disaster, let´s move onto his discussion of Leaving aside momentarily the anthology and Palace, which Gombrich had close to hand. architecture that should have been completely its errors, I would like to reinstate the point that discarded due to the fact that Gombrich does the book´s ideology is one that mystified Raphael on the other hand was treated well, not know how to deal with this subject. protestant attitudes and denigrates catholic however there is not one reproduction of the Sculpture, too, is almost entirely absent. ones. This mentality, at least as far as the clearly wonderful Vatican frescoes, which I believe is a Indeed, Gombrich wouldn´t have missed religiously apathetic author of this piece is grave mistake. Instead, there is an exaggerated anything out had he not referred to Architecture concerned - can no longer be bore at this reproduction of the Sistine Chapel. Of Fra or Sculpture in his work. Their only reason for particular point in time, an era in which so many Angelico ´s works only a poor Annunciation appearing is that it is impossible to talk about lies and errors have been denounced or cleared (from the San Marco museum, in Florence) is the ancient world without referring to them. up. According to Gombrich, protestant artists (in reproduced, and not the splendid one in the Both styles are poorly represented, and as the Great Britain, Germany and Holland for example) Prado museum. book continues the mistakes become ever more dedicated themselves to portraits and to the awkward. In the manuals of Art History, while capture of daily life and reality thanks to the Naturally, Tiziano´s best works have not been errors related to architecture are common it fact that they had no religious commissions due chosen either as the best ones are in the Prado: does not mean that they are less serious. The to the prohibition, or quasi prohibition, of icons. the portraits of the Emperor Carlos and Empress, examples of pre-renaissance architecture that This, to Gombrich, seems ideal to the same or the portrait of King Philip II (how can one he has chosen to relate within the book are extent that he considers the dedication to possibly think about this diabolical King !!), or certainly acceptable because of the conventional religious and classic themes of an almost the Danae, among others. The best of Rubens knowledge he has applied to them. However, I negligible, much lower value. These subjects, works are also in the Prado, and thus they do protest against his examples of English, which he regards as exclusive to the Catholics, don´t appear either. Neither can one explain, German, Dutch, gothic and other styles. Once are looked upon with a suspicion of banality and given Gombrich´s obsession with the author, again, the examples chosen are of a rather useless idealism. It is this very reason that can the absence of Durero´s magnificent self- secondary order and they ought to have been explain why he places Holbein up on a pedestal, portrait, “Adam and Eve”, also present in the replaced by different examples, especially by though in reality he cannot be lined up next to Prado. That is to say that Gombrich does not French or even Italian and Spanish works. the true greats, and also what makes him value allude to the Prado even though he could satisfy certain themes over artistic merit, and thus in his obsessions. Could this be a form of The disaster really starts to take its course conforming he only picks out the most banal ignorance? from the baroque period onwards. Only one examples of the social history of art. example of Italian baroque is featured, that It is impossible to understand how Gombrich being Borromini´s rather conventional St Agnese These arguments not only are impossible to could have systematically turned a blind eye to in Rome´s Piazza Navona. Versailles, both accept, but they also quite simply oppose many the world´s most important, richest, and finely topical and scarcely attractive, is also featured of the well balanced ideas that the book reflects assorted art gallery; the great Art Gallery of alongside less important Teutonic-Austrian throughout. Indeed, Michelangelo´s Sistine Madrid. Indeed, it brims with so many works. No other works from Italy, Spain or Latin Chapel is especially celebrated within the book, masterpieces that any other gallery would look America are included. Two pieces by Wren (what despite it being a religious work of art, plain in comparison, and I have absolute faith a miracle, may I add) have been included, but notwithstanding one of the greatest works of all that many other people share my opinion. One none by Hawksmoor : it is impossible to reach time. On the other hand, other great artists cannot possibly be a History of Art expert such knowledge or such lucidity. including Velázquez, Goya, or even Murillo, are without knowing the Prado Museum inside out. considered of a Catholic order, especially While this statement might sound like an He pays particular tribute to topical Britishness protected by monarchs. Instead, these are the

“The history of art” Antón Capitel English version El lugar (II) CPA_03 P142 very geniuses that revolutionised absolute self-interested and possibly ignorant point of the sufficient will to encourage great Spanish or realism, or rather those who perfected the art view which Gombrich maintains in his celebrated (and especially) Italian authors to write -if they of capturing not religious nor classic themes, and widely sold book. In spite of this, I wouldn´t have not yet written- a popular work that could but popular stories. There are hardly any mind recognising that it is, all in all, a good act as an alternative to the one commented paintings by Velazquez and Goya which are both book. The one thing that saddens me the most above. religious and of any interest. Neither should is how its errors, back to back against its one forget that any one of Holbein´s portraits successes, ultimately result in the disinformation The deception which one feels when reading this looks pale, in whatever shape, form or color, and dis-education of the masses while book is rather intense if one is to remember the compared to any portrait by Velazquez. paradoxically proving to be formative at the fantastic essays of the authors mentioned at the same time. It is equally down-putting, and this beginning. Turn away from this author, and turn So, all of the above is quite enough to goes between you and I, that there is neither a towards the rest. demonstrate, and to protest against, the biased, sufficiently supportive editorial industry nor

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