NumberTwenty 1961 REMBRANDT Christ and the Woman of Samaria AUCKLAND CITY ART GALLERY QUARTERLY NUMBER TWENTY —1961 EDITORIAL In 1634, Rembrandt married Saskia van Uylcnburgh who had a considerable dowry, As our Old Master collection has increased so which provided the artist, for a brief few years, much recently, we are building five more a pleasurable existence. He was an enthusias- mobile walls for the Mackelvie Gallery. Space tic collector, buying paintings and etchings- now, in the Gallery, is at a premium. It was particularly by Italian artists — and his work therefore encouraging to learn that it is in- of this period often reflects the influence of tended that the New Library building is to his collection. The present etching indeed is commence next year. The present library rooms clearly based on an Italian model. Valentiner will provide us with adequate space for many suggests Moretto's work at Bergamo, but years to come. Munz, more convincingly, suggests an engrav- ing by Girolamo Olgiati, who was an imitator of Cornelis Cort in Venice in the 1570s. It is REMBRANDT VAN RIJN (1606-1669) Dutch not surprising therefore to find certain simi- CHRIST AND THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA (Cover) larities between Olgiati's work (repr. Munz: Etching 121 x 106mm H. 122 II The Etchings of Rembrandt II p. 95) and that Signed Rembrandt f. J634 of Guido Reni. Annibale Carracci had made This etching was purchased, with others visit to Venice in 1585. and his brother Ago noticed in a previous issue, this year. Rem- stino had been there earlier in 1581-2. It brandt produced two separate etchings — this interesting, therefore, to see that the new one and another in 1657, and a painting (Ber- humanist naturalism of Bologna and Venic lin Dahlem) in 1655. Different in composition, had still a significant influence on Rembrand the two etchings also show a marked difference in the 1630s" in the artist's conception of this meeting. Our print shows a wholly humanist relationship be- tween Christ and the woman — as it were, a GUIDO RENI (1 575-1642) Italian tete a tete. In the later one this is changed: CHRIST AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN the spirituality of Christ is more evident, and Kn-ravine 285 x 410 B 52 II the woman more withdrawn. Pti-chascd 1955 page two Guido Reni made this engraving in 1595, change in conception, similar to Rembrandt: when he was twenty. The engraving, in re- this is, an increase in spirituality and less of verse, is of a painting by Annibale Carracci the humanistic 'conversation piece.' (Brera Gallery, Milan). In the catalogue of The engraving style of Guido derives from the Carracci Bologna Exhibition, the painting Agostino Carracci. with its robust cross-hatch- is dated 1595—the year Annibale moved to ing which in turn had come from Cornelis Rome to commence work on the Palazzo Cort, a Flemish engraver in Venice under Farnese. Bartsch (Reni 52) notes that a rare whom Agostino had studied. first state exists of the engraving, which is Guido has followed the painting fairly dated 1595; and the second state was not pub- closely; only in the head of the man on the lished until fifteen years later by Stephanoni. left has he lowered it, and the pot on the left It was in 1595 that Guido Reni left Cal- of the Samaritan woman is different in shape. vaert's studio, coming under the stronger in- Behind Christ's outstretched hand another fluence of the Carracci at the moment when tree-trunk appears in the print; finally, the Annibale had made the break completely from painting seems to have been trimmed on the Mannerism: this composition, which might be right. a paraphrase of Titian's SACRED AND PROFANE The astonishing virtuosity of this print by LOVE, reveals the naturalism and directness of such a young artist demonstrates clearly the new style. About 1605 Annibale painted Guide's later eminence as the heir of the Car- another CHRIST AND THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA racci, and one of the great painters of the (Kunsthistoriches, Vicuna) where there is a High Baroque. page three VIVIANO CODAZZ1 (1611-1672) Italian clouds — the land form in the right fore- MICCOS PADARO (1612-1675) Italian ground, and particularly in the placing of the Canvas 30 x 45ins figure groups, i.e. the distinctive pair in the Signed Monogram VC (on wall, left) left background in both paintings. Wittkower Purchased 1961 notes that Spadaro (1612-75) was influenced Codazzi was in the 1640s one of the best by Callot in introducing these groups of small known of the architectural painters — and as figures into his pictures. an Italian one of the first to join the Bam- It is a matter of interest that this fine work boccianti movement of topographical realism. was purchased from a New Zealand source. Amongst fellow artists were Asselyn and Mom- mers. Codazzi is best known for his paintings of classical ruins, engaging other artists to paint the figures. Wittkower (Art and Archi- tecture in Italy, 1600-1750 Plate 20B) repro- duces a Codazzi with the figures by Cer- LEANDRO BASSANO (1557-1622) Venetian Seasonal Allegory with Adam and Kve quozzi. However, it seems clear in this paint- Oil on canvas 30i x 43fins ing that Codazzi's collaborator was Micco Mackelvie Collection 1961 Spadaro (Gargiuolo), a Neapolitan artist. The landscape is clearly Naples. But comparing the When first acquired, this painting was attri- general composition with Spaclaro's I.ANDSCAPK buted to Francesco Bassano, but Professor WITH SAINT ONUPHRIUS (Capodimontc, Naples Arslan suggests Leandro, and that it is an early 299), there are distinct relationships— in the work of c. 1775. At this time both brothers page four were working in their father's (Jacopo) studio, ie Capricorn, the goat, Aquarius, the water car- so that there is a great similarity in their styles rier, and the flowering willow — a symbol of and compositions, most of which were based Easter. on their father's. Baldass (Les Tableaux Leandro and Francesco seem to have worked Champetres des Bassano . Gazette des from modellos of their father, for they use the Beaux-Arts, Mar. 1955 p. 154) suggests that same figures or groups, merely rearranging this coupling of rural scenes with miniature them in different paintings: for instance, scenes from the Old Testament was an inven- figures in the Auckland work appear again in tion of Francesco (vide those at Vienna, and a composition SPRING (Toronto, 43 x 67ins) replicas Louvre and Grenoble). None by attributed to Francesco. Jacopo are extant, but obviously his ADAM AND Leandro stayed with his father at Bassano, EVE (Galleria Doria Pamphili) and his other until about 1588, when, like his brother, he biblical subjects with realist rustic figures in- went to Venice. There he became successful, dicate that he was probably the original source. doing work in the Doge's Palace; but his fame Bnldass also thinks that Francesco's works in came from his portraits, and for this work he this genre arc of the same period — ic 1770 received a knighthood from the Doge, Marin until 1781—when Francesco was settled in Grimano. Venice. It is probable that the brothers worked There are traces of a signature on the stone together on this type of allegory. Baldass re- in the bottom left — similar in position to the fers to a Leandro at Vienna (No. 314) being National Gallery London TOWER OF BABEL a portion of a representation of the month of (No 60). Nothing more is known of the pro- July. The months indicated in the Auckland venance except that it was formerly in the work are probably January, February, March, collection of S. A. San ford. page five JAN ASSELYN (1610-1652) Dutch turned to Amsterdam. About 1648, Rem- ITALIAN LANDSCAPE WITH A CASTLE brandt made a portrait etching of him. Panel 24 x 30ins Like Mommers (see Quarterly 18) he Signed Monogram A joined the Schildersbent in Rome, and re- Purchased 1961 ceived the nickname of Krabbetje, or ' Little Asselyn, who was born at Diepen near Amster- Crab.' from the contracted fingers of one dam, was a pupil of Esias van de Velde. It is hand. His style can be related to Karel du likely that he went to Rome in the 1630s Jardin and Jan Both. His work reveals a close where he remained until 1645, when he re- interest in nature — in the effects of light as page six well as natural forms — which indicates the as the inscription on the plate records, post- spreading influence of Claude, then resident humously printed, brings the works in the col- in Rome. An interesting feature of this is that lection by this great and influential Seven- many of these artists were sketching out of teenth Century print-maker to a total of four. doors; it was perhaps the interest in topo- Callot came to Rome in 1608, to study at graphy which helped to cause this. One may Philippe Thomassin's atelier, and remained in notice in our painting the effects of light and Italy until 1621. He was the first print-maker shade, which could only be achieved by on to gain an international reputation or to in- the spot observation. fluence the broad development of the graphic The provenance of this painting is especi- arts in Europe. It is interesting to note that ally interesting. A note on the back of the Rembrandt, the greatest etcher of the Seven- panel records that it was taken at the capture teenth Century, had acquired, in 1656, the of Sebastapol in 1855 by Captain Thomas corpus of the Lorraine engraver; it appears in George of the 4th Light Dragoons.