Forschungsberichte lungen mit Adelsprovenienz oder aus dem der romischen Graphik am meisten pragende Kontext der alten Kunstakademien nicht - ein Studium der erhaltenen gedruckten untypische Akzentsetzung auf Vollstandigkeit Lagerlisten steht aus, ware jedoch fur die im Sinne einer Bestandsvertretung des Kiinst- Geschmacksgeschichte des spateren 18. Jh.s lers und seiner bekanntesten Reproduzenten. hochst ertragreich). Erst die in den i95oer Weitaus weniger Augenmerk wurde an- Jahren hinzugekommenen Geschenke der scheinend auf friihe Abziige und damit auf Max-Kade-Foundation New York sowie erstklassige Druckqualitat gelegt; wahrschein- einige rezente Ankaufe haben das Qualitats- lich waren solche Stiicke fur viele der im Fun­ niveau der Sammlung in der Staatsgalerie dus zusammengeflossenen alten Sammlungen nachhaltig verbessert. kaum noch greifbar oder bezahlbar. Was Rai­ Unter den deutschen graphischen Sammlun­ mondi und seinen Kreis angeht, bestimmen gen ist Stuttgart sicher nicht das wichtigste Abziige des spateren 17. und 18. Jh.s das Bild, Repositorium von Raffael-Reproduktionen, also Drucke mit den Verlegeradressen der de kann aber wegen der Schwerfalligkeit der Rossi und des kurz vor der franzdsischen Re­ meisten anderen Institute wieder einmal punk- volution tatigen Carlo Losi (letzterer verdient ten: Eine solche Ubersicht uber Verbreitung iibrigens mehr Beachtung; sein Sortiment war und EinfluE der Inventionen Raffaels im neben dem der Calcografia camerale das wohl europaischen Bilddruck fehlte bisher in umfangreichste und den historischen Kanon deutscher Sprache. Eckhard Leuschner Hans Vredeman de Vries Hans Vredeman de Vries und die Renaissance im Norden Exhibition catalogue Weserrenaissance-Museum, Lemgo, edited by Heiner Borggreve, Vera Lupkes, Paul Huvenne, and Ben van Beneden. With Thomas Fusenig and Barbara Uppenkamp. Munchen, Hirmer Verlag 2002. 399 p. with illustrations in colour and b/w, € 55-. ISBN 3-7774-9470-4 Petra Sophia Zimmermann Die Architectura von Hans Vredeman de Vries Entwicklung der Renaissancearchitektur in Mitteleuropa. Miinchen and Berlin, Deutscher Kunstverlag 2002, 262 p, with illustrations in b/w, € 49,80. ISBN 3-422-06370-6 Hans Vredeman de Vries (before October the meanwhile he travelled thousands of miles 1526-1609), son of a German officer, is probably between Kollum in Frisia, Mechlin, Antwerp, the most influential artist ever as far as the Liege, a few cities of the Holy Roman Empire spread of Renaissance architecture and orna­ as Aix-la-Chapelle, Wolfenbiittel, Danzig ment in Northern and Central Europe is con­ (now Gdansk) and Prague, and at the end of cerned. Two northernmost cities, Leeuwarden his life back to Amsterdam and The Hague in in Netherlands’ Frisia and Hamburg witnessed the young Dutch Republic. His itinerary was the beginning (hence the addition De Vries, the determined partly by the political and religious Frisian, in his name) and the end of his life. In events of the time, and partly by his search for 169 Forschungsberichte new commissions. One surprising thing about the architectural historian Petra Zimmermann his wanderings is the fact, that he never got from Cologne, whose own book is also subject further south than Prague. The eye-opener in to this review. The result is, that for the first his case was not the confrontation with time the various fields of Vredeman’s activity ancient ruins in Rome, but an extract from the are discussed in one, richly illustrated publi­ architectural treatises of Vitruvius and the cation. fourth book of the Italian architect Sebastiano The first chapter attempts to come to the most Serlio on classical orders, which he read (and reliable study of the artist’s life with the help copied) in the 1539 translations of Pieter of long known and recently published docu­ Coecke. Details on Vredeman’s life like these ments. Borggrefe combines in his biography we know from Karel van Mander. When the all available information to come to better latter’s Schilder-boeck was published in 1604, defined dates of Vredeman’s life. Vredeman was the oldest Netherlandish The data given by him and Zimmermann, respectively painter still in life, and accordingly the chapter 152.6-1609 and 1527-1606, typify the controverse on living artists starts with him (fols 265a- among art historians on this subject. The two dates of birth based on respectively a document from October 267a). He was a versatile person, not only 1560 stating the age of the artist as 34 years old (p. 31, architect and author of very practical treatises, note 25), and on the mention of his age as 77 in the but also fortifications engineer, painter, artist’s portrait published by Hondius in 1604 (fig. on rhetorician and last but not least, designer for p. 184), can only be reconciliated if the artist was born all possible fields of the decorative arts. His before October 1526. The problem of the date of death is solvedby documents. Notwithstanding the absence stimulating work gave rise in 2002 to two new of the customary dedication in the 1606 publication of publications in Germany: the first devoted to the book of architecture, in August 1607 the artist is his overall oeuvre, and the second to his work still reported alive, living in Hamburg, and only two as an architectural theorist. years later is there talk of his estate (pp. 29-30). Hans Vredeman de Vries and die Renaissance Also Vredeman’s stay in Antwerp is better im Norden is the result of a cooperation defined now. After his first short stay in 1548- among art historians from seven countries, 49 he only returned in 1564, which means that worthy the artist’s international career. for nine years he maintained contacts from Although it was meant to accompany the exhi­ Mechlin with Antwerp publishers. The role bition in the Weserrenaissance-Museum Antwerp, the artistic capital par excellence of Schlofi Brake in Lemgo, held between May 26 Northern Europe, played in his career, justifies and August 25 (and on its next stage in the essay by DaCosta Kaufmann on the Antwerp until early December 2002), the importance of the city and his artists for book has certainly more to it than a mere Europe and the world. catalogue. Thirteen introductory essays high­ Interest in the work of Vredeman focussed in light the life, work and influence of the artist, the past on his place either in architectural whose work was decisive even for the devel­ history or in history of art, above all painting. opment of the Weserrenaissance itself. Heiner His print designs, published in Antwerp Borggrefe and his museum staff called ona between 1555 and 1586 are evaluated now in number of people involved in the Vredeman two essays. Ilja Veldman elaborates the research or in related fields, among whom chronological role played by publishers, such renowned professors in art history - in as Gerard de Jode, Hieronymus Cock, and alphabetical order DaCosta Kaufmann from Philips Galle in disseminating Vredeman’s Princeton, Van de Velde from Antwerp and ideas. The prints mentioning his name and Ilja Veldman from Amsterdam, - the orna­ concerning a wide range of fields - furniture, ment specialist Peter Fuhring from Paris and sculpture, vases, fountains and wells, not to 170 Forschungsberichte Fig- i Sheet no. 17 of the Scenographiae, 1560, Van Doetecum brothers from design by Hans Vredeman de Vries, published by Hieronymus Cock in Antwerp forget gardens and ornament prints in general The artist’s work as architect inAntwerp and -were the best ‘letter of recommendation’ during his wandering years is the subject of the anyone could have wished, once the artist following studies: as theorist by Zimmermann decided to leave the city forever. It is interesting (see below), as author of the temporary to read how he switched from one publisher to constructions for triumphal entries in another, depending on their rising or falling Antwerp by Van de Velde, and as fortifications stars, and to realise how innovative Galle was engineer by Lombaerde and Van den Heuvel. by (probably) commissioning and publishing When the books on architecture are under­ in 1583 the first ever garden designs in the stood as books about applied ornament, the North. Peter Fuhring, who supplemented the influence of the artist is enormous. The essays 1967 dissertation by the late Hans Mielke by Uppenkamp (general influence) and Muchka with new research on the prints for the Holl­ (focussed on Bohemian architecture) are stein volumes XLVII-XLVIII, gives an in-depth devoted to this aspect, while the first author analysis of the types of ornament invented by also discusses some examples of the widely the artist. Within the customary division of his varying uses of pattern books in the field of ceuvre in antique, universal and ‘modern’, i.e. the decorative arts. Indeed, Vredeman’s typically Renaissance ornament, he draws compositions went through many editions and attention to a virtually unknown aspect within were almost permanently available on the the last category, namely graining (Fladern, market as a source for others. pp. 66-67). This technique of trompe I’ceil The Leitmotiv within the artist’s oeuvre, the painting or of applying coloured prints to for one that pervades all his paintings and designs example ceilings in imitation of grained wood with architectural decor is perspective. The was represented by Vredeman in six prints consequent and didactic manner inwhich his from three series. self-developed method to combine mathematics 171 Forschungsberichte with painting and drawing appears in his important collaborator later on. With joint work led to the spread of perspectival skills in efforts father and son painted in 1594-95 an the Netherlands. In a learned essay by impressive series for the Council’s Grand Dubourg Glatigny the artist’smost important Chamber in the Gdank City Hall. The seven publications in this field, Scenographiae from paintings, exceptionally all on show, are 1560 and Artis perspectivae from 1568 are commented on in an essay by Krzysztof discussed in a European context, just like Gronowicz, curator of the Historical Museum Perspective from 1604-05, where for the first of Gdansk.