An Illustrated Inventory of Famous Dismembered Works of Art: European Paintings

An illustrated inventory

of famous disrnembered works of art European painting with a section on disrnembered tombs

in France

Unesco Paris 1974

Verlag Dokumentation Mùnchen

An illustrated inventory

of famous disrnembered works of art European painting

The reconstitution of disrnembered works of art is a very difficult problem and one which is clearly of an international character, for in many cases fragments of the same work are to be found in several différent countries. With a view to elucidating this subject, Unesco has invited a number of eminent European art specialists to describe some famous works of art which hâve been disrnembered in their own countries, give an account of the circumstances in which this was done, and state what measures hâve been or could be taken in order to restore thèse works to their original unity. The Organization thanks thèse specialists for their co-operation, and hopes that the research they hâve done may serve as an example in the préparation of national inventories of disrnembered works of aU catégories, which will faciUtate the identification of fragments and increase the chances of reconstituting the originals. The facts and ideas set forth in this work are the sole responsibihty of the authors.

Published by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 7 Place de Fontenoy, 75700 Paris Printed by Ceuterick, Louvain

ISBN 92-3-101039-5 (paper) Verlag Dokumentation : 3-7940-5126-2 92-3-101040-9 (cloth) French édition: 92-3-201039-9

wM ©

Unesco 1974

Printed in Belgium

The authors

Abdul Hak, Selim

Danilova, Irina

Pesenti, Franco Renzo

Doctor of letters of the University of Paris (1943), graduate of the Institut d'Art et d'Archéologie, the Institut d'Urbanisme and the École du Louvre, Paris. Head curator of the National Muséum, Damascus (1946-50), director gênerai of aatiquities and muséums in Syria (1950-64), head of the Monuments and Muséums Division (1965-70) and specialist in international instruments at Unesco (since 1971). Director and editor-in-chief of the journal Annales Archéologiques de Syrie (1950-64). Publications: Les Sculptures des

Graduate in the history of art ofthe University of Moscow (1945). Doctor of the Institute of the History of Art, Academy of Sciences, Moscow (1948). Lecturer at the Institute of

Born 1937, studied at the Ghislieri Collège, Pavia; gained a doctorate of letters in 1959. Engaged as an assistant at the Institute of the History of Art of the University of Pavia and also at the University of Genoa, where he is at présent a libre docente teaching the history of art, lecturer on the history of techniques in art and holder of a contract with the CNR. Has published many articles and essays on fourteenth-, fifteenth-, seventeenth- and eighteenth-century painting in Lombardy and Liguria. At présent studying the techniques and working conditions of artists in thirteenthcentury Italy.

Porches du Transept de la Cathédrale de Chartres, Paris, 1943; L'Art Grec d'Orient, Damascus, 1951 ; Illustrated Catalogue of the National Muséum, Damascus, Damascus, 1951 ; Les Aspects Archéologiques de Damas, Damas¬ cus, 1953 ; Rome et V Orient Romain, Damascus, 1958; etc.

Cândea, Virgil Studies at the University Institute of Theology, Bucharest. Bachelor of Iaw, doctor of philoso-

phy of the University of Bucharest. Divisional head at the library of the Romanian Academy (1950-61), research assistant at the Institute of History in Bucharest (1952-54). Director of the International Association of South-East European Studies (1963-68). Lecturer at the University of Bucharest (since 1965). Research assistant at the Institute of South-East Euro¬ pean Studies in Bucharest (since 1968). Visiting professor at the Graduate Institute of Inter¬ national Studies and at the University Institute of European Studies, Geneva (1968-71). Corresponding member of the Romanian Academy of Social and Political Sciences. Specialist in the history of mediaeval cultures and thought in South-East Europe and the Near East. Author of a number of books, studies and critical éditions in thèse fields. In 1967 discovered melchite icons, an expression of post-Byzantine art peculiar to the peoples of the Near East. In 1969 organized in Beirut the first international exhibition of melchite icons. Has conducted research into this art in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Cyprus.

Décorative Arts, Moscow (1948-67). Assistant director of the Pushkin Muséum of Fine Arts (as from 1967). Made a study tour of Italy (1961). Specialist in the history of Russian mediaeval painting and Italian fourteenth- and fifteenth-century painting, and author of a number of books and publications.

Lavalleye, Jacques

Doctor of philosophy and letters (history), doctor of archaeology and of the history of art. Archivist and palaeographer with the General Archives ofthe Kingdom (1924) then assistant curator of the Royal Muséums of Fine Arts of Belgium (1929), Brussels. Profes¬ sor and chairman, Higher Institute of Archaeo¬ logy and the History of Art of the Catholic University of Louvain. Member (1958) then permanent secretary (1970) to the Belgian Royal Academy. Président of the National Centre for Research on the Flemish Primitive Painters since 1958. Speciality: problems of methodology in the history of art, the history of painting and notably of fifteenth-century painting in the southern parts of the former Low Countries.

Quarré, Pierre Head curator of the muséums of Dijon, vicechairman of the Régional Commission for the Inventory of the Monuments and Artistic Treasures of France (Burgundy). Lecturer at the University of Dijon. Correspondent of the Academy of Fine Arts. Member of the Higher Commission on Historic Monuments, Associate of the Belgian Royal Academy. Publica¬ tions: L'Art en Bourgogne: Dijon; Le Musée de Dijon, Sa Formation, Son Développement; La Chartreuse de Champmol, Foyer d'Art au Temps des Ducs de Valois; La Sainte-Chapelle de Dijon, Siège de l'Ordre de la Toison d'Or; La Sculpture de la Façade et des Portails de Notre-Dame de Dijon ; Un Cabinet d'Amateur Dijonnais au XVIIIime Siècle; La collection Jehannin de Chamblanc; Une École Provinciale de Dessin au XVIIlème Siècle; L'Académie de Peinture et de Sculpture de Dijon; Le Goût du Gothique chez les Collectionneurs du XIXime Siècle; Un Descendant d'une Grande Famille de Parlementaires Bourguignons: CharlesBalthsar- Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin. ..; La Sculpture Romane en Haute- Auvergne . . .

De Salas, Francisco Xavier

Thuillier, Jacques

Studied at the universtities of Barcelona, Madrid and Salamanca and undertook further studies in Vienna and Berlin; is a bachelor of law and a doctor of letters (history). Assistant professor at Barcelona since 1931, lecturer on the history of art, commissioner and director of the muséums of Catalonia (1940), titular professor (1945). Appointed to the Spanish Institute in London in 1946. Assistant director and curator of paintings in the Prado Muséum in 1960, professor at the University of Madrid since 1963, where he still teaches the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century art. Member of a great many societies, including the Real de Bellas Artes de San Fernando. Titular adviser of the Patronato Saavedra Fayardo. Secretary of the Spanish committee of ICOM. Member ofthe Executive Committee of that organization. Founder and director of the Annals and Bulletin of the Barcelona muséums of art. At présent runs the journal Arte Espanol, published by the Sociedad Espafiola de Amigos del Arte. Is a member of the editorial committee of the Fine Arts Gazette. Author of a number of works and of a great many articles that hâve been published in most Spanish and foreign journals concemed with the history of art.

Born 1928. A student of the École Normale Supérieure; agrégé and doctor of letters. Studied at the Primoli Foundation (Rome) then at the Thiers Foundation fj'aris). Lectured on the history of art at the Sorbonne (1959-62), then at the University of Dijon. In 1970 returned to the Sorbonne, where he is in charge of the department of the history of modem art. Is at présent scientific secretary of the International Committe on the History of Art (since 1969) and vice-chairman of the Society for the History of French Art (since 1970). His Personal research has been mainly concemed with French and Italian art of the seventeenth century (international symposium on Nicolas Poussin, 1958; Charles Le Brun exhibition, 1963; Sébastien Bourdon exhibi¬ tion, 1971-72, etc.) and of the eighteenth century (Fragonard), as well as with the history of literature on art in France. Some sixty articles and books published since 1957 in France, Italy, Fédéral Republic of Germany, United Kingdom and the United States.

Schug, Albert

Doctor of philosophy (history of art) of the University of Hamburg (1956). Scientific assistant at the Institute for the History of Art, University of Hamburg (1956-59). Librarian at the Central Institute for the History of Art, Munich (1960-69). Head of the arts and museography library of the city of Cologne at the Wallraf-Richartz Muséum (since 1969). Publications: Italian Pointers of the Renaissance; German and French Pointers of the Nineteenth Century; Twentieth-century Art. Engaged in the computerization of bibliographical documentation. Since 1969, he has been working on the electronic processing of documentation on objects in muséums (information storage and retrieval) for the Association of German Muséums and the ICOM working party concemed with the préparation of documentation about mu¬ séums. Other work connected with the electronic processing of data on the history of art at the University of Cologne.

Contents

Introduction

6

by Selim Abdul Hak

13

7

8

Disrnembered works of art- -Italian painting by Franco Renzo Pesenti

18

DUCCIO DI BUONINSEGNA

Predella of the Maestà, Sienna Cathedral 26 / Front: Central part and Coronation. The Virgin Enthroned with Child, Angles and Saints; Scènes from the End ofthe Life ofthe Virgin. Predella: Childhood of Christ; The Prophets. 2 Back: The Passion; Appearances of Jésus. Predella: Jésus Among the Doctors; The Miracles of Jésus.

Giotto Polyptych of the Virgin and four saints National Gallery of Art, Washington 1 The Virgin and Child.

28

Home Muséum, Florence 2

Saint Stephen.

Jacquemart-André Muséum, Abbaye de Chaalis 3 Saint John the Evangellst and The Angel. Simone Martini

Polyptych of the Passion 30 Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp 1 The Angel Gabriel. 2 The Annunciation. 3 The Crucifixion. 4 The Déposition. The Louvre, Paris 5 The Way to Calvary. Kaiser Friedrich Muséum, Berlin The Entombment.

6

Domenico Veneziano Altar-piece of Santa Lucia dei Magnoli 36 Uffizi Gallery, Florence 1 The Virgin with Child and Four Saints.

National Gallery of Art, Washington 2 The Ecstasy of Saint Francis. 3 Saint John the Baptist as a Child in the Désert. Fitzwilliam Muséum, Cambridge (United Kingdom) 4 5

The Annunciation. The Miracle of Saint Zenobius.

Kaiser Friedrich Muséum, Berlin The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy.

6

Paolo Uccello The battle of San Romano 38 National Gallery, London 1 Niccolo da Tolentino Leading the Attack.

Uffizi Gallery, Florence 2 The Unhorsing of Bernardino délia Carda. The Louvre, Paris 3 Micheletto da Cotignola Counter-attacking.

Andréa Mantegna San Zeno altar-piece 40 Church of San Zeno, Verona / Centre: The Virgin and Child. Left: Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John the Evangellst, Saint Zenobius. Right: Saint Benedict, Saint Lawrence, Saint Gregory, Saint John the Baptist. Predella: The Agony in the Garden, The Crucifixion, The Résurrection.

Fine Arts Muséum, Tours The Agony in the Garden. 4 The Résurrection. 2

Masaccio Pisa polyptych Pisa Muséum 1 Saint Paul.

The Martyrdom of Saint Peter and the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. The Adoration of the Magi. Scènes from the Life of Saint Julian and Saint Nicholas.

32

The Louvre, Paris 3 The Crucifixion.

Lanckoronski Collection, Vienna 2 Saint Andrew.

Cosimo Tuba

Capodimonte Muséum, Naples 3 Crucifixion.

Roverella polyptych The Louvre, Paris 1 Pietà.

National Gallery, London 4 The Virgin and Child. Kaiser Friedrich Muséum, Berlin 5 Four saints from the side pilasters: Saint Augustine, Saint Jérôme, The Prophet Elijah, Saint Albert.

42

National Gallery, London Virgin Enthroned with Child and Angels.

2

Fine Arts Gallery, San Diego, California Head of Saint George.

3

Colonna Collection, Rome Saint Maurelius and Saint Paul with Nicolo Roverella.

4

Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York The Flight into Egypt.

5

Isabella Stewart Gardner Muséum, Boston, Massachusetts 6 The Circumcision.

Fogg Art Muséum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 7 The Adoration ofthe Magi.

Francesco del Cosa Griffoni polyptych 46 Reconstitution according to Longhi.

Palazzo Bianco, Genoa 3 Virgin, Child, Saint Jérôme and Saint Benedict.

The Toledo Muséum of Art, Ohio 4 Two Figures and a Child. Two Figures. The Feast in Simon' s House.

Private collection, Paris 2 The Martyrdom of Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian.

Glasgow Muséums and Art Galleries 7 Pietà.

Stirling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts 8 The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.

Disrnembered works of art

Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York Virgin of the Annunciation. 5 Angel of the Annunciation. 4

Anonymous The Martyrdom of Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian 70 Muzeum Narodowe, Warsaw 1 The Martyrdom of Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian.

National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin

by Jacques Lavalleye

Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp 2 Jewish Judges and Roman Soldiers. 3 Virgin, Saint John and Holy Women.

The Louvre, Paris 2 God Between Two Angels.

Dahlem Muséum, Berlin 2 Saint Catherine of Sienna, Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint Jérôme. 3 Saint Augustine, Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Saint Anthony o/Padua.

6

Gérard David Christ Nailed to the Cross 67 National Gallery, London / Christ Nailed to the Cross.

God Between Two Angels 68 1 Reconstitution of the Altar-pieces in the Abbey Church of La Cervara in Liguria.

Luca Signorelli Bichi polyptych 48 The Louvre, Paris 1 Saint Christopher.

5

Max and Leola Epstein Collection, Chicago Art Institute David and a Messenger.

2

Flemish painting

52

Pieter Bruegel The Months 72 Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna / Hunters in the Snow. 2 A Gloomy Day. 3 Return of the Herd.

Narodni Gallery, Prague 4

Rogier Van der Weyden Saint Mary Magdalene Reading 56 National Gallery, London / Saint Mary Magdalene Reading. Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon 2 Head of Saint Joseph. 3 Head of a Saint.

Nativity and Pietà 58 Capilla Real, Granada 1

2

Pietà. Nativity.

Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York 3 Christ Appearing to His Mother.

The Haymaking.

Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York 5

The Corn Harvest.

Petrus Paulus Rubens The Gonzaga Family in Adoration of the Holy Trinity Galleria e Museo di Palazzo Ducale, Mantua 1 The Holy Trinity. 2 The Family of Vincenzo Gonzaga. 3 Little White Dog. 4 Head and Shoulders of a Halberdier. Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna 5

Portrait of Francesco Gonzaga.

Private collection, London Portrait of Margherita Gonzaga.

6

Virgin and Child 61 Mancel Collection, Caen 1 Virgin and Child.

Fine Arts Muséum, Nancy 7 The Transfiguration.

Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Brussels

5

2

Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp The Baptism of Christ.

Laurent Froimont.

Justus of Ghent Famous Men 63 1 Reconstitution of the Urbino Studiolo, Ducal Palace, Urbino.

Galleria Nazionale délie Marche, Urbino Saint Gregory.

2 5

74

Moses.

The Louvre, Paris 3 Saint Augustine. 4 Ptolemy.

Triptych of the Adoration of the Kings 76 Church of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist, Malines / Adoration of the Kings. 2 Saint John the Evangelist Thrown into Bolllng OU. 3 Saint John the Evangelist at Patmos. 4 The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. 5 The Baptism of Christ. Fine Arts Muséum, Marseilles 6 The Résurrection of Christ. 7 The Adoration of the Shepherds.

Hans Memling

Saint Francis Receiving the Infant Jésus from the Hands of the

Bathsheba at her Bath 64 Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart 1 Bathsheba at her Bath.

Virgin 80 Fine Arts Muséum, Dijon 1

Saint Francis Receiving the Infant Jésus from the Hands ofthe Virgin.

Church of Saint Gommaire, Lier 2 Saint Clara. 3 Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata.

Anthony Van Dyck

Nicolas Poussin Venus and the Libéral Arts 102 The Louvre, Paris / Cupids' Concert. 3 Venus and the Libéral Arts.

Dulwich Collège Picture Gallery, London Venus and Mercury.

Christ 82 Galleria di Palazzo Rosso, Genoa / Christ.

2

The John and Mable Ringling Muséum of Art, Sarasota, Florida Saint Andrew.

2

Muséum of Fine Arts, Budapest 3 Saint John the Evangelist. Niedersâchische Landesgalerie, Hanover 4 Saint Paul.

Fine Arts Muséum, Lille Copy. Venus and the Libéral Arts.

4

Maître de Moulins Triptych of the Bourbons 104 The Louvre, Paris / Pierre II, Duc de Bourbon, Presented by Saint Peter. 2 Anne de France, Duchesse de Bourbon, with Saint John the Evangelist.

Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Collection, Essen 5

6

Saint Peter. Saint Thomas.

3

Portrait of Child Praylng.

4

Sketch showing the relationship between panels 2 and 3. Reconstitution of the side panels of the triptych.

Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna 7 Saint Judas Thaddaeus.

5

Portrait of Jan Woverius and his Son 84 The Louvre, Paris 1 Portrait of Jan Woverius and his Son.

Homage to the Child Louis XHI 106 The Louvre, Paris 1 The Municipal Magistrates ofthe City of Paris Congratulating the Young King Louis XIII on the Occasion of his Marriage.

Frans Pourbus the Younger

GemâJdegalerie, Dresden 2 Maria Clarissa and Child.

Hermitage Muséum, Leningrad Fragment I: with a portrait of Chancellor Nicolas Brulart de Sillery on the right. 3 Fragment II: with a portrait of the Provost of the merchants of

2

Frans Pourbus the Younger Homage to Louis XIII as a Child

Paris. 86

Private collection, Brussels 4 Fragment III: with a portrait of the Keeper of the Seals, Guillaume du Vair on the left.

Hermitage Muséum, Leningrad 1 Portrait of Four Men. 2 Portrait of Three Men. 3 Portrait of Three Men.

Mrs Hans Burny Collection, Brussels Portrait of Three Men.

4

Disrnembered works of art by Jacques Thuillier

French painting

88

Jean Fouquet

Diptych, Melun 96 Berlin Muséum 1 Etienne Chavalier Presented by Saint Etienne.

Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp Virgin with Child Surrounded by Angels.

2

Staatliche Museen, Berlin (photo) 3 The Descent ofthe Holy Spirit Among the Faitkful and the Unbelievers (photo original destroyed in 1945).

The Louvre, Paris 4 Self-portrait of Jean Fouquet.

National Muséum, Warsaw J Fragment IV: with a portrait of three municipal magistrates of the City of Paris.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec La Baraque de la Goulue 108 The Louvre, Paris 1 La Goulue and Valentin le Désossé at the Moulin Rouge (cut-up canvas). 2 La Goulue and Valentin le Désossé at the Moulin Rouge (reconstituted canvas). 3 La Goulue Dancing an Egyptian Dance in Her Dance Shack (cut-up canvas). 4 La Goulue Dancing an Egyptian Dance in Her Dance Shack (reconstituted canvas). Antoine Coypel Gallery of Aeneas, at the Palais Royal

/

110

Plan of the Gallery of Aeneas in the Palais Royal, Paris (destroyed).

Fabre Muséum, Montpellier 2 Aeneas Carrying Away his Father Anchises. 4 The Death of Dido.

Fine Arts Muséum, Arras 3 Aeneas and Achates Appearing to Dido. Unknown

Triptych of the Annunciation, Aix 98 Church of La Madeleine, Aix-en-Provence 1 Central part: The Annunciation. Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Brussels Right panel: The Prophet Jeremiah.

2

Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam Left panel (above): Still Life.

3

Van Beuningen Muséum, Rotterdam Left panel (below): The Prophet Isaiah. 6 Outer side of The Prophet Isaiah: Mary Magdalene.

4

5

7

Outer side of Still Life: The Risen Christ. Reconstitution by photomontage

Fine Arts Muséum, Angers 14 Venus Implorlng Jupiter (sketch). 5 Aeneas Carrying Away His Father Anchises (engraving by Desplace). 6 Aeneas and Achates Appearing to Dido (engraving by Simon Thomassin). 7 The Death of Dido (engraving by G. Duchange). 8 Aeneas in the Underworld (engraving by J. Surugue). 9 Jupiter Appearing to Aeneas (engraving by Desplace). 10 The Death ofPallas (engraving by Desplace). 11 The Defeat and Death of Turnus (engraving by Poilly). 12 Juno Lettlng Loose the Tempest (engraving by Tardieu). 13 Neptune Quelling the Tempest (engraving by Tardieu). 15 The Wreck of Aeneas' Fleet (engraving by Beauvais). 16 Venus Asking Vulcanfor Arms for Aeneas (engraving by Tardieu).

Jean-François Millet Décoration of the Ilot cl Thomas 114 Private collection 1 The Cherub Shiverlng with Cold, or Winter. 2 Ceres, or Summer.

Chartres Muséum Saint Lucy.

3

Hermitage Muséum, Leningrad 5 Saint Lawrence. Séries of the martyrs of the Order of Mercy Pérez Asensio Collection, Jerez

National Muséum of Western Art, Tokyo 3 Daphnis and Chloe, or Spring.

Adanero Collection, Madrid 3 Martyr. 4 Martyr. 8 Martyr.

Disrnembered works of art- -Spanish painting 116

El Greco High altar of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, Toledo 121 / Diagram showing the reconstitution of the high altar.

Ceballos Collection, Madrid 5 Martyr.

Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut 6 Martyr. 7 Saint Serapion.

Art Institute, Chicago 2

The Assumption.

Prado Muséum 3 The Trinity. 4 Saint Benedict.

Muséum of the Casa del Greco, Toledo 9

Martyr.

Collection belonging to the heirs of the Marquis de Valdeterrazo 10 Martyr.

Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo Saint John the Baptist. 6 Saint John the Evangelist. 5

9

34

Martyr. Martyr.

1

2

by Xavier de Salas

1

The Résurrection.

Juan March Collection, Madrid

Juan de Valdés Leal Group of paintings from the Monastery of Saint Jérôme of

The Holy Face. Emilio Botin Collection, Santander 8 The Adoration of the Shepherds.

Buenavista 136 Cremer Collection, Dortmund 1 Saint Jérôme with the Pagan Doctors.

7

Francisco de Zurbarân High altar of the Carthusian Monastery at Jerez de la Frontera 124 1 Diagram of reconstitution of the high altar of the Monastery at Jerez de la Frontera as suggested by Paul Guinard. Metropolitan Muséum, New York 2 The Battle of Jerez (the Virgin ofthe 'Defension', Patroness of the Carthusian Monastery, Putting the Moors to Flight). Fine Arts Muséum, Grenoble 3 The Adoration of the Shepherds. 5 The Adoration of the Wise Men. 8 10

Seville Muséum 2 The Baptism of Saint Jérôme. 3 The Temptation of Saint Jérôme. 4 The Flagellation of Saint Jérôme. 8 Friar Fernando Yâhez de Figueroa. 9 Friar Gozalo de Illescas. 10 Friar Pedro Fernandez Pécha. 11 Friar Juan de Ledesma. 13 Friar Pedro de Cabanuelas, 14 Friar Hernando de Talavera. Bowes Muséum, Barnard Castle, Durham, United Kingdom 5 Saint Eustochium.

The Annunciation. The Circumcision.

Tessé Muséum, Le Mans 6 Saint Paula.

Cadiz Muséum 4 Saint John the Evangelist. 6 Saint Matthew. 7 Saint Bruno in Ecstasy. 9 Saint Mark. 11 Saint Luke. 12 Saint John the Baptist. 13 Saint Lawrence.

Grenoble Muséum 7

Friar Alonso

de Ocana.

Dresden Muséum 12

Friar Vasco de Portugal.

Prado Muséum, Madrid 15 Hieronymite Martyr. 16 Saint Jérôme.

Passage to the Tabernacle (Pasillo del Sagrario), Carthusian Monastery at Jerez de la Frontera 128

Cadiz Muséum / Angel Bearing Incense. 2 Saint Anthelm. 3 Saint Hugh of Grenoble. 4 Saint Bruno. 5 Angel Bearing Incense. 6 Cardinal Albergati 7 Saint Arthaud. 8 Saint Hugh of Lincoln. 9 Blessed John Houghton.

Disrnembered works of art by Albert Schug

The Uttenheim Master The Uttenheim Lady Altar 144 Osterreichische Galerie, Vienna 1 Madonna with Child and Saints. Bolzano Muséum 2 Saint Peter.

National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh 10 The Immaculate Conception with Saint Joachim and Saint Anne. Muzeum Narodowe, Poznan 11

The Virgin

The Louvre, Paris 2 Saint Apollonia.

Konrad Witz The Spéculum altar-piece 146 1 Reconstitution of Konrad Witz's altar-piece, proposed by Wendland in 1924.

ofthe Rosary with Carthusian Monks.

Monastery of Saint Joseph, Order of Discalced Mercedarians Seville Muséum 1 The Eternal Father. 4 Christ Crowning Saint Joseph.

German painting

140

132

Kunstmuseum, Basel 2 The Church. 3 The Angel ofthe Annunciation. 4 6

Saint Bartholomew.

7

Slbbechal and Benaiah.

The Synagogue.

8 10 12 13

6

Abishal before David. Abraham before Melchizedek. Esther and Ahasuerus. Caesar and Antlpater.

7

8

9

Musée de la Ville, Dijon 5 Saint Augustine. 9 Augustus and the Sybil.

10 13

Staatliche Museen, Berlin 11 The Queen ofSheba before Solomon.

11

Stephan Lochner Last Judgement altar-piece from the parish church of Saint Laurenz in Cologne 150 Bayerische Staatsgemâldesammlungen, Munich 1 Saint Anthony Abbot, Pope Cornélius and Saint Mary Magdalene. 2 Saint Hubert, Saint Quirinus and Saint Catherine.

Wallraf Richartz Muséum, Cologne 3 The Last Judgement. Hans Multscher Retable of the high altar at Sterzing 1 52 Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich / Angel Supporting the Crown on the Rlght-hand Side. 2 Angel Supporting the Crown on the Left-hand Side. Sterzing Church 3 Saint Apollonta 4 Saint Catherine. 5 Virgin with Child. 6 Saint Barbara. 7 Saint Ursula.

Sterzing Muséum 8 Angels Holding a Cloth. 9 Saint George Guarding the Retable. 10 Saint Florlan Guarding the Retable. 11 Christ Bearing the Cross. 12 The Scourging of Christ. 14 15 16

17 18

The The The The The

Mount of Olives. Adoration ofthe Magi. Death of Mary. Annunciation. Birth of Christ.

Sterzing Town Hall 13 The Crowning with Thorns and the Deriding of Christ.

Tilman Rtemenschneider and Veit Stoss Altar-piece of Saint Mary Magdalene from the parish church at Munnerstadt 156 Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich 1 Mary Magdalene with Six Angels. 2 The Feast in the House of Simon. Dahlem Staatliche Museen, Berlin 3 Saint John. 4 Saint Mark. 5 Saint Luke. 6 Saint Matthew. 9 Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene. Parish Church of Munnerstadt 7 Saint Elizabeth. 8 Saint Kilian. 10 Death of Saint Mary Magdalene. 11 Communion of Saint Mary Magdalene. 12 Mercy Seat, with Saint John the Evangelist and Saint John the Baptist.

Hans Holbein the Elder High altar from the Dominikanerkirche, Frankfurt am Main 1 60 1 Reconstitution by Stange and Lieb of Hans Holbein the Elder's

The Scourging of Christ. The Crowning with Thorns. Ecce Homo. Christ Bearing the Cross. The Résurrection. Five Scènes from the Life of Christ.

Kunsthalle, Hamburg The Présentation

of Jésus in the Temple.

Offentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel 12 The Death of Mary.

Albrecht Durer Jabach altar-piece 166 Wallraf Richartz Muséum, Cologne / Piper and Drummer Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main

2

Job and his Wife.

Alte Pinakothek, Munich 3 Saint Joseph and Saint Joachim. 4 Saint Simon and Saint Lazarus. Albrecht Altdorfer Frescos in the Kaiserbad in Regensburg Fine Arts Muséum, Budapest 1

168

Fragment.

Stàdtisches Muséum, Regensburg 2 Détail from the left half of the main fresco.

Mathk Gothard Neithardt Grunewald Maria Schnee altar from the Stiftskirche in Aschaffenburg / Original frame of the altar-piece. Augustinermuseum, Freiburg-im-Breisgau. 2 The Miracle of the Snow.

Hans Holbein the Younger Portraits of Lady Mary and Sir Henry Guildford City Art Muséum of Saint Louis, Missouri / Portrait of Lady Guildford.

172

Zentralinstitut fur Kunstgeschichte, Munich 2 Portrait of Sir Henry Guildford. Georg Petel Crucifixion group of the Augsburg Heiliggeistspital Crucifixion.

173

Wilhelm Leibl Girl with carnation 174 Wallraf Richartz Muséum, Cologne 1 Fragment of the Bodice. Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karlsruhe 2 Left Hand. 3

Right Hand.

Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna 4 Fragment.

Disrnembered works of art by Irina Danilova

Russian painting

175

Anonymous Royal door, Tver 179 / Reconstitution of the royal door, Tver.

Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow 2 Saint John Chrysostom and Saint Basil the Great.

altar-piece. Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main 2 Tree of Jesse. 3 Genealogical Tree of the Domincan Order. 4 The Taking of Christ.

5

Christ Before Pilate.

Unknown Icons from the 'occasional' row of an iconostasis

Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow 1

2

The Déposition. The Lamentation for Christ.

180

170

Icons from the 'occasional' row of an iconostasis Muséum of Russian Art, Kiev / The Last Supper. 2 The Décapitation of Saint John the Baptist.

Jacques de Besançon

181

Andrei Rublev and Daniel Cherny Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir (I) / Reconstitution of the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the

Miroir Historial de Vincent de Beauvais 202 Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris / Salome Presenting the Head of Saint John the Baptist to Herod. 2 The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine. 182

Jean Foucquet

Assumption. Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow 2 The Virgin Mary, The Saviour and Saint John the Baptist. 3 Saint Gregory of Nazlanzus and The Virgin Mary. 4 Saint Andrew. Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir (LT)

Livre d'Heures d'Etienne Chevalier 204 Musée Condé, Chantilly The Coronation of the Virgin.

1

1

85

Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow 1

2 3

British Muséum, London David at Frayer.

2

Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris The Family ofthe Virgin.

3

The Annunciation. The Descent into Hell. The Assumption.

Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir (TU) Russian Muséum, Leningrad 1 Saint Peter. 2 Saint Paul.

186

Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir (IV) Russian Muséum, Leningrad 1 The Présentation in the Temple.

187

Disrnembered illuminated manuscripts European art by Virgil Cândea

Musée Condé, Chantilly 3 The Coronation of Lothair.

188

Anonymous The Lorsch Gospels 194 Victoria and Albert Muséum, London / First Ivory Cover.

Workshop of the Dures of Rohan Livre d'Heures du Maître des Grandes Heures de Rohan 206 Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, Paris Adoration ofthe Christ Child. Radu Zugravul Painter's Guide, by Radu Zugravul 207 Library of the Romanian Academy 1 Virgin and Child. 2 Virgin and Child. 3 The Holy Trinity. 4 The Forty Martys, the Archangels Michael and Gabriel and Saint Ephraim the Syrlan. Saint John the Baptist. Saints Sergius and Bacchus and the Hermits Peter, Mark and Macarius.

Disrnembered tombs- -French sculpture

Batthyaneum Library, Alba Iulia 2 Canon of Concordance ofthe Gospels. 3 Saint Matthew.

by Pierre Quarré 210

Vatican Library 4 Saint John

Tomb of Philippe le Hardi 216 / Reconstitution of 1827; the 'mourners' were rearranged in 1932, 1945 and 1959.

English master and Dutch master, both anonymous Carmélite Missal 196 British Muséum, London Page ofthe manuscript reconstructed by Miss Margaret Rickert: A Miracle Worked by Saint Nicholas.

Claus Sluter and Claus de Werve

Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris Drawing by J. P. Gilguin.

2

Cleveland Muséum of Art and loan from the Musée de Cluny Mourners Nos. 38 and 40.

3

Jean de la Huerta and Antoine le Moiturier

Masters of the Duke of Berry and others, including Jan van Eyck Les Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame, du Duc Jean de Berry 197 Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris / The Présentation. 2 Christ Teaching His Apostles the Paternoster (destroyed in the fire in 1904). Museo Civico, Turin The Birth of Saint John the Baptist.

3

Duke of Berry's illuminator; later Jean Foucquet and probably Jean Poyet Antiquités Judaïques de Flavius Josàphe 200 Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris / The Combat of the Maccabees (Jonathan and Simon) Against General Bacchides.

2

Herod Entering Jérusalem.

Tomb of Jean sans Peur and Marguerite de Bavière 218 1 Reconstitution of 1827; the 'mourners' were rearranged in 1932, 1943 and 1959.

Dijon Muséum 2

Drawing by Johannes Lesage.

Cleveland Muséum of Art and loan from the Musée de Cluny. 3 Mourners Nos. 67 and 68. Jean de Cambrai, Etienne

Bobillet and Paul Mosselman

Tomb of Duke Jean de Berry 220 Drawing for the reconstitution of one of the sides, by Paul Gauchery.

Workshops in Tournai Tomb of Pierre de Bauffremont 221 Side of the tomb of Pierre de Bauffremont.

Conclusion

223

Introduction

Unesco's action to promote the reconstitution of disrnembered works of art Selim Abdul Hak

THE PROBLEM

OF DISMEMBERED

WORKS

OF ART

Wars, invasions and conquests hâve, from time immémorial, led to the loss of incalculable numbers of works of art. Because of their symbolic value, conquerors hâve always been inclined to make a dead set at them, since the destruction of a nation's treasures or of the évidence of its history was one means of impairing or annihilating the personality of defeated nations. Armed conflict was also at the root of the déplorable practice of removing works of art from the situation for which they had been created, dismembering them and transferring the pièces elsewhere, for purposes of profit and enjoyment and from motives of prestige. Apart from this, the ostentatiousness of famous people, the passion of amateurs and magnâtes for collecting and the profit motive of art dealers hâve aU contributed, throughout the âges, to the dismemberment of numerous works of art, a process which the legitimate owners of such works, unaware of their real value or tempted by the lure of gain, hâve readily condoned. Moreover, artists lacking in due respect for the intentions of their predecessors hâve made things worse by undertaking to rectify or transform works regarded as out of date; and many curators hâve succumbed to the temptation to enrich their muséums' collections by acquiring fragments of disrnembered works of art. It is, of course, consoling to think that the dispersion of parts of works of art has contributed to the building up of great collections in famous art galleries and has helped to give various societies a deeper knowledge of the arts and to enrich the cultural life of the world as a whole; so that there can be no question of criticizing or repeating the criticism already levelled against the events which led to such dis¬ memberment or of condemning the methods employed. Any attempt to do so could only detract from the nations' respect for one another and impair international understanding. None the less, it would be wrong, on the pretext that cases of the dismemberment of works of art are the outcome of historical phenomena bound up with the circumstances in which they occurred, to conclude that no steps can ever be taken to remedy the situation. In the first place, if an impartial survey of the situation were made, it might arouse the nations' conscience and strengthen their détermination to avoid further mutilation of the cultural héritage of mankind.

14

Selim Abdul Hak

Second, research on disrnembered works is necessary in order to provide historians with information and évidence concerning the past. Art galleries should treat this kind of research as urgent, and carry it out in a systematic way. The problems presented by each case should be defined. Reliable methods of ascertaining the gênerai character of works of art and identifying the stylistic and iconographical resemblances between their various parts should be devised. It is essential, also, to arrange for the technical examination of fragments which appear to belong to one and the same work of art, paying minute attention, in each case, to such factors as the support, the undercoat, the colours and even the varnish used. It is true that the research done hitherto has not enabled many works of art to be reconstituted; but it has at least produced a great deal of information about masterpieces the fragments of which were dispersed, and hâve had a différent fate according to the place where they were conserved, and it has contributed to our knowledge of their nature, origins, history and original form. As a resuit, the value of each fragment has increased, for the fact that it is part of a wellknown original has given it a new and hitherto unsuspected worth. Several countries of Europe hâve succeeded, thanks to co-operation between curators and restorers, in reconstituting disrnembered works of art from fragments in their muséums or in private collections Iocated on their territory. Reconstitution is a much more difficult problem in cases when fragments of works of world renown belong to two or more muséums in différent countries, especially when each fragment is a work of art in itself and has, over the years, acquired a certain independent value. In such cases, the problem can only be solved by co-operation between the nations concemed.

SURVEY OF UNESCO'S ACTION

Meeting of experts (1966)

In implementation of Resolution 3.3432 adopted by the General Conférence at its thirteenth session (1964), the Director-General instructed an expert committee to study procédures for exchanging original objects between countries and the problem of the reconstitution of disrnembered works

of art. This committee met in Paris, at Unesco House, from 27 June to 2 July 1966. The meeting discussed the foUowing subjects: the exchange of original objects between muséums at national level, international exchanges, légal, financial and technical aspects of the problem, the bases for régulations covering exchanges and methods of implementation, pilot projects, the reconstitution of disrnembered works of art and the rôle of international organizations. With regard to disrnembered monuments, the experts thought it better, in most cases, not to consider measures which, incidentally, would be extremely costly designed to reconstitute architectural works on the basis of dispersed omamental fragments. Sculptures, paintings and other déco¬ rative éléments incorporated in thèse works should obviously be taken separately, as having acquired independent status, and appropriate solutions should be adopted in each case. The problem of the reconstitution of disrnembered paint¬ ings, sculptures, engravings, etc., should be dealt with within the framework of and through exchanges between muséums. Every attempt at reconstitution would hâve to reckon with the same légal and psychological factors as other exchanges; it should be based on rational methods and be carried out in accordance with légal régulations at both the national and the international level, with a view to reinforcing the contri¬ bution made by muséums to the préservation of cultural property, the cause of éducation and the dissémination of a knowledge of the différent cultures throughout the world. International exchanges of original objects should in no instance impoverish the cultural héritages of the countries undertaking them. They should respond to a manifest cultural necessity, avoid the removal of the works from their historié and aesthetic context and be directed to assembling sufficiently représentative groups for a significant comparison of the cultural héritages from which they are drawn. Hence the solution of the problem will dépend on the parties directly concemed, and should never be considered as restitution pure and simple. The importance of the disrnem¬ bered works should override ail other considérations, espe¬ cially if the reconstitution of thèse works is of major cultural significance. The actual reconstitution of disrnembered works should always be preceded by a theoretical and practical study. Lastly, muséums possessing works which hâve been reconstituted should be required to conserve such works by the most modem methods and to display them in exhibition

15

Introduction

rooms accessible both to the gênerai public and to research workers. In this regard, the foUowing procédure should be adopted: At the psychological level: there should be publicity to promote a favourable climate by making the facts of the problem widely known. This might take the form of exhibitions conceived as pilot projects, in which one or more reconstituted works would be displayed. The first of thèse exhibitions should be organized with Unesco's

At

assistance. the technical level: inventories of disrnembered works should be drawn up, first within each country, on the basis of methodical searching. The national inventories, together with an international inventory, would then be able to provide the material for systematic exchanges of information and documentation, which would be supple-

mented by the publication of photographie reconstitutions of disrnembered works. At the légal and administrative level: préventive and remédiai measures should be taken by the responsible authorities for the prohibition and repression of aU acts capable of destroying, modifying, mutilating or dismembering works

of art. Survey

of disrnembered works of art

By Resolution 3.346, adopted at the fourteenth session of the General Conférence (1966), the Director-General was authorized: '(d) to take ail appropriate steps to make people aware of the desirability of reconstituting dismantled works and restoring their original aesthetic purpose and value.' The steps taken by the Secrétariat in 1967-68 to implement this resolution included circulating the conclusions and suggestions of the meeting of experts held in 1966 to the Member States and international organizations concemed. The Director-General sent a circular letter asking them to let him hâve their views on ways in which thèse suggestions and conclusions might be put into effect. Thirty-seven States and three intergovernmental organi¬ zations stated their views on the subject of the exchange of objects and the reconstitution of disrnembered works. This consultation was extremely useful to Unesco, enabling it to get a clear view of ail the information available on thèse questions, place them in the widest possible context and obtain the latest data on the subject.

As regards the reconstitution of disrnembered works, the replies received were in line with the conclusions ofthe 1966 meeting, although it was suggested that différent countries might adopt différent means of solving the problem. Several States took the view that fragments of dispersed works should be assembled so that they could be reconstituted for the benefit of the country which was the real owner, especially where thèse fragments either formed part of an architectural monument, or would make a collection com¬ plète. This view was naturally opposed by those who had come by such fragments legally. Several States recommended pru¬ dence, with a view to 'cooling down' the debate. In particular, they approved the conclusion of the 1966 meeting of the effect that exchanges should be made only on the basis of free consent, and agreed with the experts that the solution of the problem should dépend on the parties concemed, and should never be considered as restitution pure and simple. The question of supplying counterparts was considered to be of vital importance. Since this involves légal, artistic and psychological considérations, it should be settled by agreement between the parties concemed. A system of arbitration at the national, régional or international level might produce the required results. Despite thèse réservations, the countries consulted were not opposed to the idea that the problem of reconstitution might be considered within the framework of new interna¬ tional régulations and solved by exchanges between muséums, provided that the purpose of such reconstitution was to restore the true value of disrnembered works and that ail the necessary scientific, technical and administrative measures were taken. Lastly, States were in favour of the proposai to draw the attention of intergovernmental and non-governmental organ¬ izations to the need for reconstituting disrnembered works and carrying out programmes for that purpose.

Exhibition of disrnembered works (1968) The measures taken by the Director-General of Unesco in implementation of Resolution 3.346 included the organization of a pilot exhibition of disrnembered works, held at Unesco House from 17 to 22 June 1968. Unesco's purpose hère was to set an example, and it was hoped that this would stimulate thought on the subject and lead to the reconstitution of other

16

Selim Abdul Hak

disrnembered works of art. Everything was done to ensure that the Works displayed illustrated the circumstances in which they had been disrnembered. Thèse works were lent on a voluntary basis by the muséums possessing them. The Musée du Louvre in Paris, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the Muséum of the Wawel Royal Castle in Cracow (Poland) lent Unesco three works, two of which had been definitively reconstituted, whilst the third was reconstituted for the duration of the exhibition only. This third work was the Persian carpet, known as the 'Paris-Cracow' carpet, the two halves of which belong to the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and the Muséum of the Wawel Royal Castle in Cracow respectively. Thanks to Unesco, thèse two halves were put together again after being separated for a long period of time; and they were displayed first at Cracow, from 27 April to 13 May 1968, and then at the pilot exhibition in Paris. This carpet, which is the only one of its kind in the world, and which dates from the second quarter of the sixteenth century, is the work of the Tabriz school, and was no doubt produced by one of the royal Safavid workshops. It was intended to cover the steps of the altar of Cracow Cathedral, but it was found to be too large, and was therefore eut

to the Ajaccio and Toulouse muséums, sets an example which might be followed in other transactions of the same kind. The third disrnembered work which was reconstituted and displayed in the exhibition at Unesco was the picture repre¬ senting The Baille of Bergen (1665), the work of Willem Van de Velde the Elder.

It is not known why this picture was disrnembered. In 1887, the Nederlandse Muséum at the Hague purchased the right-hand part, along with another picture; and the left-hand part, after belonging to the Schlossmuseum in Weimar (Germany), was purchased by the National Maritime Muséum at Greenwich (United Kingdom). The curators ofthe Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam had long suspected that thèse were the two fragments of the picture painted by Willem Van de Velde, which had disappeared. Their supposition was confirmed in the course of an exhibi¬ tion held in 1957, when it could be seen clearly that the two fragments in question belonged to the same picture. The matter was put before the managing board of the Greenwich Muséum, which made the generous décision to offer their half of the picture to the Netherlands, thus enabling the work to be reconstituted in its original form. This picture was displayed in the new Netherlands History Section, which was opened in the Rijksmuseum in 1971.

in two. The temporary reconstitution of this carpet gave art historians an opportunity of comparing the two halves and making scientific studies. It was easy to see that the part conserved at Cracow has a strip 17 cm wide missing. The original carpet, including this pièce, measured 391-410 cm by 700 cm. It is moderately well conserved. Most of the worn parts are where the carpet fitted over the steps of the altar. There are, in addition, long faded strips running cross-wise. The second work displayed at Unesco was the polyptych by Paolo Veneziano from the Musée du Louvre. Disrnem¬ bered at the time ofthe dispersion ofthe Campana collection, it has now been reconstituted and, since 1956, has occupied a prominent position in the Room of the Seven Master Painters in the Musée du Louvre. The panel representing Saint John the Evangelist and Saint Anthony was acquired by the Ajaccio Muséum in 1863, and the one depicting Saint Francis and Saint John the Baptist was acquired in the same year by the Toulouse Muséum. The reconstitution of this polyptych for the benefit of the Musée du Louvre, which has presented works of an équivalent value

Illustrated inventory offamous works that hâve been disrnembered

The work plan for Resolution 3.341 adopted by the General Conférence of Unesco at its fifteenth session spécifies that: 'In co-operation with the appropriate national bodies, insti¬ tutions and international non-governmental organizations, the Secrétariat will prépare an illustrated inventory of major works that hâve been fragmented or dispersed and whose reconstitution would be of great cultural importance. After systematic exchanges and build up of information and docu¬ mentation, photographie reconstitutions will then be made of the works in question.' After consulting, in 1969, many ofthe national and inter¬ national organizations concemed, the Secrétariat decided that it would be préférable to confine the inventory to Euro¬ pean works of art and, more particularly, to paintings from the Renaissance to the présent time. Mention should hère be made of the active part in this project played by the Council for Cultural Co-operation of

17

Introduction

the Council of Europe. This body informed Unesco in 1967 that it had included in its programme the préparation of a preliminary basic study, which Mr Emile Langui, the rap¬ porteur of the meeting organized by Unesco in 1966, was asked to undertake. This study, which was to investigate the desirability and possibility of compiling a catalogue of fragmented and dispersed works of art, was to be examined by a committee of experts meeting in 1968. This committee met at Strasbourg on 12 and 13 Novem¬ ber 1968. The experts considered that the work programme should give priority to the foUowing two points: A scientific inventory of disrnembered or mutilated paintings belonging to each ofthe member countries ofthe Council of Europe should be compiled. The compétent national service of each country would be responsible for drawing up this inventory, which would constitute one of the éléments ofthe 'European Corpus'. A spécifie programme of action should be prepared to make the gênerai public aware of the problems met with in this domain. A second working group met at Strasbourg on 24 and 25 March 1969 to consider, in particular, the principles to be followed in compiling the scientific inventory, as well as the methods and administrative means to be used. As a resuit of the meeting, a proposai was made as to a form of card for recording accurate information about disrnembered works. Unesco, whilst wishing the Council for Cultural Co¬ opération ofthe Council of Europe every success in its impor¬ tant and ambitious undertaking, has itself concentrated on carrying out the project proposed in Resolution 3.341. The two projects are complementary: the Unesco inventory, although it takes account of the recommendations of the two working groups mentioned above, is ofa more gênerai char¬ acter, and may provide an initial example of what could be done in this sphère. This inventory is divided into several sections, as follows: Disrnembered Works of Italian Painting; Disrnembered Works of Flemish Painting; Disrnembered Works of French Painting; Disrnembered Works of Spanish Painting; Dis¬ rnembered Works of German Painting; Disrnembered Works of Russian Painting; Disrnembered European Manuscripts; Disrnembered Tombs French Sculpture (a section on disrnembered works of French sculpture included in the exhibition of mourning figures in mediaeval sculputre, organized by the Fine Arts Muséum in Dijon on the occasion

of the General Assembly of ICOM in 1970). It is true that there is no connexion between the subject of this last section and that of the preceding ones. None the less, considérable interest attaches to the measures taken by the Dijon Muséum to obtain loans of exhibits in order to illustrate the artistic relationship between the various ways of treating the subject of ' Mourning Figures' in fourteenth- and fifteenth-century European sculpture; and the work done by this muséum may serve as an example for others attempting to reconstitute disrnembered works of aU kinds.

Disrnembered works of art

Italian painting

Franco Renzo Pesenti

The dismemberment of works of art or groups of works is a particular conséquence of the hazards to which they are exposed, such as removal from their original location, damage and destruction. Its causes are therefore those ofthe phenomena in question. For instance, the destruction or damaging of one part of a group of works often leads to dismemberment of the remaining parts, the fate of which may change con¬ siderably when property changes hands or when they are used for a différent purpose from that for which they were intended. We do not intend to undertake a gênerai study of this process, but we shall consider a few spécifie examples of it. Works of art used for religious purposes and, in any case, for public purposes, are disrnembered chiefly because of two factors: changes in taste and in the rôle assigned to the works themselves, and external changes in the institutions holding them. As an example of the first factor we may take the fate of numerous mediaeval polyptychs, formerly objects of vénér¬ ation on high altars. When there was a change in taste or doctrine or in the architectonics of the church, the central part only, which was retained as an object of more spécial worship, was incorporated in a new artistic whole, while the latéral parts and the predellas were disrnembered, damaged or discarded. In Italy as elsewhere, the second factor was felt most strongly at the end of the eighteenth century, when many religious institutions small parishes, confratemities and monasteries were abolished. The works of art which embellished them were confiscated, damaged or abandoned, and their dismemberment was one ofthe logical conséquences of that situation. The vicissitudes of the artistic héritage hâve always been linked to the fate of political régimes. Sometimes the héritage has been dispersed for no apparent reason. Works belonging to private individuals are even more liable to dismemberment, for the économie situation or the interests of the families possessing them may change frequently. Other factors, too, come into play. It sometimes happens this being an extrême case that when a legacy is shared out, a large canvas is disrnembered ; for instance, so that each legatee may hâve one or more portraits. War has always played a considérable part in the destruc¬ tion and dispersion of works of art. The Napoleonic réquisi¬ tions and the export of works of art to Nazi Germany made

19

Disrnembered works of art

serious inroads on Italy's artistic wealth. It is true that in both cases some of the works of art were subsequently retumed and that, in the former case, this enabled the stock ofthe Brera Gallery in Milan and the Gallery ofthe Academy of Fine Arts in Venice to be built up. Nevertheless no new form of présentation, however inspired, can make up for the harm that is done by removing the work from its original

setting. We must now tum our attention to a broader sensé ofthe term 'dismemberment'. Let us consider a small village church, for example. Taken separately, the works it contains would probably not be worthy of exhibition in a muséum; yet the whole, from the architecture down to the smallest ornament, bears testimony an organic and irreplaceable testimony to the cultural history of the limited environment of which it is part, and it is a natural place for the éducation of the eye and taste of the inhabitants of the village. The church and its contents thus form a whole, both in purpose and in

function. That is why two phenomena which hâve recently attained immoderate proportions are proving especially harmful: the collector's snobbery and the theft both literal and metaphorical of works of art, accomplished with the consent of the very people who ought to realize the need to keep them in their original situation. The collector's snobbery has put up the price of the objects concerned, and this leads to the pillaging of convents, churches, villas and houses, and divests the works of art of their true worth, giving them a fictitious value and their owners false prestige. Very often, such works of art, particularly examples of the so-called minor arts, are damaged and disrnembered for adaptation to what was not their original use. Frescos, too, hâve been the subject of wild spéculation. Because they cannot be used in their entirety, they are sold in fragments. The theft, in the real sensé ofthe word, of works of art even those that are well known and therefore cannot be exhibited or sold is the worst conséquence of snobbery in collecting old works of art. The Pavia Gallery recently lost three of its principal masterpieces in this way. An example of a theft which has probably led to dis¬ memberment ofthe work is that ofthe Nativity of Caravaggio, in the oratory of San Lorenzo at Palermo. It will never be possible to exhibit or sell the canvas as a whole; the principal figures would hâve to be eut out and fictitious parts recon¬ structed if it were to be sold.

Italian painting

Some examples of dismemberment of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century Italian works of art are given below. Materially speaking, the dispersed fragments could obviously be put together so as to restore the original appearance of thèse works, which we hâve endeavoured to indicate in accordance with the results of studies at présent under way. We hâve no illusions about the enormous difficulties of this kind of reconstitution, for they are works of the utmost importance, and the pride of the muséums in which they are

housed. There are also, however, many very important works which could be exchanged between owners, institutions or countries, the principle that the combined value of the différ¬ ent parts of a work of art is well below that of the complète work being borne in mind. The first example concerns one of the principal Italian

works of art of the fourteenth century. We need not insist on the importance of the Maestà of Duccio di Buoninsegna to the Cathedral of Sienna, or on its quality; it may be said to be the most perfect expression of Byzantine figurative art in Italy. Duccio used the brush-work, colour, intellectual rather than physical space, and symbolic disposition that are typical of this kind of art with such wealth and variety that he made them express the same need for human intensity and depth of meaning that Giotto conveyed, about the same period, in a différent style. Like many others, this work encountered ill fortune which detracted from its value, and certain parts of it were dispersed. On 9 October 1308, Duccio di Buoninsegna signed an agreement with the Opéra del Duomo of Sienna concerning the great altar-piece in honour ofthe Virgin Mary. One clause stipulated that the altar-piece was to be executed entirely by him and that he was to paint nothing else before its completion. Amidst great festivities recoided by the chroniclers of the time and the cost of which was entered in the church registers, the altar-piece, accompanied by the religious and civil authorities and in the présence of the entire population, was carried to the cathedral on 9 June 1311 and placed over the high altar. It was painted on both sides, and The Virgin Enthroned with Child, Angels and Saints can still be seen on the main horizontal part of the front, and scènes from the Passion on the back. The Coronation panels represented, in front, scènes from the end ofthe life ofthe Virgin and, on the back, the appearances of Jésus. Above each panel there was probably another with a cherub. On the front of the predella

20 Franco Renzo Pesenti

were épisodes from the childhood of Jésus, with the prophets who had foretold them, and, on the back, the preaching and the miracles of Christ. The fifteenth-century inventories also tell us of the canopy adorned with angels which surmounted the altar and of the priceless tapestry which protected the Maestà. A Biccherna miniature (1482) in the Sienna National Archives shows in part the great altar-piece in its original position and with the canopy in place. In 1506 a new altar was built, and the Maestà probably underwent the first détérioration. F. A. Cooper (1965) thought that the central panel of the Coronation, being higher than the others, must hâve been movable, and must consequently hâve been set up inside the church; in which case it supposedly parted Com¬ pany with the other parts, and so is unknown to us. On 1 August 1771 the great altar-piece was divided vertically into seven parts, so that it could be exhibited complète on the nearer sides of the altars. Thèse parts were then sawn through the middle, in such a way as to separate the two painted surfaces, which were put together later on without any concern for reconstituting the original setting. Then began the dispersion of the panels of the Coronation and of the predella. In 1798, twelve panels of the Coronation were in the vestry of the cathedral. In 1878, when the Maestà was transferred to the Museo dell 'Opéra, the known fragments of the predella numbered no more than six. Between 1952 and 1958, the Istituto Centrale del Restauro in Rome very skilfully restored the central part ofthe Maestà, which was put back in its former position. On the other hand, several hypothèses hâve been advanced regarding the Coro¬ nation and the predella. Since ail that remains of the Coro¬ nation panels is on show at the Museo dell'Opera in Sienna, while the scènes from the predella are in various muséums and collections, Cooper's hypothesis is the one we shall examine. According to Cooper, the scènes on the front of the predella were The Annunciation (National Gallery, London); Isaiah, The Nativity, Ezekiel (National Gallery, Washington); The Adoration ofthe Magi, Solomon, The Présentation in the Temple, Malachi, The Massacre of the Innocents, Jeremiah, The Flight into Egypt and Hosea (in the Museo dell'Opera, Sienna); and those on the back were Christ Among the Doctors and The Temptation in the Temple (Museo dell' Opéra, Sienna); The Temptation on the Mount (Frick Col¬ lection, New York); The Calling of Peter and Andrew (National Gallery, Washington); The Marriage at Cana,

Christ and the Woman of Samaria (Rockefeller Collection, New York); The Miraculous Healing ofthe Mon Born Blind, The Transfiguration (National Gallery, London); and The Raising of Lazarus (Rockefeller Collection). We can hardly expect that the entire work will be restored to its original unity, but perhaps we may hope to gather together ail the extant parts, if only in order to check the hypothèses that hâve been advanced. Works by Giotto and his workshop also underwent dis¬ memberment and dispersion. After making critical studies it has been possible, by assembling the various parts, to reconstruct a polyptych which comprised, in the centre, The Virgin and Child, in the Washington National Gallery, to the left, on the outside, Saint Stephen in the Home Muséum in Florence, and Saint John the Evangelist in the Musée Jacquemart-André at Chaalis, above which there is an angel and to the right, on the outside, Saint Lawrence in the same muséum. A saint is missing between Saint Lawrence and the Virgin, perhaps Saint Francis or Saint John the Baptist. The critics date this polyptych about 1320, the period when Giotto was engaged on the Chapels of Peruzzi and Bardi in the Santa Croce, in Florence. Since Ghiberti speaks of four pictures painted by Giotto for that church, we may suppose, on the assumption that the three other works intended for the church hâve been identified, that this work is the fourth and, in view of the présence of Saint Stephen and Saint Lawrence, that it was perhaps intended to decorate the chapel dedicated to those saints, which contains the frescos of Bernardo Daddi. As we can see, it is difficult to trace the history of the dismember¬ ment of this polyptych, which exhibits both the refinement and the élégance of form to which Giotto aspired, working in a style of extraordinary breadth and maturity. It is also one of the works of that period that the master was personally engaged upon for the longest period. Another hypothesis has also been advanced that beneath the polyptych were the small pictures representing The Adoration ofthe Magi, in the New York Metropolitan Muséum; The Présentation in the Temple, in the Gardner Muséum, in Boston; The Last Supper and The Crucifixion in the Alte Pinakothek, in Munich; The Descent from the Cross from the Berenson Collections, in Florence; Christ in Limbo, also in Munich; and finally Pentecost, in the National Gallery, in London. But this hypothe¬ sis does not seem at ail convincing. A work by Simone Martini, the famous contemporary of Giotto, was also disrnembered the éléments of what must

21

Disrnembered works of art

choir of the church, in accordance with the wishes of the notary Giuliano degli Scarsi da San Giusto, and its construc¬ tion was begun by a certain Pippo di Giovanni del Gante in late 1425. We know that the framework, the altar-piece and perhaps the gilding were the work of Antonio di Biagio of Sienna. We also know that Masaccio was engaged on the painting from February to December 1426, that Saint Julian and other figures were represented on the altar frontal, and that it was the work of a Florentine, Cola Antonio. We even know that the altar hangings were painted by a certain Mariano di Pietro délia Valenzana. But when did the dis¬ persion ofthe parts ofthe polyptych occur ? In ail probability, when large-scale repairs to the choir were being carried out. Berti (1964) disagrees with those who assign this incident to

hâve been a small portable altar commissioned from the painter by a certain Bishop Orsini, who is depicted in a frag¬ ment of the work The Déposition. The Déposition and the sections representing the Angel Gabriel, the Annunciation and the Crucifixion, are now in the muséum in Antwerp. The Way to Calvary is in the Musée du Louvre, and The Entombment in the Kaiser Friedrich Muséum in Berlin. The first were acquired in Dijon for the Van Ertborn collections in 1826; The Way to Calvary was acquired by the Louvre in 1834 from Mr L. Saint-Denis, and came from the Louis-Philippe Col¬ lection; the Berlin Muséum bought The Entombment from the

Pacully Collection in Paris, in 1901. This common French origin gave rise to a belief that the polyptych was painted in Avignon, where Martini is thought to hâve worked from 1339 to 1344. It was also conjectured that the kneeling bishop was Cardinal Stefaneschi, who died in Avignon in 1341 and is thought to hâve commissioned other works from Martini. But the Orsini coat of arms behind the small panel of The Way to Calvary seems to contradict this hypothesis. Furthermore, there is some doubt as to whether this work was executed while Martini was in France. Paccagnini dates it about 1320 (that is, between the time when the artist worked for Pisa and the time when he worked for Orvieto) pointing out the similarity between the style ofthe fragments that hâve been found and the works of that period and showing how they influenced the artists working in Italy. Paccagnini also mentions several bishops of the Orsini family who, for religious, political or artistic reasons, might hâve been in contact with Simone

Martini. With the information we hâve at présent, we obviously cannot reach any definite conclusion about the origin of the polyptych and the vicissitudes it encountered in the nine¬ teenth century. But whatever solution we opt for regarding the problem ofthe dating of thèse works and consequently of their place in the évolution of Simone Martini 's style, it is precisely in thèse small pictures that we find the most dramatically disturbing summit of his art, which certainly influenced ail the paintings executed subsequently in central Italy and southern France. Coming to the period of the Renaissance, we may note that a particularly remarkable work of that period was fragmented and part of it lost the polyptych of the Church of Santa Maria del Carminé, in Pisa, by Masaccio. There is a great deal of documentation on the origin of the work. The altar it was intended for was placed near the

Italian painting

.

the eighteenth century, and puts it at the end of 1500. In the 1568 édition oîLives ofthe Most Excellent Pointers, Sculptors and Architects, Vasari speaks of the polyptych as being in its original place. De Morrona, in his Pisa Illustrata, states that in 1750 the polyptych was no longer where it had been initially placed. We know certain facts about the various pièces of this work: the Crucifixion was acquired in 1901 from a private person by the Naples Muséum; the Saint Paul was left by Zucchetti in 1796 to the Primaziale of Pisa, whence it passed to the muséum; the Saint Andrew ofthe Lanckoronski Collection was identified in 1896 by Schmarsow; the Virgin Enthroned, which has been in the National Gallery in London since 1916, was recognized in 1907 by Berenson at a private home in England; the four small saints ofthe Berlin Muséum (they hâve been there since 1905) were shown as the work of Masaccio at an exhibition in London in 1893 (Butler Collec¬ tion); Iastly, ofthe three paintings from the predella now in Berlin that of The Adoration of the Magi and that of The Martyrdom of Saint Peter and the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist were purchased in 1880 from the collection of G. Capponi, where they had been in the middle of the nine¬ teenth century, whilst the painting depicting The Lives of Saint Julian and Saint Nicholas was bought in 1908. The actual history ofthe dispersion of this very great Renaissance work thus remains somewhat obscure. Its dismemberment is aU the more regrettable as it marked the appearance in paint¬ ing ofa new awareness ofthe relations between space and the figure, between man and reality as a whole, a balance that was to be strikingly emphasized by the rule that the entire composition of what was visible should be enclosed within a unitary structure.

22

Franco Renzo Pesenti

We are not certain of the date when Domenico Veneziano painted the altar-piece for the Church of Santa Lucia dei Magnoli in Florence, with the Virgin, Saint Francis and Saint John the Baptist, Saint Zenobius and Saint Lucy, which had a predella representing the lives of those four saints, with an Annunciation in the centre, although there are good grounds for putting it between 1445 and 1448. We know more about the fate of the work. The altar-piece was placed first on the high altar and subsequently on the side altar known as the Altar of the Bigallo, before being transferred in 1862 to the Uffizi Gallery. But while in 1795 Lanzi had seen it whole with its predella, the scènes depicted on the predella had already been dispersed at the time of its transfer to the Uffizi, since the Martyrdom of Saint Lucy had been bought in Italy by the Berlin Muséum in 1841-42. Fortunately, we can imagine how the unity of the painting could be reconstituted, since the five parts of the predella hâve been found. The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy, which was recognized by Bode in 1883 as being part of it, formed the last section on the right. The first, with The Ecstasy of Saint Francis, which is now in the National Gallery, Washington, first came to light at Boehler's in Munich, and was subsequently authenticated by Longhi in 1929. The second, Saint John the Baptist as a Child in the Désert, also in Washington, comes from the Hamilton Col¬ lection, New York, and was authenticated by Berenson in 1924-25. The Annunciation in the centre was acquired by the Fitzwilliam Muséum, Cambridge, in 1923, under the Fuller bequest, and was authenticated two years later by A. Venturi. The Miracle of Saint Zenobius, also in the Fitzwilliam Muséum, was authenticated by Berenson in 1924-25. Berti says that the altar-piece was an example of refinement for the whole of the second half of the fifteenth century in Florence, and in it, according to Argan, Domenico Vene¬ ziano approached 'the identification of absolute light and absolute space'. We may note that viewing the delicately handled, serene, limpid solemnity of the large picture at the same time as the mild lyricism of the small, more narrative pictures of the predella could considerably illuminate our appréciation of each of them. The three large pictures by Paolo Uccello, representing the battle of San Romano, at which the Florentines defeated the Siennese in 1433, in ail probability painted very shortly after 1455, were part of the décoration of the bed-chamber of Lorenzo the Magnificent in the Medici Palace in Florence, and is now the first room in the Medici Muséum. As a resuit

of the récent restoration of the painting in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, a hypothesis has been advanced as to exactly how the three works were originally placed. According to an inventory dated 1492, they were hung, together with three other pictures, high up in that room. Restoration showed that there was a part added in the upper corners of the picture which is in the Uffizi, and the same is true of the other two pictures, now in London and Paris. From the shape of the corners, which of course follow the line ofthe springers ofthe arch, and from the dimensions it was concluded that the Lon¬ don and Florence panels had been on the wall where the entrance was, while the Paris panel had been on the left wall, next to the Florence panel. In the sixteenth century the panels were moved from the chamber. Analysis of the materials has shown that the additions at the corners date from that period. According to an inventory taken in 1 598, they were then in another part of the palace, framed together and ail on the same wall. The three other paintings which completed the original décoration hâve been lost. According to the inven¬ tory of 1492, two of thèse were the work of Paolo Uccello, one representing dragons and lions and the other the story of Paris, while the third was by Francesco Pesellino, and represented a hunt. But we do not know what happened even to the three remaining pictures, after they were moved. Going back over the years, we note that the Uffizi pictures were bought between 1769 and 1784. The pictures in the Louvre and those in London were probably together until the middle of the nineteenth century, when they became part of the Lombardi Baldi Collection. The former then became part of the Campana Collection and, in 1861, was acquired by the Napo¬ léon III Muséum, before finally reaching the Louvre. The latter was purchased by the National Gallery in 1857. The différent ways in which the three paintings of the battle of San Romano hâve been interpreted give some idea of the complexity of thèse works. Some critics hâve emphasized the freedom of imagination shown by the artist, who reproduced the evocatory power and colour of the Gothic world, others, intellectual inquiry in its far-ranging explora¬ tion of the principles of perspective, and others again the human feeling to be found in them, so much so that the work has been called a fifteenth-century Guernica. In any case, the significance they hâve gained in the study of painting today and the influence they hâve exerted are a clearer indication of their importance.

23

Disrnembered works of art

In the letter of 5 January 1457, in which the Marquis Ludovico Gonzaga tried to persuade Mantegna to become his court artist, there is a référence to the fact that work had already been begun on the altar-piece in the Church of San Zeno, in Verona. It is indeed an altar-piece rather than a polyptych, for the comice between the three principal parts tallies perfectly with the architectural setting of his Sacra Conversazione. In June 1459 Mantegna was still engaged on this work, at Padua, and it was only after he had executed the work commissioned by the protonotary apostolic, the humanist Gregorio Correr, Abbot of San Zeno, that he settled in Mantua. The fate of the altar-piece and of the paintings on the predella is well known. They remained on the altar of San Zeno until 1797, and they, like other paintings, gave Bona¬ parte occasion to follow the advice contained in the two letters from Camot of 7 May 1796 in which he declared that the time had come for the works of art that had been the glory and wealth of Italy to embellish the country of liberty, and for the bronze and silver pièces to finance its military expéditions. Mantegna's pictures were taken to France and remained there until 1815. Owing to the clause that the victorious powers had inserted in the Treaty of Paris at the instigation of Wellington and Blucher, ordering the restitu¬ tion of the works of art taken from Italy 'because they are inséparable from the country to which they once belonged', the work was retumed to its original setting. Only the three paintings on the predella of which The Agony in the Garden and The Résurrection are in the Muséum of Tours and The Crucifixion in the Louvre hâve been replaced in Verona by copies. It may be of interest to mention two newspaper items published in 1798 concerning NapoIeon's booty. In that year, the London Daily Advertiser published an announcement stating that an unprecedented exhibition was being held in Whitcomb Street, near Leicester Square, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and that only the prevailing situation in Italy had made it possible to gather together so many masterpieces. The exhibits included perfectly preserved paintings by such masters as Raphaël, Domenichino, Titian, the Carracci, Guercino, Guido Reni, Veronese, Tintoretto, Velasquez, Carlo Dolci and Poussin, and the entrance fee was one shilling. At the same time, Quatremère de Quincy, writing in the Paris paper Le Rédacteur, stated in substance that works of art were planned in accordance with a particular environment and for it, and that removing them from it made it more difficult to understand them. Speaking 'on

Italian painting

behalf of the European Republic of Arts and Sciences, and not as a citizen of a particular nation', he said that Italy had become the muséum of Europe; '. . . and what are we doing', he went on, 'with this great muséum? We are taking away one stone of it after another, and imperilling the whole édifice.' The dialectical relation between the upper part and the predella in Mantegna's altar-piece should be noted. The suprême stylization of the former in which classicism and Christianity are seen as part of immutable time is answered by the présentation, in the predella, of scènes of a constantly unfolding drama: expectation, sacrifice and catharsis caught in a desperate quest for truth and in a synthesis which gives them a lapidary clarity. On an altar in the Church of San Giorgio, outside the walls of Ferrara, was one of the most important works of Cosimo Tura, the polyptych commissioned by the Roverellas. On 14 January 1709, the heavy artillery which was firing from the town at the Germans encamped on the outskirts hit the very part of the church where the polyptych was. The side most damaged was apparently the left latéral part represent¬ ing Lorenzo Roverella, ex-physician to Pope Julius V and Bishop of Ferrara, knocking at the gâtes of the Kingdom of Heaven, presented by Saint Peter and Saint George. From the date of his death the lines written on the organ in the centre, beneath the Virgin, themselves referred to it we may infer that Tura executed the work around 1474. On the other hand, the person still to be seen kneeling on the right latéral part is, in ail probability, Lorenzo 's brother, Nicolô Rove¬ rella, an abbot and later abbot-general of the Order of Olivetans, to which that church belonged. He is perhaps the person to whom we owe the fact that the polyptych was painted. After that unfortunate cannon shot the polyptych was split up, and at least some ofthe pièces were still in the vestries of San Giorgio in 1773. In 1787 the upper lunette with the Lamentfor the Dead Christ was still there. In 1817 that part, together with the central part representing The Virgin, was in the Zafferini Collection. Later, we find it alone, at Brescia. In 1861 it was in the Campana Collection, and in 1863 it was acquired by the Louvre. On the other hand, the Virgin Enthroned with Child and Angels was transferred to Bergamo. In 1867 it was in England, in the Eastlake Collection, and later in the National Gallery. At the end of the eighteenth century the left latéral part, with Saint Maurelius, Saint Paul

24

Franco Renzo Pesenti

and Nicolà Roverella, was at Ferrara in the keeping of the parish priest of San Tomasio. The Colonna Collection acquired it in 1836 from the Nagliati di Pontelagoscuro Col¬ lection, and it is now in the gallery of that name in Rome. The fate of the left latéral part, which was disrnembered, is not clear. In 1940 Haertzsch recognized as Tura's work the Head of Saint George, which, since 1929, had been in the Von Lamina Collection, in Prague. About the same time, Roberto Longhi, in making convincing comparisons, identified it as a pièce ofthe left latéral part of the Roverella polyptych, about which he had, in 1934, put forward a hypothesis based in particular on the descriptions of chroniclers. It will be seen from this outline that neither the Saint Benedict and Saint Bernard, whose busts must hâve been above the latéral parts, nor the small pictures which, accord¬ ing to Baruffaldi, were at the base of the large picture, and which depicted in miniature scènes from the lives of those saints, hâve come down to us. Longhi has suggested that, in addition to those subjects, the polyptych represented the three épisodes from the childhood of Christ, one of which, The Flight into Egypt, is in the New York Metropolitan Muséum, another The Circumcision, in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Muséum, Boston, and the last, The Adoration ofthe Magi, in the Fogg Art Muséum in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Net everyone, however, finds this hypothesis convincing. Tura's art in this work is extremely impressive. Argan wrote of the Roverella polyptych: '. . . It is an example of asceticism, an almost automatic call to the turning-point that the soûl has to face in order to overcome and transcend matter. Through the clear dynamism of its own création rather than through the things represented, art accentuâtes the dynamism ofthe élective striving ofthe human soûl.' Another major Renaissance painting at Ferrara to be split up and dispersed was the polyptych of the Griffoni Chapel in the Basilica of Saint Petronius of Bologna. On 15 July 1473, the master cabinet-maker and inlayer Agostino de Marchi of Crema demanded payment for the framing. The pictorial part was the work of Francesco del Cossa, from whom it had been commissioned by Floriano Griffoni. The central part of the polyptych was dedicated to Saint Vincent Ferrer, and Saint Peter and Saint John the Baptist were represented on the sides. The predella was adorned with a single picture depicting six épisodes from the life of Saint Vincent Ferrer. Frizzoni had authenticated thèse parts as early as 1 888. Hypothèses regarding the rest of the

work were advanced by Longhi in 1934 and 1940. According to him, it is a work with a great many components, which are now to be found in différent collections and places. In 1776 the polyptych was removed and taken to the Aldobrandi résidence. From there the predella, executed in collaboration with Ercole de' Roberti, reached the Vatican in 1838. In that year's catalogue of the Constabili Collection, in Ferrara, R. Longhi identifies numerous items of the reconstitution suggested by him for the polyptych, and uses them to support his theory that the Ferrara Collection had included Saint Vincent Ferrer and The Crucifixion, which originally sur¬ mounted it, Saint Anthony and Saint George on the small latéral pilasters, and The Archangel Gabriel and the Virgin over the small pilasters. Towards the middle ofthe nineteenth century, the Barbicenti Collection in Ferrara possessed the Saint Peter, the Saint John and the Saint Petronius, which, according to Longhi, were ail on the latéral pilasters. There is no need to recount the successive journeys that the various parts of the work made from one collection to another. Today the polyptych, as Longhi had foreseen, is divided up between the National Gallery, Washington, which has the Crucifixion and the two saints Saint Florian and Saint Lucy from the upper part, the National Gallery, London, which has the Saint Vincent Ferrer, the Brera Gal¬ lery in Milan, where the parts representing Saint Peter and Saint John are to be seen, and Varese, where The Angel Gabriel and The Annunciation are to be found in the Cagnola Collection. The saints on the small latéral pilasters to the left are Saint Michael and Saint Apollonia, which are in the Louvre, the Saint Anthony of the Van Beuningen Collection, and the Saint Petronius of the Vendeghini Collection. Of the small saints depicted on the right-hand latéral part, three hâve remained together in the Cini Collection in Venice the Saint George, the Saint Jérôme and the Saint Catherine. The predella, as stated above, is in the Vatican. The theoretical reconstitution of the Griffoni polyptych, which at least leaves us in no doubt regarding the central parts and the predella, gives us considérable insight into the expérimental approach to art of the Ferrara painters. F. del Cossa uses the same sort of subject-matter as Tura; he recap¬ tures the grandeur of Piero deUa Francesca, and he has Andréa Mantegna's ability to strike a balance between analysis and synthesis. In his altar-piece he portrays a sort of dialogue between the characters and the landscape; and he finds still more dialectic éléments for instance, when he

25

Disrnembered works of art

makes the upper figures stand out against the gold background, gives them their full weight, and makes them radiate light, so that they express a kind of exaspération with ail the dissensions going on below them. The predella, by E. de' Roberti, in which narration and space are treated as facets that establish new syntaxic relations, increases the expéri¬ mental, exploratory value ofthe work, giving it meanings not ail of which were understood by those who came after him. The last work we shall consider is by Luca Signorelli. Vasari recalls that this artist painted pictures for the Bichi chapel in the Church of Sant' Agostino at Sienna around a statue of Saint Christopher. The exact date is given by S. Tizio in his Storie Senesi. He relates, in 1513, that a relation of his named Luca had executed paintings for the chapel of Antonio Bichi and his daughter Eustachia fifteen years before i.e. in 1498. The Siennese guide-books of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries speak of the statue a sa work by Jacopo délia Quercia. And by comparing the guides it can be ascertained that it was probably shortly before 1760 that the Bichi family removed the statue and the paintings from the chapel. In the middle of the eighteenth century, Father Galgano Bichi described ail the works of art that adomed the chapel, and on the basis of that description Borenius suggested how it should be theoretically reconstituted. The works must hâve remained for some time in the possession ofthe Bichi family. The most important parts were relinquished in the early nineteenth century: the two latéral paintings representing saints were bought by the banker Solly and subsequently reached Berlin. The movements of the other parts cannot be ascertained. The wooden statue of Saint Christopher, if it really is the one identified by De Fabriczi in the Louvre, arrived there in 1890. It came from the Eugène Piot bequest, and had been purchased at Siena in 1858. But Iet us see how the works must hâve been placed in the chapel. As we hâve said, the statue of Saint Christopher, today no longer carrying the Child Jésus, was in the middle. A little further back, almost at the far end, were the two pictures which today are in the Toledo Muséum, Ohio; thèse, in accordance with the thème of the saint who helped people across the water, show two groups of persons, some preparing to cross the ford and the others already on the far side. The pictures at the sides represent two groups of three saints under open arch-ways Saint Catherine of Sienna, Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint Jérôme on the left, and Saint Augustine, Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Saint Anthony of Padua on the right. Thèse

Italian painting

works are in the Dahlem Gallery, Berlin. The base of the polyptych was decorated with three pictures: one (now in the Dublin National Gallery) which shows the Feast in Simon's house, with Mary Magdalene, was below the large picture representing the saint. In the centre was the Pietà, with its numerous characters, which is today in the Stirling Maxwell Collection, Glasgow. Under the picture representing Saint Catherine of Alexandria was the Martyrdom of the Saint, now in the muséum of the Clark Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts. The work is not one of Signorelli 's greatest, although his qualities plasticity and dramatic intensity are évident, particularly in the predella. On the other hand, however, the interest of the work ought to be considered afresh in relation to its original structure. The archways, the monumental quality of the figures of saints, the clean outline of the background figures and the detailed, penetrating expressiveness of the pictures below aU this can only be properly appreciated when we realize how they were origi¬ nally placed. We must conclude this inventory, which merely gives some idea of the very large number of Italian works of art that hâve been dispersed, stolen or lost. And while the works we hâve considered date from the period in which Italian art came into its own, that does not mean that those of subsé¬ quent centuries met a kinder fate. Everything that has happened is to a very large extent irréparable, but it may provide a lesson for the future.

26

Italian painting

Predella of the Maestà, Sienna Cathedral Artist Duccio di Buoninsegna.

Subject The central part and the Coronation: on the front, The Virgin Enthroned with Child, Angels and Saints, and Scènes from the End ofthe Life of the Virgin; on the back, scènes from The Passion and the Appearances of Jésus. The predella (according to F. A. Cooper): Front, The Annunciation, Isaiah, The Nativity, Ezekiel, The Adoration of the Magi, Solomon, The Présentation in the Temple, Malachl, The Massacre ofthe Innocents, Jeremiah, The Flight Into Egypt, Hosea; Back, Jésus Among the Doctors, The Temptation In the Temple, The Temptation on the Mount, The Calling of Peter and Andrew, The Marriage at Cana, Christ and the Woman of Samarla, The Miraculous Healîng ofthe Mon Born Bllnd, The Transfiguration, The Résurrection ofLazarus.

School, group, period Sieimese School, 1308-11.

Original location Sienna (Italy). Shape

Polyptych. Dimensions Orignal: approx. 411 cm x 214 cm.

Paint layer Distemper. Support Poplar.

Previous history On 9 October 1308 Duccio signed an agreement with the Opéra del Duomo, in Sienna, and on 9 June 1311 the altar-piece was placed over the high altar. On 1 August 1771 it was divided vertically and then through the middle, after which the dispersion of the parts of the Coro¬ nation and of the predeUa began.

FRONT

S"

T

/

-Ç

?

<»

I

°^?

/

^

^°

27

Italian palntmg

Whereabouts of fragments National Gallery (London): The Annunciation, The Miraculous Healtng of the Man Born

Bllnd, The Transfiguration.

National Gallery (Washington): Isaiah, The Nativity, Ezekiel, The Calling of Peter and Arulrew.

Frick Collection (New York): The Temptation on the Mount.

Rockefeller Collection (New York): The Mar¬ riage at Cana, Christ and the Woman of Samarla. Museo del Duomo (Sienna): Others. Suggested reconstitution of the predella According to F. A. Cooper (see figure below). Dimensions: approx. 410 cm x 45 cm.

Bibliograpby Weigelt, C. 1909. Contributo alla recostruzione délia Maestà di Duccio di Buonin¬ segna nel Museo délia Metropolitana di Siena. Boll. senese dl storla patrla, no. 2, p. 206. Dewald, e. 1955. Observations on Duccio 's Maestà. Late classical and mediaeval studies in honor of Albert Mathlas Frlend Jr. p. 380. Princeton, N.J. MlNlSTERO DELLA PUBBLICA ISTRUZIONE. 1959.

Il restauro délia Maestà di Duccio. Bollettno dell'Instituto Centrale del Restauro (Roma), no. 37-40. Cooper, F. A. 1965. A reconstruction of Duccio's Maestà. The art bulletin, June, p. 115.

BACK 'J

?

<5'

Illustrations / Front: Central part and Coronation: The Vtrgln Enthroned with Child, Angels and Saints; Scènes from the End of the Life of the Virgin. Predella: Childhood of Christ; The Prophets (reconstitution by F. A. Coo¬ per in The Art Bulletin, Jime 1965, p. 111). 2

Back: The Passion; Appearances of Jésus. Predella: Jésus Among the Doctors; The Miracles of Jésus (reconstitution by F. A. Cooper in The Art Bulletin, June 1965, p. 111).

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

/

* (f.O

/

28

Italian painting

Polyptych of the Virgin and four saints

29

Italian painting

Artist Giotto. School, group, period Florentine School, c. 1320.

Original location Perhaps the Church of Santa Croce, Florence

Otaly). Shape

Polyptych with five panels. Dimensions Approx. 140 cm high x 280 cm wide.

Paint layer Distemper. Support Wood. Subject The Virgin with Child a.ho\e. Christ (lost). Left: Saint Stephen above, an angel (lost); Saint John the Evangellst above. An Angel. Right: Saint John the Baptist or Saint Francis Oost) ; Saint Lawrence above. An Angel.

Previous history Perhaps one of the four works painted by Giotto for the Chapel of Saint Stephen and Saint Lawrence in the Church of Santa Croce, Florence. 2

Whereabouts of fragments

National Gallery (Washington): The Virgin with Child (85.5 cm high x 62 cm wide). Home Muséum (Florence): Saint Stephen (84 cm high x 54 cm wide). Jacquemart-André Muséum (Chaaiis): Saint John the Evangelist above. An Angel; Saint iMwrence above, An Angel (81 cm high X 55 cm wide without the angel). Suggested reconstitutions Saint Stephen Saint John the Evangelist (above, an angel) Virgin with Child . . . Saint Lawrence (above, an angel).

Bibliograpby Longhi, R. 1936. Dedalo, p. 285-91. Prévit ALI, G. 1967. Giotto e la sua bottega, p. 112, 317. Milano.

lUustrations / The Virgin and Child, Samuel H. Kress Collection, National Gallery of Art, Wash¬ ington, D.C. [Photo: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C] 2 Saint Stephen, Home Muséum, Florence. [Photo: GFSG, Florence, No. 147783.] 3 Saint John the Evangelist and The Angel, Jacquemart-André Muséum, Abbaye de Chaaiis. [Photo: Bulloz.]

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

31

Italian painting

Royal Fine Arts Muséum (Antwerp): The Crucifixion; The Déposition (24.5 cm x 15.5 cm). Musée du Louvre (Paris); The Way to Calvary (25cmx 16 cm). Kaiser Friedrich Muséum (Berlin): The Entombment (22 cm x 15 cm).

2

3

4

Suggested reconstitutions The Angel Gabriel The Annunciation. The Crucifixion The Déposition. The Way to Calvary The Entombment.

5

Bibliography

6

Paccagnini, G. 1955. Simone Martini. Milano. Illustrations 1 The Angel Gabriel, Royal Fine Arts Mu¬ séum, Antwerp. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 115710 B.]

The Annunciation, Royal Fine Arts Mu¬ séum, Antwerp. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 115711 B.] The Crucifixion, Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 115712 B.] The Déposition, Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 115713 B.] The Way to Calvary, Musée du Louvre, No. 65 En. 6517, Paris. [Photo: National Muséums.] The Entombment, Kaiser Friedrich Mu¬ séum, Berlin. [Photo: Kaiser Friedrich Mu¬ séum, Berlin.]

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

32

Italian painting

Pisa polyptych Artist Masaccio.

Paint layer Distemper.

School, group, period Florentine School, 1426.

Support Wood.

Original location Work executed for the Church of Santa Maria

Subject

del Carminé, Pisa. Shape

Polyptych Dimensions See 'Whereabouts of Fragments'.

The Virgin Enthroned with Child and Angels. On the side: Saint Peter and Saint John the Baptist; Saint Julian and Saint Nicholas. Above: The Crucifixion; Saint Paul; Saint Andrew; perhaps other saints. Small latéral pilasters: several saints. Predella: Adoration of the Magi; Martyrdom of Saint Peter and the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist; Scènes from the Life of Saint Julian and Saint Nicholas.

Previous history Masaccio executed the painting between February and December 1426. It was placed over an altar in the Church of Santa Maria del Carminé, Pisa. Dispersion occurred, in ail probability, when large-scale repairs were carried out in the choir of the church towards the end of 1500. Whereabouts of fragments Pisa Muséum: Saint Paul (51 cm x 30 cm). Lanckoronski Collection (Vienna): Saint An¬ drew (51 cm X 30 cm). Capodimonte Muséum (Naples): Crucifixion, (83 cm X 63.5 cm). National Gallery (London): Virgin Enthroned with Child and Angels (135.5 cmx73 cm).

33

Italian painting (b)

r-\

1 5

f^^

5

6

II

7

II

8

Kaiser Friedrich Museimi (Berlin): Saint Augustine, Saint Jérôme, the Prophet Elijah, Saint A Ibert the Patrlarch (38 cm x 1 2.5 cm) ; Martyrdom of Saint Peter and the Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, Adoration ofthe Magi, Scènes from the Life of Saint Julian and Saint Nicholas (21 cm x 61 cm). Suggested reconstitutions (See figure above.)

(a) According to M. Salmi. (b) According to John Shearman (see L. Berti.)

Bibliography

Salm, M. 1948. Masaccio. 2nd éd. Milan. Berti, L. 1964. Masaccio. Milan.

lIL

LJU

r^~i

34

ItaUan painting

niustrations / Saint Paul, Pisa Muséum. [Photo: Pisa Museum/Ed. Alinari.l 2 Saint Andrew, Lanckoronski Collection, Vienna. [Photo: GFSG, Florence, No.

6

Friedrich Muséum, Berlin. [Photo: Berlin 7

123793.1

Crucifixion, Capodimonte Muséum, Naples. [Photo: Soprintendenza aile Gallerie, Na¬ ples, No. 13942.] 4 Virgin Enthroned with Child and Angels, central panel. [Photo: by permission of the Trustées ofthe National Gallery, London.] 5 Four saints from the side pilasters: Saint Augustine, Saint Jérôme, The Prophet Elijah, Saint Albert, Kaiser Friedrich Muséum, Berlin. [Photo: Berlin Muséums.]

The Martyrdom of Saint Peter and the Be¬ heading of Saint John the Baptist, Kaiser

3

5

Muséums.] The Adoration of the Magi, Kaiser Frie¬ drich Muséum, Berlin. [Photo: Berlin Mu¬ séums.] Scènes from the Life

of Saint Julian and Saint Nicholas, Kaiser Friedrich Muséum, Berlin. [Photo: Berlin Muséums.]

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

35

Italian painting

W^\ ii

^^^^^1.'"^ ^^^^H

-1

*Ê^^^r ^ '^ ^BQ^H

^E^«L

i ^^^^^^^^1^^

1

Wbd^Ê

-I

ik

''^^~:: ** ^^^i

'-f^-.

-^-

36

Italian painting

Altar-piece of Santa Lucia dei Magnoli Artist Domenico Veneziano. School, group, period Florentine School, c. 1445.

Original location Florence.

Subject The Virgin with Child and Saint Francis, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Zenobius and Saint

Lucy. Predella: The Ecstasy of Saint Francis; Saint John in the Désert; The Annunciation; The Miracle of Saint Zenobius; The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy.

Shape

Altar-piece with predella.

Previous history

Dimensions Approx. 250 cm x 210 cm.

The altar-piece, which was first placed over the high altar of the Church of Santa Lucia dei Magnoli, Florence, was transported to the Uffizi Gallery in 1 862. By that time, the parts of the predella had already been dispersed, having been removed in the first half of the nineteenth century.

Paint layer Distemper. Support Wood.

Whereabouts of fragments Uffizi Gallery (Florence): The Virgin with Child and Four Saints (216 cm x 209 cm). National Gallery (Washington); The Ecstasy of Saint Francis (26 cm x 30 cm) ; Saint John the Baptist as a Child in the Désert (28 cm x 31 cm). Fitzwilliam Muséum (Cambridge, United Kingdom): The Annunciation Ç213 cm x 54 cm); The Miracle of Saint Zenobius (325 cm X 285 cm). Kaiser Friedrich Museimi (Berlin): The Mar¬ tyrdom of Saint Lucy (25 cm x 285 cm).

37

Italian painting

Suggested reconstitutions Altar-piece: The Virgin with Child and Four

Saints. Predella: The Ecstasy of Saint Francis and Saint John the Baptist as a Child in the Désert The Annunciation The Miracle of Saint Zenobius The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy.

Bibliograpby Salmi, M. 1930. P. Uccello, A. Del Castagno, Dom. Veneziano. Milan. 1954. Mostra di quattro maestri del primo Rinascimento. Florence.

Illustrations / The Virgin with Child and Four Saints, UfSzi Gallery, Florence. [Photo: GFSG, Florence, No. 97824.] 2 The Ecstasy of Saint Francis, Samuel H. Kress Collection, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. [Photo: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C]

3

4

5

6

Saint John the Baptist as a Child in the Désert, Samuel H. Kress Collection, Na¬ tional Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. [Photo: National Gallery of Art, Washing¬ ton, D.C] The Annunciation, Fitzwilliam Muséum, Cambridge, United Kingdom. [Photo: Fitz¬ william Muséum, No. 1106/Steam & Sons, Cambridge.] The Miracle of Saint Zenobius, Fitzwilliam Muséum, Cambridge, United Kingdom. [Photo: Fitzwilliam Muséum, No. 1107/ Steara & Sons, Cambridge.] The Martyrdom of Saint Lucy, Kaiser Friedrich Muséum, Berlin. [Photo: Berlin Muséums.]

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

38

Italian painting

The battle of San Romano Artist Paolo Uccello. Original location Caméra di Piero in the Medici Palace, Florence ataly). Shape Séries

of three pictures.

Dimensions I82cmx317cm; 316 cm.

Paint layer Distemper. Support Wood.

182 cmx323 cm; ISOcmx

Subject Episodes from the battle of San Romano, won by the Florentines against the Siennese in 1433: Ntccolo da Tolentlno Leading the Attack; The Unhorsing of Bernardino délia Carda; Micheletto da Cotlgnola Counter-attacking. Previous history The three pictures, with three others of which one was by F. Pesellino, were part of the déco¬ ration of what was the chamber of Lorenzo the Magnificent in the Medici Palace, Florence. In the fifteenth century the panels were transferred to another part of the palace. There is no further trace of them until the eighteenth cen¬ tury.

39

Italian painting

Whereabouts of fragments

lUustTations

National Gallery (London): Niccolo da Tolen¬ tlno Leading the Attack. Uffizi Gallery (Florence): The Unhorsing of

1

Bernardino délia Carda. Musée du Louvre (Paris): Micheletto da Cotlg¬ nola Counter-attacking.

2

3 Suggested reconstitutions

According to Baldini (see figure below). Bibliography Pope Hennessy, J. 1950. The complète work of Paolo Uccello. London. Baldini, U. 1954. Restauri di dipinti fiorentini. Bollettlno d'arte, p. 221.

Niccolo da Tolentlno Leading the Attack. [Photo: by permission ofthe Trustées ofthe National Gallery, London.] The Unhorsing of Bernardino délia Carda, Uffizi Gallery, Florence. [Photo: GFSG, Florence, No. 97499.] Micheletto da Cotignola Counter-attacking, Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: National Muséums, No. 65 En 6434.]

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

41

Italian painting

Subject Centre: Virgin Enthroned with Child and Angels. Left panel: Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John the Evangellst, Saint Zenobius. Right panel: Saint Benedict, Saint Lawrence, Saint Gregory, Saint John the Baptist. Predella: The Agony in the Garden, The Cruci¬ fixion, The Résurrection. Previous history Mantegna was still engaged on this work in June 1459. It remained over the altar of San Zeno, Verona, until 1797 and was taken to France as part of Napoleon's booty. The three pictures from the predella remained in France

after 1815.

Whereabouts of fragments

Illustrations

Church of San 2^no (Verona): The three prin¬ cipal parts (each 220 cm x 1 14 cm). Tours Muséum: The Agony in the Garden; The

;

Résurrection (each 70 cm x 92 cm). Musée du Louvre (Paris): The Crucifixion (67 cm X 93 cm). Suggested reconstitutions The Virgin with Child, Angels and Saints. The Agony In the Garden The Crucifixion The

2

Résurrection.

3

Bibliography

4

Centre: The Virgin and Child. Left: Saint Peter, Saint Paul, Saint John the Evangellst, Saint Zenobius. Right: Saint Benedict, Saint Lawrence, Saint Gregory, Saint John the Baptist. Predella: The Agony in the Garden, The Crucifixion, The Résurrection (Church of San Zeno, Verona). [Photo: Anderson, Rome.] The Agony in the Garden, Fine Arts Mu¬ séum, Tours. [Photo: Arsicaud, Tours.] The Crucifixion, Musée du Louvre, Paris.

[Photo: Alinari.]

Tietze-Conrat, e. 1955. Mantegna. London

The Résurrection, Fine Arts Muséum, Tours. [Photo: Arsicaud, Tours.]

and Florence.

Paccagnini, G. 1961. Andréa Mantegna, Catalogo délia Mostra. Venice.

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

42

Italian painting

Roverella polyptych Artist Cosimo Tura. School, group, period Ferrara School, c. 1474.

Original location Ferrara (Italy). Shape

Polyptych with lunette and predella. Dimensions See 'Whereabouts of Fragments'.

Subject Vlrgtn Enthroned with Child and Angels. Left: Saint Peter and Saint George with Lorenzo Roverella. Right: Saint Maure lius and Saint Paul with (?) Nicolo Roverella. Above: Lunette with Lament for the Dead Christ; Saint Bernard (left); Saint Benedict

(right). Predella: Scènes from the life of Saint Bernard and Saint Benedict and perhaps from the childhood of Christ (roimd pictures).

Paint layer Distemper. gupport

Wood.

I000<

Previous history The polyptych was commissioned by the Roverellas for an altar in the Church of San Giorgio outside the walls of Ferrara. On 14 January 1709 the artillery firing at the Germans encamped outside the town hit the part of the church where the polyptych was. The worst damaged part was probably the left side panel. Subsequently the polyptych was split up and dispersed.

43

Italian painting

Whereabouts of fragments Musée du Louvre (Paris): Lament for the Dead Christ (132 cm high x 267 cm wide). National GaUery (London): The Virgin En¬ throned with Child and Angels (239 cm x 102 cm). Fine Arts Gallery (San Diego, Califomia): Head of Saint George (38 cm x 32 cm). Colonna Collection (Rome): Saint Maurelius and Saint Paul with Nicolo Roverella (155 cm X 76 cm).

Metropolitan Muséum (New York): The Flight into Egypt (38 cm x 37 cm). Isabella Stewart Gardner Muséum (Boston, Massachusetts): The Circumcision (39 cm x 38 cm). Fogg Art Muséum (Cambridge, Massachu¬ setts): The Adoration ofthe Magi (38.8 cm x 38.6 cm).

Suggested reconstitutions

According to R. Longhi

(see

figure below).

44

Italian painting Bibliography LoNGm, R. 1956. Officina ferrarese. Florence. Rlihmer, e. 1957. Tura, paintings anddrawings. London. Illustrations / Pietà (Lament for the Dead Christ), Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: Alinari.] 2 Virgin Enthroned with Child and Angels. [Photo: by permission ofthe Trustées ofthe National Gallery, London.] 3 Head of Saint George, Fine Arts Gallery, San Diego, Califomia. [Photo: The Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego.] 4 Saint Maurelius and Saint Paul with Nicolo Roverella, Colonna Collection, Rome. [Photo: Anderson, Rome, No. 3341.] 5 The Flight into Egypt, Jules S. Bâche Col¬ lection, Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York. [Photo: Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York.] 6 The Circumcision, Isabella Stewart Gardner Muséum, Boston, Massachusetts. [Photo: by permission of the Isabella Stewart Gardner Muséum.] 7 The Adoration of the Magi, Fogg Art Museimi, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts (gift of Mrs Edward M. Cary). [Photo: Fogg Art Muséum, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.]

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

45

Italian painting

46

Italian painting

Griffoni polyptych Artist Francesco del Cossa. School, group, period Ferrara School, c. 1473.

Original location Church of San Petronio, Bologna (Italy). Shape

Two-tier triptych with predella. Dimensions See 'Whereabouts of Fragments'.

Subject

Triptych with Saint Vincent Ferrier, Saint Peter, Saint John the Baptist. Above: Saint Florian, The Crucifixion, Saint Lucy. On the sides: The Angel of Annun¬ ciation and The Virgin. Small external pilasters: left, Saint Michael, Saint Apollonia, Saint Anthony, Saint Petronius, right, Saint George, Saint Jérôme, Saint Cathe¬ rine.

Predella (a single picture): Six Episodes from the Life of Saint Vincent Ferrier.

Previous history The Griffoni polyptych was painted for the chapel of the Griffoni family in the Church of San Petronio, Bologna. The master cabinetmaker Agostino de Marchi of Crema demanded payment for the framing on 15 July 1473. The pictorial part was the work of Fran¬ cesco del Cosa, and the predella was executed by Ercole de' Roberti. Nothing is known ofthe history of the dismemberment of this polyp¬ tych.

Paint layer Distemper. Support Wood.

13

10

14

11

12

15

47

Italian painting

Whereabouts of fragments National Gallery (Washington, D.C): Saint Florlan (79 cm x 55 cm); The Crucifixion (diameter 64 cm); Saint Lucy (79cmx 56 cm).

Cini Collection (Venice): Saint George (26.3 cm X 9.3 cm); Saint Jérôme (26.9x15 cm); Saint Catherine (26 x 9 cm). Vatican Muséum: Six Episodes from the Life of Saint Vincent Ferrer (27.2 cm x 212.7 cm).

Bibliography Frizzoni, G. 1888. Zeitschrift fur Btldende Kunst, p. 229. Longhi, R. 1956. Officlna Ferrarese... Flo¬ rence.

National Gallery (London): Saint Vincent Ferrer (153 cm x 60 cm). Cagnola Collection (Varese): Angel Virgin of the Annunciation (diameter 21 cm). Brera Gallery (Milan): Saint Peter; Saint John the Baptist (1 12 cm x 55 cm). Musée du Louvre (Paris): Saint Mlchael; Saint Apollonla (26.4 cm x H cm). Van Beuningen Collection (Rotterdam): Saint Anthony (23 cm x 1 1 cm). Baldi Collection (via Vendeghini, Ferrara): Saint Petronius (26 x 1 1 cm).

Suggested reconstitutions

According to Longhi (see figure below). 1. Saint Florian; 2. The Crucifixion; 3. Saint Lucy; 4. Saint Vincent Ferrer; 5. The Angel of the Annunciation; 6. The Virgin; 7. Saint Peter; 8. Saint John the Baptist; 9. Saint Mlchael; 10. Saint Anthony; 11. Saint Apollo~ nia; 12. Saint Petronius; 13. Saint George; 14. Saint Jérôme; 15. Saint Catherine; 16. Six Episodes from the Life of Saint Vincent Ferrer.

Illustration i Reconstitution by Roberto Longhi in Officlna Ferrarese, No. 309, 1956, Florence, Sansoni.

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

48

Italian painting

Bichi polyptych

49

Italian painting

Artist Luca Signorelli. School, group, period Tuscany, 1498.

Original location Bichi Chapel in Church of Sant'Agostino, Sienna (Italy). Shape See

'Subject'.

Dimensions See

'Whereabouts of Fragments'.

Paint layer Distemper. Support

Wood. Subject A statue of Saint Christopher was in the centre. A little further back there were two pictures with two groups of nude figures. In front on the left. Saint Catherine of Sienna, Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint Jérôme; on the right. Saint Augustine, Saint Catherine of Alexarulrla and Saint Anthony. The base consisted of three pictures: The Feast in Slmon's House with Mary Magdalene, The Pietà, The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine

of Alexandria. Previous history

Luca Signorelli painted thèse pictures in 1408 for the Chapel of Antonio Bichi and his daughter Eustachia in the Church of Sant'Agostino, Sienna. Shortly before 1760, the Bichi family removed the paintings from the chapel, and they were to remain for some time in its possession. The most important parts were reUnguished at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Whereabouts of fragments Musée du Louvre (Paris): Wooden statue of Saint Christopher (150 cm high). Dahlem Gallery (Berlin): Saint Catherine of Sienna, Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint Jérôme (144 cm x 74 cm); Saint Augustine, Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Saint Anthony ofPadua (144 cm x 74 cm).

Toledo Muséum (Ohio): Two pictures with nude figures (68.5 cm x 42.5 cm). National Gallery (Dublin): The Feast in Slmon's House with Mary Magdalene (27 cm X 89 cm). Stirling Maxwell Collection (Glasgow): Pietà (30cmxllOcm). Collection of Stirling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown (Massachusetts): The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria (30 cm x 90 cm).

50

Italian painting

Suggested reconstitutions See figure opposite.

Bibliography Borenius, t.

1913. Burlington magazine. WiLLLAMSTOWN MUSEUM, MASSACHUSETTS. 1951. Arts news, March.

Illustrations 1 Saint Christopher, Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: National Muséums, No. 70 En 2236.]

2

Saint Catherine of Sienna, Saint Mary Mag¬ dalene and Saint Jérôme, Dahlem Museimi,

Berlin. [Photo: Berlin Muséums.] Saint Augustine, Saint Catherine of Alexan¬ dria and Saint Anthony of Padua, Dahlem Muséum, Berlin. [Photo: Berlin Muséums.] 4 Two Figures and a Child, The Toledo Mu¬ séum of Art, Ohlo (gift of Edward Drummond Libbey). [Photo: Toledo Muséum of Art, Ohio.] 5 Two figures, The Toledo Muséum of Art, Ohio (gift of Edward Drummond Libbey). [Photo: Toledo Muséum of Art, Ohio, No. 55222 B.l

The Feast in Slmon's House, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. [Photo: The National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, Cat. No. 266.] 7 Pietà, Stirling Maxwell Collection, Pollok House, Glasgow Muséums and Art Gal¬

6

3

8

leries. [Photo: Glasgow Muséums and Art Galleries.] The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, Stirling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachmetts. [Photo: Stirling and Francine Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, No. 952.]

Drafter: Franco Renzo Pesenti.

51

Italian painting

Disrnembered works of art

Flemish painting

Jacques Lavalleye

The works of art painted on panels or canvas by the Flemish masters of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries were generaUy commissioned by the authorities directing ecclesiastical, légal, administrative or corporative institutions, or by members of royal, noble or merchant families. The paintings intended for the décoration of public or semi-public buildings suffered the effects of the external and internai disturbances to which their successive owners were subjected. They were often moved hastily from one place to another owing to military occupation, raids and religious quarrels. As artistic taste developed, some works were laid aside, and we must not forget that works of art were sometimes disrnem¬ bered and sold because of family and financial difficulties. Towards the end of the eighteenth century, works of art were often transferred from one place to another, and damaged in the process. In 1773, Joseph II suppressed the Society of Jésus, and in 1782 closed down the religious houses which were declared useless; in this way, numbers of paint¬ ings taken from thèse abandoned houses found their way to Brussels and various towns in the southern part of the Netherlands. Shortly afterwards the French troops entered Belgium, and the country then came under French législation. The Constituent Assembly set up the large central muséums in Paris, and soon fifteen departmental muséums were estab¬ lished. The paintings removed under the occupation from churches, abbeys, religious houses buildings which had been closed down and stripped of their contents were distributed among thèse muséums. Many remained in foreign countries; others were retumed to the régions which had been despoiled, particularly in 1814 and 1815. But restoration was sporadic, and the works retumed were often incomplète. This was the case, for example, with the predella of the Adoration ofthe Kings by Rubens ; while the main panels were retumed in 1815 to the Church of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist at Malines, the Adoration of the Shepherds and the Résurrection of Christ were dispatched to the Fine Arts Muséum in Marseilles. The altar-piece of the Altar ofthe Tailors in the Church of Saint Gommaire at Lier, painted by Rubens, was also disrnembered in this way; by 1814, the central panel had been sent to the Fine Arts Muséum at Dijon, while the side panels were restored to the collegiate church. Paintings belonging to private people were of course sub¬ jected to the hazards of being divided up among members of a family and sometimes being sold. Thus the twenty-eight

portraits of Famous Men, by Justus of Ghent, were divided up equally, in 1812, between the senior branch ofthe Barberini family and the collatéral Colonna di Sciarra family, and those responsible for this unfortunate division made no effort to préserve the unity of the work. This is the reason why so many paintings are at présent disrnembered and dispersed throughout the world, while their place of origin is often deprived, at least partially, of works that were once its wealth and pride and had been the expres¬ sion of the intentions of some patron of art. However well they may be exhibited at présent, they can no longer be viewed in the way intended by the artist, or in their proper setting. Worse still is the dismemberment of panels and paintings which once formed an iconological and stylistic whole. The Hospital of Saint John at Bruges still possesses the diptych by Memling representing Martin van Nieuwenhove Praying Before the Virgin and Child, but the same is not true of the diptych by Van der Weyden, for the Portrait of Laurent Froimont is now in the Fine Arts Muséum in Brussels, and the Madonna which is its pendant is in the Town Hall in Caen. The diptych by Van Dyck has been divided up: the effigy of the humanist Woverius with his son is in the Louvre and that of his wife, Maria Clarissa, with his daughter is in the Gemâldegalerie in Dresden. Triptychs were often disrnem¬ bered so as to make two or three paintings: Gérard David's Christ Nailed to the Cross, now in the National Gallery in London, was originally flanked by two side panels which can be seen in the Fine Arts Muséum in Antwerp. Some works were literally carved up. In 1799 the altar-piece painted by Gérard David for the Abbey Church of La Cervara, in Liguria, was divided into six panels which are now to be found in the Palazzo Bianco in Genoa, the Louvre in Paris and the Metropolitan Muséum, New York. The set of paintings by Rubens, commissioned by Vincenzo Gonzago to be presented to the Jesuit church in Mantua, was even more seriously mutilated because it was painted on canvas, which is very easy to eut up. Parts of this work, of varying sizes, are in the Palazzo ducale in Mantua, the art muséums of Antwerp, Nancy and Vienna and a private collection in London; the whereabouts of other parts is still unknown. Of course, little was done to keep 'séries' of paintings together. Although the cathedral of Malines has preserved the séries depicting the legend of Saint Rombaut, by Colyn de Coter, and the Church of Saint Paul at Antwerp has

53

Disrnembered works of art

fifteen paintings of the Virgin Mary by the most outstanding painters of the Antwerp School, only five of Breugel's séries of the Months hâve been found so far (Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna; Narodni Gallery, Prague; Metropolitan Muséum, New York). In the same way, the Christ of the séries depicting Christ and the twelve apostles, by Van Dyck, is in the Palazzo Rosso in Genoa and six apostles are to be found in various muséums, at Sarasota (Florida), Budapest, Hanover, Essen and Vienna. While many works of art were removed from their setting and disrnembered in a lamentable way, as a resuit of the political and military events at the end of the eighteenth cen¬ tury and the dispersion of private collections, we must not forget that the Flemish Primitives suffered considérable damage at the beginning of the seventeenth century. For instance, the canons of the Capilla Real at Granada decided, between 1630 and 1633, to place on the back of the doors of two large reliquary cupboards the fifteenth-century paintings belonging to the collection placed in their care by Queen Isabella of Castile. In order to do so, they had in some cases to reduce the dimensions of the panels. This happened to two side panels painted by Van der Weyden; the third, which escaped the same fate because it was not in the collection, was finally acquired by the Metropolitan Muséum in New York. In 1631, when the Italian Marches came under pontifi¬ cal authority, Cardinal Antonio Barberini took possession of those States and of the ducal palace of Urbino. He removed a number of works of art, including the twenty-eight Famous Men already mentioned, painted by Justus of Ghent on seven panels, with four portraits on each panel. The panels were sawn up so as to make twenty-eight separate panels, disregarding the setting of each figure. At the beginning of the seventeenth century, Memling's Bathsheba at Her Bath was mutilated, the upper left-hand comer being replaced by a painting depicting the heavy architecture ofa palace (Muséum of Stuttgart). The original fragment has been found; it is in the Chicago Art Institute. One of the tasks which fall to the Centre National de Recherches 'Primitifs Flamands' in Brussels and the Nationaal Centrum voor de Plastische Kunsten in de 16e en de 17e Eeuw, in Antwerp, was that of trying to assemble the scattered fragments of Flemish paintings of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries at least theoretically, in the light of the available documentation. On the practical level, the reconstitution of mutilated

Flemish painting

works is one of the most difficult of problems. Sometimes, when a peace treaty is drawn up and imposed on the loser, the latter hands back works of art by way of réparation. Thus the side panels of Van Eyck's Holy Lamb polyptych, which had been sold in Brussels in 1816 to the art dealer Nieuwenhuys, was retumed to Belgium under the Treaty of Versailles (28 June 1919). In 1817 thèse six panels were acquired for the Solly Col¬ lection at Aix-la-Chapelle, and in 1 821 for the collection of Frédéric William III King of Prussia, who presented them to the Muséum of Berlin. Under Article 247 of the Treaty of Versailles, the panels were retumed to Belgium in 1920. In 1923 the Belgian Government retumed the panels depicting Adam and Eve which had been sold to it by the Canons of Ghent in 1861 and which were exhibited in the Royal Fine Arts Muséums in Brussels. Thus the Van Eyck polyptych was reconstituted in the Vydt Chapel of the Cathedral of Ghent, for which it had been designed. The history of the Last Supper, painted by Bouts from 1464 to 1468 for the Chapelle du Saint-Sacrement in the collegiate church of Saint Pierre at Louvain, is similar to that of the Van Eyck polyptych. The side panels were detached from the central panel around 1707. Later, we find them in the Bettendorf Collection, which was moved from Brussels to Aix-la-Chapelle in 1814. The panel depicting the Meeting of Abraham and Melchisedech and the Gathering ofthe Manna was bought by the Boisserée brothers, in Cologne; King Louis of Bavaria acquired them, and in 1817 donated them to the Pinakothek in Munich. In 1934, the other panel depicting Elijah in the Désert and the Jewish Passover, which was in the Bettendorf Collection, was acquired by the Kaiser Friedrich Muséum in Berlin. Under the same Article 247 of the Treaty of Versailles, the side panels were replaced with the central panel in its place of origin. How can we set about bringing together, in a logical manner, separate éléments which are believed to hâve formed a single entity ? There are doubtless few altar-pieces for which we hâve contemporary information which can be used in discussing them, as in the case of Bouts' Last Supper, at Louvain; we hâve the contract for the commission, including a description of the subjects to be depicted and the final receipt. The three panels painted by Van der Weyden, of which two are now preserved at Granada and one in New York, are mentioned, and the subjects Pietà, Nativity of Christ, Christ Appearing

54 Jacques Lavalleye

to His Mother are included in an inventory of property left by Queen Isabella of Castile and transferred in 1505 to the Capilla Real in Granada. From inventories we can trace the history of the séries of Months by Bruegel, which show that they were in Antwerp in the Nicolas Jonghelinck Collection (1566), and later among the possessions of the town. The magistrate of Antwerp presented six of the paintings in this séries to the Archduke Ernest in 1594; about fifty years later (1659), there were only five in the Gallery of the Archduke Leopold William. But, as a gênerai mie, the archives tell us little about the origin of the paintings, which in most cases was not determined until the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. However, works were sometimes found in earlier times. When the humanist traveller Schrader was passing through Urbino, he visited the Studiolo of the ducal palace, and read the dedicatory inscriptions painted under each portrait of the séries of Famous Men arranged along the four walls. Thèse inscriptions, which he published in 1592, give us detailed information, and it would be possible to reconstitute this group of twenty-eight philosophers painted by Justus of Ghent if the fourteen paintings in the Louvre could be hung together with the fourteen others which were returned to Urbino after being given up by the Barberini family in 1934. Eighteenth-century travellers liked to say that works of art, especially paintings, were hung in palaces and churches. Baroque paintings, of course, caught the attention of Mensaert (1763), Descamps (1753 and 1769) Dezallier d'Argenville (1762 and 1778) and Rotti (1766), who, before the upheavals which led to the dismemberment ofthe great works of Rubens in the Church of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist at Malines and the Church of Saint Gommaire at Lier, described Van Dyck's Christ and the Apostles in Genoa and the Homage to Louis XIII painted by Frans Pourbus the Younger for the great hall in the Hôtel de Ville in Paris.1 Without the description by Dom Giuseppe Spinola of the altar-piece in the Abbey of La Cervara before 1799, we would be unable to group together the panels by Gérard David which are now scattered throughout Italy, France and the United States. Some works of art, too, give us valuable information about paintings which are now disrnembered. Thus the muséum of Berlin possesses a complète copy, made at the time, which came from the Carthusian monastery of Miraflores near Burgos, ofthe three Van der Weyden panels which

were in the Capilla Real in Granada from 1505 to approxima¬ tely 1630. The séries of Christ and the Twelve Apostles by Van Dyck, originally in Genoa, was once a single work: the engraver Cornelis van Caukercken used it as a source for his séries of engravings from the work of the Antwerp master. The départaient of drawings in the Louvre has the preparatory sketch of the Homage to Louis XIII by Frans Pourbus the Younger, which was intended for the Hôtel de Ville of Paris. In the absence of archives, literary sources and graphie documentation from the past, the art historian, before trying to assemble fragments, must observe a number of material détails, analyse the iconological thèmes, identify the principles underlying composition and note stylistic characteristics. If the measurements of panels or canvases coincide, certain conclusions may be drawn, ail the more so if similarity of subjects and identity of style suggest that there was ori¬ ginally a link between them. The dimensions of the panels depicting Laurent Froimont (Brussels) and the Virgin and Child (Caen) are identical, and both are clearly in the style of Van der Weyden; moreover, the pious donor is looking directly at the centre of the other panels; so we may conclude that the painting was a diptych. The same is true of the double portrait of Woverius and his wife (Paris and Dresden) by Van Dyck: the dimensions of the figures, the treatment and the colour harmonies correspond exactly. Heraldic évidence confirms this: the Dresden panel bears the arms of Maria Clarissa, the wife of Jan Woverius. Iconology is also useful when the style of separate works suggests that they belong together. The fragment of a panel painted in a style characteristic of Memling, in the Chicago Art Institute, may be linked with the Stuttgart Bathsheba at Her Bath not only because of the similarity of treatment but also because the subject is complementary to the main thème: King David, shown halflength, is holding a ring which is intended to prove the authenticity ofthe messenger (II Samuel). The scène of Christ 1.

This work, by a Flemish artist, was painted in Paris and has long formed part of the French cultural héritage. There are two studies of it one by J. Lavalleye, in this article, and another by G. Thuillier, in 'Disrnembered Works of Art French Painting'. The dossiers established by thèse two authors one Belgian, the other French reflect points of view that differ considerably. They provide a great deal of additional information and we therefore felt that both should be published. (Note by Unesco.)

55

Disrnembered works of art

Nailed to the Cross, which is in London, was situated in a historical framework: Gérard David therefore placed on each side of it a panel in which the witnesses explain the main thème: Jewish Judges and Roman Soldiers, and The Virgin, Saint John and Holy Women, now in the Muséum of Antwerp. The Martyrdom of Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian, by an anonymous Flemish artist, which is now in the Muséum of Warsaw, is completed by a représentation of the tortures inflicted on the two saints, depicted on panels owned by a Paris collector. This séries of épisodes is an early sixteenthcentury illustration of a legend dating from the end of the eighth century. The identification ofthe members of the family of Vincenzo Gonzaga, for whom Rubens painted the large canvases intended for the Jesuit Church in Mantua, supports our belief in the common origin of thèse works, the style of which is not yet very personal, as the artist was at that time discovering the Italian masters who influenced his style. Unity of style is a complicated subject to discuss, although the treatment, the colours used, the gênerai composition, the conception of the figures and the handling of drapery give us valuable information as to the personality of a particular master. For those who can interpret and grasp the meaning of paintings, style and technique are doubtless the best source of information by which works which hâve been separated in the course of history may be brought together again. The artist's view of nature, the relationship between man and the landscape, light, the psychological analysis of the human being, and even his amusement at the behaviour of human beings ail thèse hâve made it possible to reconstitute alas, only partially the séries of the Months by Bruegel.

As well as the distance which often séparâtes the différent parts of a work, there is another considérable difficulty their varying state of préservation. Some fragments hâve suffered more damage than others, some hâve been badly cleaned, others hâve been injudiciously over-painted. Thanks to the careful cleaning, carried out by the National Gallery of London, of the painting by Van der Weyden of Saint Mary Magdalene Reading, the original composition became visible around the figure of the saint, which could be seen to be in the middle of a vast interior suggesting the présence of several figures. Once the panel was restored to its original state, the parts of it that were in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon could be integrated with it. The importance of reconstitution is obvious, even if it is

Flemish painting

only carried out with reproductions. The unity of the works is thus re-established, and our approach to the artistic créa¬ tion is more accurate, especially if we can imagine the paint¬ ing in the setting for which it was intended, reconstituted by a photographie montage. The character of the work and the personality of the artist are made clearer if we see a painting as a whole; and knowledge, aesthetic feelings and truth are thereby enhanced.

56

Flemish painting

Saint Mary Magdalene Reading Artist

Rogier Van der Weyden. School, group, period Southern Netherlands, fifteenth century.

Holder National Gallery (London) (Cat. No. 654). Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 61.9 cm X 54.2 cm x 1.3 cm.

Protective layer Modem vamish.

Paint layer Fragment in fairly good condition. When it was cleaned in 1955-56, the layer of black covering the whole of the backgroimd was removed.

Support

Wood (originally two vertical sections; now transposed on to mahogany. Fragment of a panel; probably only a small pièce has been eut off along the right-hand and bottom edges. Frame

Not original.

Subject

Saint Mary Magdalene is seated in a bedchamber, leaning against a dresser. Behind her stands a man leaning on a stick; his head is not visible; he has been identified with Saint Joseph. The drapery on the left is part of the clothing of Saint John the Evangelist, who was seen in profile, kneeling.

Distinctive features Saint Mary Magdalene is wearing a green robe with a golden underskirt. Saint Joseph a red robe and a blue cloak, and Saint John the Evan¬ gelist a red cloak.

57

Flemish painting

Previous history The origins of the painting are unknovra; it was first mentioned in 1860. Two other frag¬ ments of the same painting hâve been known

of since 1907. Whereabouts of fragments

A Head of Saint Joseph (oak, 21 cm x 18 cm) and a Head of a Saint (Catherine?) (21 cmx 18 cm) are in the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation in Lisbon (Oeiras). Suggested reconstitutions The figure of Saint Mary Magdalene occupied roughly the bottom right-hand comer of a large altar-piece; the head of Saint Joseph fits the head and shoulders ofthe maie figure stand¬ ing behind her. The portrait of the female saint must hâve formed a pendant to that of Saint Mary Magdalene or else must hâve been on the left-hand panel. A Flemish drawing dating from the end of the fifteenth century, which is in the Nationalmuseum in Stockholm (Cat. No. 148/1918), shows the central group of this altar-piece; a seated Virgin with the Child on her knee is writing in a book held by Saint John the Evangelist, who is seen in profile, kneeling, on the right. Saint John the Baptist, standing, forms a pendant to the latter figure. On the extrême left of the painting is a canonized bishop giving the blessing: he may hâve been painted on the left-hand panel.

Bibliography

Dav\s, m.

1954. The National Gallery, Lon¬ don. Les primitifs Flamands, I: Corpus de la peinture des anciens Pays-Bas méridio¬ naux au quinzième siècle, 3. Vol. II, p. 173-

9, Antwerp. . 1957. Miscellanea, Prof. Dr. D. Roggen. p. 79-89. Antwerp. . 1968. National Gallery Catalogues, Early Netherlandish School. 3rd éd. p. 169-70.

London. Iconography M. Davies, op. cit.. Corpus.,., No. 57 (4), Plates CCCLXXXIX-CDIII (before clean¬ ing); The National Gallery, January 1955 to June 1956, Fig. 7, London, 1956 (photo¬ graphs by Calouste Gulbenkian Founda¬

tion). Illustrations / Saint Mary Magdalene Reading, National Gallery, London. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 189172 B.] 2 Head of Saint Joseph, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon. [Photo: ACL, Brussels No. 198461 B.] 3 Head of a Saint, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon. [Photo: ACL, Brus¬ sels,

No. 198642 B.]

M. Sonkes, Scientific Secretary, Centre National de Recherches 'Primitifs Flamands', Brussels.

Drafter:

58

Flemish painting

Nativity and Pietà Artist Rogier Van der Weyden. School, group, period Southern Netherlands, fifteenth century.

Holder Capilla Real, Granada (Cat. Nos. 26 and 28 (1952)). Shape

Two rectangular panels. Dimensions 51 cm X 38 cm, 4 cm x 0.7 cm, 50.9 cm x 38 cm, 5 cm X 0.7 cm.

Protective layer Récent vamish.

Paint layer

Subject

In good gênerai condition. A few minor blem-

Nativity: Virgin seated with the Child on her knee; Saint Joseph seated on the right. Archway opening on to a room which seems to be a chapel. Pietà: The Virgin is bowed down, embracing the body of Christ; on the left. Saint John; on the right, Joseph of Arimathaea. Similar archway, but opening on to a landscape.

ishes, such as lacunae and scratches. Nonpainted border on the upper part is missing, due to the shortening of the two panels.

Support Oak, in 2 or

not original. Frame

Not original.

3

vertical sections. Upper border

Distinctive features Nativity: the Virgin is clothed in white, Saint Joseph in red. Pietà: The Virgin's garments are dark bluish green, Saint John's red and Joseph of Arimathaea's almost black.

59

Flemish painting

Previous history The Nativity and the Pietà aie two panels of a triptych presented by Queen Isabella of Castille to the Capilla Real of Granada: the whole triptych was there in 1505. Some time between 1630 and 1633, the Nativity and the Pietà were placed on the back ofthe right-hand door ofthe relie cupboard, in the south transept of the Capilla. When this was done, the upper part of the two panels was eut off. The third panel of the triptych had been removed from the Capilla Real by then; its dimensions are the same as they were originally. Whereabouts of fragments The third panel of the fibted triptych is Christ Appearing to His Mother, now in the Metro¬

politan Muséum of Art, New York (No. 22.60.58); oak 63.5 cm x 38.1 cm. Suggested reconstitutions The Pietà formed the central panel of the trip¬ tych, the Nativity the left panel, and Christ Appearing to his Mother the right panel. This reconstitution is based on comparison with a complète copy of the triptych, the Miraflores triptych in Berlin (Staatliche Muséum, No. 534A). It is supported by the similarities of style and composition in the Granada and New York panels and by their dimensions.

Bibliography JuSTi, C. 1890. Zeitschrlftfur Chrlstltche Kunst. vol. III, p. 203-10. Von Loga, V. 1910. Jahrbuch der Kon. Preusz. Kunstsammlungen, vol. XXXI, p. 47-56. Friedlander, m. J. 1924. Die Altnlederlândische Malerel. II: Rogier van der Weyden und die Melster von Flémalle. p. 15-17, 20, 91. Berlin. Lavalleye, J. 1959. Bulletin de la classe des Beaux-Arts (de /') Académie Royale de Bel¬ gique, vol. XLI, p. 21-9. Van Schoute, R. 1963. La Chapelle Royale de Grenade. Les primitifs Flamands. 1: Corpus de la peinture des anciens Pays-Bas méri¬ dionaux au quinzième siècle, 6. p. 87-109. Brussels.

Iconography R. Van ScHoirrE, op. cit.. Corpus..., No. 101 (9), Plates CLV-CLXXXIX.

Illustrations 1 Pietà, Capilla Real, Granada. ACL, Brussels, No. 161455 B.] 2 Nativity, Capilla Real, Granada. ACL, Brussels, No. 161423 B.] 3 Christ Appearing to His Mother, politan Muséum of Art, New [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 190766

Drafter:

[Photo: [Photo: Metro¬

York. B.]

M. Sonkes, Scientific Secretary, Centre National de Recherches 'Primitifs Flamands', Brussels.

60

Flemish painting

61

Flemish painting

Virgin and Child Artist Rogier Van der Weyden. School, group, period Southern Netherlands, fifteenth century.

Holder Muséum of Caen, Mancel Collection. Shape

Brussels.

Rectangular. Dimensions 50.8 cm X 32.5 cm x

Iconography 1

cm

Protective layer Yellowed vamish.

Paint layer Damaged or cracking and breaking at the joints. Contours of flesh well preserved. The blues hâve darkened, and become almost black. Slight blemishes in the reds.

Support Oak, backed and edged by a thin strip of wood. The original dimensions of the support are unchanged; uneven edge and unpainted border visible on ail four sides. Subject The Virgin is seen full face, half-length, with hands joined in prayer. The Child is sitting naked on his mother's right knee, with his head leaning against her bare breast.

Distinctive features The Virgin is wearing a very dark blue-green dress, a red cape and a white veil; the Child is seated on a white cloth. Previous history The origin of the work is unknown; there is a référence to it in 1872, and it comes from the Collection of Cardinal Fesch, in Italy. The portrait which formed the other half of the diptych has been found in Venice.

Whereabouts of fragments The portrait said to be that of Laurent Froimont is in Brussels, at the Royal Fine Arts Muséum of Belgium (Cat. No. 922; oak, 49 cmx 31.5 cm). Suggested reconstitutions The Virgin and Child formed the left panel of a diptych and the Portrait of Laurent Froimont the right panel. This hypothesis is based on a comparison with the Diptych of Martin Van Nieuwenhove, by H. Memling, at the Hospital of Saint John in Bruges. It is supported by the similarities of dimension and style in the two

panels.

Bibliography Fierens-Gevaert, 1921. Gazette des beauxarts, 5' pér., III, p. 374-5. HuLiN DE Loo, G. 1924. The Burlington maga¬ zine, vol. XLIV, p. 179-85. Friedlander, M. J. 1967. Early Netherlandish painting. II: Rogier van der Weyden and the Master of Flémalle, Leyden. p. 23-4, 66.

DE Loo, op. cit., Plate I; Friedlander, op. cit.. Plates 52-3.

HuLiN

Illustrations 1 Virgin and Child, Mancel Collection, Caen. [Photo: ACL, Bmssels, No. 197229 B.] 2 Laurent Froimont, Royal Fine Arts Musé¬ um. Brussels. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 135333 B.]

Drafter:

M. Sonkes, Scientific Secretary, Centre National de Recherches 'Primitifs Flamands', Brussels.

63

Flemish painting

Famous Men Artist Justus of Ghent. School, group, period

Southern Netherlands, fifteenth century.

Holder Galleria Nazionale délie Marche, Palazzo du¬ cale (Cat. No. 717-30). Shape

Fourteen rectangular panels. Dimensions 94.6/119.2 cm x 51.6/79.6 cm x 2.5/5 cm.

Protective layer General condition good.

Paint layer Condition varies in différent panels. Some of the green tints are faded and the glaze has gone. Much prématuré cracking. The décoration of the borders is incomplète: columns, capitals, bases, atlantes and eagles are mutilated. Support Poplar (two or three vertical sections). No nonpainted borders. The portraits, originally twenty-eight in number, were arranged in groups of four on a single support. Frame

Modem. Subject Séries of leading thinkers, philosophers, poets, excluding military men and politicians. There were originally twenty-eight half-length por¬ traits of men in the foreground of a narrow room, either vaulted or with a ceiling. The fourteen Urbino portraits can easily be iden¬ tified by means of an inscription on the base of each panel: Cicero, Hippocrates, Homer, Bartolo Sentinati, Euclid, Boethius, Moses, Petrarch. Saint Ambrose, Saint Gregory the Great, Saint Albert the Great, Plus II, Dims

Scotus.

Distinctive features Présence of characteristic attributes: Tables of the Law (Moses) compass (Euclid), pontifical tiara (Saint Gregory the Great). Previous history Federigo da Montefeltro summoned from Flanders an artist whom he commissioned to decorate his studiolo. This artist, who may be identified with Justus of Ghent, painted twenty-eight portraits of famous men between 1473-74 and 1476-77. They remained there until 1632, when the Cardinal legate Antonio Barberini sent them to Rome. The portraits,

originally grouped in seven panels, with four

portraits on each, had been separated, and in 1812 were divided up: the Barberini family kept fourteen, which in 1934 were returned to Ur¬ bino, while the other fourteen became the property of the family of Colonna di Sciarra. Whereabouts of fragments The fourteen portraits which belonged to the Colonna di Sciarra family are now in the Musée du Louvre (Paris): Plato, Aristotle, Saint Jérôme, Ptolemy, Saint Augustine, Seneca, Virgil, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Vittorino da Feltro, Bessarion, Solon, Sixtus IV, Pietro d'Abano and Dante (poplar; 92/118.4 cmx 56.3/78.1 cm).

Suggested reconstitutions The twenty-eight portraits were arranged in two rows, one above the other, with marquetry panelling beneath them. The original arrange¬ ment, in sets of four, has been re-established thanks to a study of the supports which confirms a description by L. Schrader, published in 1592.

Bibliography Schmarsow, a. 1912. Abhandlungen der philologlsch-historischen Klasse der kSnigUchen sàchsischen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften, vol. XXIX. Lavalleye, J. 1936. Juste de Gand, peintre de Frédéric de Montefeltre. Brussels/Rome. . 1964. Le Palais Ducal d'Urbino. Les pri¬ mitifs Flamands. 1: Corpus de la peinture des anciens Pays-Bas méridionaux au quinzième siècle, 7. p. 44-108. Brussels. Iconography J. Lavalleye, op. cit.. Corpus, No. 105 (3), Plates LXXXVUI-CLXXXVI.

Illustrations 1 Reconstitution of the Urbino Studiolo, Ducal Palace, Urbino. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 196438 B.] 2 Saint Gregory, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 172535 B.] 3 Saint Augustine, Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 164297 B.] 4 Ptolemy, Musée du Louvre, Paris [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 125361 B.] 5 Moses, Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 172510 B.]

Drafter: M. Sonkers, Scientific Secretary, Centre National de Recherches 'Primitifs Flamands', Brussels.

64

Flemish painting

Bathsheba at her Bath Artist Hans Memling. School, group, period Southern Netherlands, fifteenth century.

Holder Staatsgalerie (Stuttgart) (Cat. No. 644). Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 191.5

cmx 84.6 cm.

Paint loyer The upper left-hand comer is not original; it seeros to hâve been painted during the first half of the seventeenth century. The other side (Eve) seems to date from the end of the six¬ teenth century.

Support Oak; the upper left-hand comer (27.5 cmx 20.2 cm) is a late addition (seventeenth cen¬ tury?). Frame

Not original. Subject Bathsheba, naked, is putting on a garment held by a serving girl. The bath is covered by a canopy; a bed-head can be seen behind it. In the top left-hand corner, through the open window, can be seen two storeys ofa palace: a sculptured porch, and above it a balcony upon which stand two very small-scale figures, a man and a child.

65

Flemish painting

Distinctive features Unusual illustration ofthe Bible; probably a ritual bath. Religious context: in the background, the statues on the porch represent Abraham sacrificing Isaac, and Moses with the Tables of the Law. Previous history The origin ofthe work is unknown; it is men¬ tioned for the first time in 1736. It may hâve been mutilated at the beginning of the seven¬ teenth century.

Whereabouts of fragments The fragment originally in the upper left-hand corner is in the Chicago Art Institute (Max and Leola Epstein Collection, 54.219; oak, 25.5 cmx 19.7 cm). Suggested reconstitutions The Chicago painting, a half-length représenta¬ tion of King David holding a ring which is intended to confirm the authenticity of the messenger standing beside him, forms the upper left-hand corner of the Stuttgart painting and helps to identify its subject. The similarity of dimensions and style supports this hypothesis.

Bibliography Friedlander, M. J. 1928, Die Altntederlàndische Malerel. VI: Memling und Gérard David, p. 121, 132. Beriin. Held, J. S., 1957. Gazette des beaux-arts, 6* pér., L. p. 79-83. Katalog der Staatsgalerie, Stuttgart, p. 168, Stuttgart, 1957.

Iconography Friedlander, op. cit.. Plates XXIII and XLVIII; Held, op. cit., Figs. 10 and 11.

Dlustrations 1 Bathsheba at her Bath, Staatsgalerie, Stutt¬ gart. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 130384 B]. 2 David and a Messenger, Max and Leola Epstein Collection, Chicago Art Institute, [Photo: ACL, Bmssels, No. 131279 A.]

Drafter:

M. Sonkes, Scientific Secretary, Centre National de Recherches 'Primitifs Flamands', Brussels.

66

Flemish painting

67

Flemish painting

Christ Nailed to the Cross Artist Gérard David. School, group, period Southern Netherlands, fifteenth century.

Holder National Gallery (London) (Cat. No. 3067). Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 49.4 cm X 95.1 cm x 1.2 cm.

Protective layer

Good condition. Paint layer Very much faded, especially the brown tints in the background, which are completely covered by glazing. Many areas of various sizes restored especially on the right-hand side and along the joint. Overpainting on the sky, more accentuated on the right where it is flaking off. Support Oak, with two horizontal sections.

Frame

Not original. Subject The cross is lying on the ground, forming a diagonal across the surface of the painting. Christ is stretched out on it and soldiers are nailing his feet and right hand, while another is digging the hole into which the cross will be set. On the right and left stand men, watching the torture, while a number of small figures can be seen, half-length, above the hill which cuts off the view of the middle distance.

Distinctive features The man standing on the left is dressed in yellow and blue; the drapery at his feet is light blue. The soldier nailing Christ's hand is dressed in red, the man digging, in brown, and the soldier nailing the feet, in green. The man in the right-hand foreground is dressed in pink, blue, brown and yellow. Previous history The origin of the work is unknown; it was mentioned for the first time in 1860. The exis¬ tence of two panels which seem to hâve belonged to the same altar-piece has been known of since 1841. Whereabouts of fragments Two panels representing Jewish Judges and Roman Soldiers and The Vlrgtn, Saint John arul Holy Women (oak, each 45 cm x 42.5 cm) are in the Royal Fine Arts Museimi in Antwerp

(Cat. Nos. 179. 180). Suggested reconstitutions The Jewish Judges arul Roman Soldiers could be the left-hand panel and The Virgin, Saint John and Holy Women the right-hand panel of a triptych of which Christ Nailed to the Cross would form the central panel. This reconstitu¬ tion has no historical basis; it is founded on stylistic and iconographie évidence and on the similarity of the dimensions.

Bibliography

FrjedlXnder, m. j. 1928. Die Altniederlandische Malerel. VI: Memling und Gérard David, p. 82, 84-5, 144. Berlin. Davies, M. 1953. The National Gallery, Lon¬ don. Les primitifs Flamands. I: Corpus de la peinture des anciens Pays-Bas méridionaux au quinzième siècle, 3. Vol. I, p. 112-16. . 1968. National Gallery catalogues, early Netherlandish School. 3rd éd. p. 45-6.

Illustrations 1 Christ Nailed to the Cross, National Gallery, London. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 124648 B.] 2 Jewish Judges arul Roman Soldiers, Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 169639 B.] 3 Virgin, Saint John and Holy Women, Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 169638 B.]

London. Iconography Davies, op. cit.. Corpus..., Plates CCLXIICCLXXX.

M. Sonkes, Scientific Secretary, Centre National de Recherches 'Primitifs Flamands', Brussels. Drafter:

68

Flemish painting

God Between Two Angels Artist Gérard David. School, group, period

Southern Netherlands, early sixteenth cen¬ tury.

Holder Musée du Louvre (Paris) (Cat. No. R.F. 2228). Shape

Semi-circular. Dimensions 45.7 cm X 88 cm X 0.9 cm.

Protective layer Good condition.

Paint layer In very good gênerai condition. Restoration at the joint and along the borders. The grey-blue of the sky is faded. Slight overpainting on the flesh and feathers of the right-hand angel. Repainting and overpainting on the clouds. Support Oak, two horizontal sections. Frame Modem.

69

Flemish painting

Subject God (head and shoulders) giving the blessing. He is represented with a triple crown and hold¬ ing a sceptre of chased gold in his left hand. On either side are the head and shoulders of two small angels, with their hands, joined in prayer; feathers cover their bodies and arms, and they hâve wings. The figure of God is seen against a background of sky; the angels seem to be rising out of fleecy clouds.

Distinctive features God is clothed in a deep red robe and a cape of red and gold brocade lined with green. The feathers and wings of the angels are orange in colour, which indicates that they are seraphim. Previous history The work first came to notice in 1902. It seems to hâve been part of the altar-piece of the Abbey Church of La Cervara in Liguria, described shortly after 1970 by Don Giuseppe Spinola (Genoa, University Library, MS. B.V1II.13). The altar-piece was probably dis¬ rnembered after the monks abandoned the abbey in 1799. It bore an inscription with the name of the donor, Vincentius Saulus, and the date 7 September 1506.

Whereabouts of fragments

A Virgin Enthroned with Child (oak,

153 cm x 89 cm), a Saint Jérôme (oak, 152.5 cm x 64 cm) and a Saint Benedict (oak, 1 52.5 cm x 64 cm) are in the Palazzo Bianco at Genoa (No. 12).

An Angel and a Virgin forming an Annuncia¬ tion (oak, each 76 cm x 62 cm) belong to the Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York (No. 50.145.9 (a) and (b). Suggested reconstitutions The Virgin and Child, with Saint Jérôme on the left and Saint Benedict on the right, formed the lower part of the altar-piece. The Annunciation formed the central part, which was surmounted

by the limette with God Between Two Angels. This reconstitution is based on the description by Don Giuseppe Spinola. Ail thèse paintings were normally attributed to Gérard David and dated at the beginning ofthe sixteenth century. Bibliography VoN Bodenhausen, e. 1905. Gérard David und seine Schule. p. 157-8, Munich. Castelnovi, g. V. 1952. Commentarl, vol. III, p. 22-7. Adhemar, h. 1962. Le Musée National du Louvre. Les primitifs Flamands. II: Corpus de la peinture des anciens Pays-Bas méri¬ dionaux au quinzième siècle, 5. p. 135-44. Brussels.

Iconography Adhemar, op. cit.. No. 91 (4), Plate CXCI-CC.

Illustrations 1

2

3

4 5

Reconstitution of the altar-pieces in the Abbey Church of La Cervara in Liguria. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 207929 B.] God Between Two Angels, Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 164256 B.] Virgin and Child, Saint Jérôme and Saint Benedict, Palazzo Bianco, Genoa. [Photo: ACL, Bmssels, No. 190547 B.] Virgin of the Annunciation, Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York. Angel of the Annunciation, Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York.

M. Sonkes, Scientific Secretary, Centre National de Recherches 'Primitifs Flamands', Brussels. Drafter:

70

Flemish painting

The Martyrdom of Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian Artist Anonymous. School, group, period Southern Netherlands, early sixteenth century.

Holder Muzeum Narodowe (Warsaw) Wil. 1521). Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 95.5 cmx 187.1 cm x 0.8 cm.

Protective layer Modem varnish, transparent.

(Cat.

No.

Paint layer Fading and retouching considérable, but in very small patches, distributed over a large part of the surface. Fairly superficial restora¬ tion along the bottom joints and cracks. Support Oak, in four horizontal sections, set in a more récent oak frame, nailed to the support. The top border of one of the panels has been slightly shortened. Subject

Partial représentation of the legend of Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian, based on the eighth-century text in the Acta Sanctorum. The action moves from the left backgroimd towards the foreground, and then retums to the back-

71

Flemish painting

ground, then moves again into the foreground and finally again to the background, on the right. The river is the Aisne and the town in the background is Soissons.

Whereabouts of fragments Two panels, transposed on to canvas (each 97 cm X 37.5 cm) are in a private collection in Paris.

Distinctive features Very elaborate botanical détails in the immédi¬ ate foreground. Most of the plants hâve been identified; they are represented as they would be in winter, contrary to the gênerai practice of the Flemish primitives.

Suggested reconstitutions The two Paris panels formed the right-hand side ofthe triptych; the panels forming the lefthand side hâve not been found. The theory that the Paris panels belong to the same group as the Warsaw painting is based on iconography; the final scènes of the martyrdom of the two saints are depicted in it. The similarity of dimensions and style support this hypothesis.

Previous history

The painting, the origin of which is unknown, formed the central panel of a triptych. This was perhaps commissioned by a guild of shoemakers. The first owner to be identified was Stanislaw Septym Potocki (1782-1831) of Saint Petersburg. Two panels belonging to the same group of paintings were also in Saint Petersburg in 1860. The reasons for dismemberment are imknown.

Bibliography Secomska, K. 1965. Bulletin du Musée Natio¬ nal de Varsovie, VI, p. 5-16. BiALOSTOCKi, J. 1966. Les Musées de Pologne (Gdansk, Krakow, Warsawa). Les primitifs Flamands. I: Corpus de la peinture des anciens

Pays-Bas méridionaux au quinzième siècle, 9. p. 1-16. Brussels. BiALOSTOCKi, J.; Vos, D. de. 1969. Primitifs

Flamands anonymes. Exposition organisée par la Ville de Bruges au Groenlngenmuseum, 14juln-21 septembre 1969. p. 102-5, 242-4. Bmges.

Iconography

Bialostocki, op. cit.. Corpus..., No. 113 (12), Plates I-LIV.

Illustrations 1 The Martyrdom of Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian, Muzeum Narodowe, Warsaw. [Photo: ACL, Bmssels, No. 200084 B.] 2 (a) and (b) The Martyrdom of Saint Crispin and Saint Crispinian, private collection, Paris. [Photo: ACL, Bmssels, No. 206892 B.]

Drafter: M. Sonkes, Scientific Secretary, Centre National de Recherches 'Primitifs Flamands', Brussels.

72

Flemish painting

The Months Artist Pieter Bruegel. School, group, period Flemish school, 1565.

Holder Kunsthistorisches Muséum (Vienna) Nos. 1018, 1837, 1838).

(Cat.

Suggested reconstitutions The history of the work shows clearly that five paintings may be considered to form part of a

Shape

Three rectangular panels.

séries.

Dimensions 117/118 cmx 159/163 cm.

Bibliography Friedlander, p. 102-6.

Paint layer Good gênerai condition.

M. J. 1921. Pteter Bruegel.

Glueck, g. 1932. Bruegels Gemàlde. p. 66-9.

Support Oak.

Vienna.

Frame Not original. Subject Three landscapes with moimtains, one of wWch represents hunters in the snow, the second a gloomy day and the last the retum of the herd.

Distinctive features Each painting symbolizes two months of the year.

Whereabouts of fragments The painting of the Haymaklng is now in the Narodni Gallery in Prague (Cat. No. DO 1956; wood, 117 cmx 161 cm); the painting of The Corn Harvest is now in the Metropolitan Mu¬ séum, New York (Cat. No. 13.164; wood, 118 cmx 160.7 cm).

consécutive

Previous history In 1566, Nicolas Jonghelinck of Antwerp owned a séries of sixteen Bmegel paintings representing the twelve months. Thèse works became the property of the town of Antwerp which donated a séries of six paintings (twelve months) to the Archduke Emest in 1594. In 1659, only five ofthe paintings were mentioned in the inventory of Archduke Leopold William. One of thèse, Haymaktng, was transferred at an unknown date to the collection of Princess Leopoldine Grassalkovich and was inherited by King Ferdinand Lobkovitz in 1864. Another The Corn Harvest was removed by French commissioners in the early nineteenth century, sent to France and never retumed.

Denuce, j. 1932. De Antwerpsche 'Kunstkamers': inventarissen van kunstverzamelingen te Antwerpen in de 16e en 17e eeuw. p. 5. Antwerp. TOLNAY, C. de. 1935. Pierre Bruegel l'ancien. Vol. I, p. 37^1 and 83-4. Brussels. NovoTNY, F. 1948. Die Monatsbilder Pieter Bruegels d. Â. Vienna. Grossmann, F. 1955. Bruegel, the paintings. p. 197-9. London. Maeyer, m. de. 1955. Albrecht en Isabella en de schilderkunst. p. 53, 455, 456. Brussels. Marijnissen, r. h.; Seidel, M. 1969. Bruegel. p. 101-3. Brussels.

73

Flemish painting

^^^^ Iconography Grossmann, op. cit.. Plates 79, 85, 91, 99, 104.

Illustrations 1 Hunters In the Snow, Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna. [Cat. No. 1018.] 2 A Gloomy Day, Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna. [Cat. No. 1837.] 3 Return of the Herd, Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna. [Cat. No. 1838.] 4 The Haymaklng, Narodni Gallery, Prague. [Cat. No. DO 1956.] 5 The Corn Harvest, Metropolitan Muséum of Art, New York. [Cat. No. 13.164.]

Drafter: Nationaal Centmm voor de Plastische Kimsten in de 16e en 17e eeuw, Antwerp.

'

74

Flemish painting

The Gonzaga Family in Adoration of the Holy Trinity Artist Petrus Paulus Rubens.

Support Canvas.

School, group, period Flemish school, c. 1604-05.

Not original.

Holder Galleria e Museo di Palazzo Ducale (Mantua) (Cat. Nos. 6846, 6847, St. No. 696). Shape

Three rectangular canvases. Dimensions (a) 462 cm X 270 cm; (b) 128 cmx 69 cm; (c) 67 cm X 34 cm.

Paint layer General condition fairly bad, due to the muti¬ lation of the work.

Frame

Subject (a) the family of Vincenzo Gonzaga (four figures) are kneeling in adoration before the Holy Trinity, which is depicted against a back¬ ground of drapery held by angels; (b) a small white dog jumping up against a lady 's arm; (c) the head and shoulders of a halberdier.

Distinctive features The four people represented are, from left to right: Vincenzo Gonzaga, Guglielmo Gonzaga, Eleonora dei Medici and Eleanor of Austria.

Previous history The painting was part of a set of three large pièces commissioned by Vincenzo Gonzaga for the high altar of the church of the Jesuits in Mantua. The French commissioners removed it in 1797. The Adoration of the Holy Trinity was eut up into several pièces, while the Bap¬ tism of Christ and The Transfiguration were taken into France.

75

Flemish painting

Whereabouts of fragments The Baptism of Christ is in the Royal Fine Arts Muséum at Antwerp (Cat. No. 707; canvas, 411 cm X 675 cm); The Transfiguration is in the Fine Arts Muséum at Nancy (Cat. No. 280; canvas, 420 cm x 680 cm). We know of two fragments ofthe Adoration ofthe Holy Trinity. One, the Portrait of Francesco Gonzaga is in the Kunsthistorisches Muséum in Vienna (Cat. No. 6084, canvas, 67 cm x 51.5 cm); the other, the Portrait of Margherita Gonzaga, belonged to a private collector in London (canvas, 64.8 cm x 51.5 cm). Suggested reconstitutions The Portrait of Francesco Gonzaga, the Hal¬ berdier, the Portrait of Margherita Gonzaga and the Little White Dog are fragments of a large canvas The Adoration ofthe Holy Trinity. The first two fragments were originally on the left and the last two on the right of the kneeling

figures.

Bibliography

M. 1886-88. L'auvre de P. P. Rubens. Vol. I, p. 87-9; Vol. II, p. 3-5, 36-8. Antwerp. Oldenbol-rg, r. 1921. P. P. Rubens, des Meisters Gemàlde. p. 13-16, 454. Stuttgart-

RoosES,

Berlin. H. G. 1942. Peter Paul Rubens. p. 4250. Munich. Ozzola, L. 1953. La Galleria di Mantova, Palazzo ducale, p. 22, 23. Mantua. . 1955. Artists in 17th Century Rome, a loan exhibition, p. 79-81. London. EvERS,

Iconography Oldenbourg, op. cit., p. 13-16. Ozzola, op. cit., Figs. 125-33.

Illustrations 1

The

Holy Trinity, Galleria

e Museo

di

Palazzo Ducale, Mantua. [Cat. No. 6846,

upper half.] The Family of Vincenzo Gonzaga, Galleria e Museo Ducale, Mantua. [Cat. No. 6846, lower half.] 3 Little White Dog, Galleria e Museo Ducale, Mantua. [Cat. No. 6847.] 4 Head and Shoulders of a Halberdier, Gal¬ leria e Museo Ducale, Mantua. [St. No.

2

696.]

Portrait of Francesco Gonzaga, Kunsthis¬ torisches Muséum, Vienna. [Cat. No. 6084.] 6 Portrait of Margherita Gonzaga, private collection, London. [Photo: ACL, Bmssels, No. 165376.] 7 The Transfiguration, Fine Arts Muséum, Nancy, [Cat. No. 280.] 5 The Baptism of Christ, Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp. [Cat. No. 707.] 5

Drafter: Nationaal Centmm voor de Plastische Kunsten in de 16e en de 17e eeuw, Antwerp.

76

Flemish painting

Triptych of the Adoration of the Kings Artist Petms Paulus Rubens.

Support Wood.

School, group, period Flemish school, seventeenth century.

Subject

Holder Church of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist (Malines). Shape

Triptych; three rectangular panels. Dimensions Central panel 3 1 8 cm x 276 cm ; side panels 318 cmx 115 cm.

Paint layer Good gênerai condition; a little retouching, especially in the lower part (restored in 1955).

Central panel: the Adoration of the Kings. Right-hand panel: Saint John the Evangellst Thrown Into Boiling OU. Back of right-hand panel: Saint John the Evangelist at Patmos. Left-hand panel: The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist. Back of left-hand panel: The Bap¬ tism of Christ. Distinctive features Représentation of the patrons of the Church, Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist.

Previous history In 1616, the Church of Saint John at Malines commissioned the triptych for its high altar; it was completed in 1619. It was removed by the French and taken to Paris in 1796; it was returned in 1815; however, three small paint¬ ings which were under the central panel hâve not been retumed to their original position. Whereabouts of fragments

Two paintings (canvas, 65 cmx 100 cm), The Adoration of the Shepherds and The Résurrec¬ tion of Christ are in the Fine Arts Muséum in Marseilles; the central painting, a Christ on the Cross, has disappeared.

Suggested reconstitutions The three paintings The Adoration of the Shepherds, Christ on the Cross and The Résur¬ rection of Christ which were originally under the central panel of the triptych are described by several eighteenth-century authors. The Marseilles paintings are mentioned in the lists of Works of art which were taken to France.

78

Flemish painting

Bibliography Mensaert, g. p. 1763. Le peintre amateur et curieux. Vol. I. p. 170-1. Brussels. Descamps, J. B. 1769. Voyage pittoresque de la Flandre et du Brabant. p. 118, 119. Paris. PiOT, C. 1883. Rapport à M. le Ministre de l'Intérieur sur les tableaux enlevés à la Bel¬ gique en 1794 et restitués en 1815. p. 52, 73, 321, 378, 386, 406. Bmssels. Rooses, m. 1886. L'uvre de P. P. Rubens. Vol. I. p. 214-23. Antwerp. Oldenbourg, R. 1921. P. P. Rubens, des Meisters Gemàlde. p. 164-6, 461. Stuttgart-

Berlin. Iconography Oldenbourg, op. cit., p. 164-6.

Illustrations 1 Adoration of the Kings, Church of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evan¬ gelist, Malines. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 19868.] 2 Saint John the Evangelist Thrown into Bail-

79

Flemish painting

ing OU, Church of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist, Malines. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 13784.] Saint John the Evangelist at Patmos, Church of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist, Malines. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 93742.]

The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist, Church of Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist, Malines. [Photo: ACL,

Brussels, No. 93743.] The Baptism of Christ, Church of Saint John, Malines. [Photo: ACL, Brussels,

No. 93781 B.]

6 7

The Résurrection of Christ, Fine Arts Mu¬ séum, Marseilles. The Adoration of the Shepherds, Fine Arts

Muséum, Marseilles.

Drafter: Nationaal Centmm voor de Plastische Kunsten in de 16e en de 17e eeuw, Antwerp.

80

Flemish painting

Saint Francis Receiving the Infant Jésus from the Hands of the Virgin Petrus Paulus Rubens.

Support Wood.

School, group, period Flemish School, 1618.

Not original.

Artist

Frame

Holder Fine Arts Muséum (Dijon) (Cat. No. 163). Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 181

cmx 157 cm.

cape.

Paint layer Damage by cracking and breaking at the joints.

^^^^^^^^^MEr

^^^^^B

^l^^v

^-y^âÊ^Uk

^M^

Subject

The Virgin is standing on the left ofthe picture, against a landscape background, and holding out the Infant Jésus to Saint Francis, who is kneeling on the right. Behind the Virgin can be seen the head of an angel who is holding her

Distinctive features The Virgin is dressed in a bright red robe and a blue cape. Saint Francis is dressed in brown.

*

M^^^^Ê ^V

^^^^^^Kk^

1

^ JJ

81

Flemish painting

Previous history The painting formed the central panel of a triptych, painted in 1618 for the altar of the tailors in the Church of Saint Gommaire in

Lier (Belgium). This triptych, which was removed in 1794 by the French commissioners, was sent to Paris. The French Govemment sent the central panel to the Muséum of Dijon before 1814. Whereabouts of fragments The two side panels (wood, each measuring 181 cm X 64 cm), one of which represents Saint Francis receiving the stigmata and the other Saint Clara, were retumed to Belgium and replaced in their original position in the Church of Saint Gommaire. Suggested reconstitutions The height of the central panel is the same as that of the two side panels. Books published before 1794, the date at which the triptych was removed, give a detailed description of the work.

Bibliography Mensaert, G. P. 1763. Le peintre amateur et curieux. Vol. I. p. 270, 271. Bmssels. Descamps, J. B. 1769. Voyage pittoresque de la Flandre et du Brabant. p. 1 34. Paris. PlOT, C. 1883. Rapport à M. le Ministre de l'Intérieur sur les tableaux enlevés à la Bel¬ gique en 1794 et restitués en 1815. p. 48, 49, 73, 323, 382, 388, 389, 400, 406, 421. Brussels. Rooses, M. 1888. L'uvre de P. P. Rubens. Vol. II. p. 255, 256. Antwerp. Oldenbourg, R. 1921. P. P. Rubens, des Meisters Gemàlde. p. 168, 169, 461. Stutt¬

gart-Berlin. Iconography Oldenbourg, op. cit., p. 168, 169.

Illustrations 1 Saint Francis Receiving the Infant Jésus from the Hands of the Virgin, Fine Arts Muséum, Dijon. [Cat. No. 163.] 2 Saint Clara, Church of Saint Gommaire, Lier. [Photo: ACL, Brussels, No. 180366 B.] 3 Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata, Church of Saint Gommaire, Lier. [Photo: ACL, Bmssels, No. 180368 B.]

Drafter: Nationaal Centmm voor de Plastische Kunsten in de 16e en de 17e eeuw, Antwerp.

82

Flemish painting

Christ Artist Anthony Van Dyck.

Paint layer Good gênerai condition.

School, group, period Flemish School, seventeenth century (c. 1620).

Wood.

Support

Holder Galleria di Palazzo Rosso (Genoa) (Cat. No. P.R. 52).

Frame

Shape

A half-length représentation of Christ; his body

Rectangular. Dimensions 65 cm X 50 cm Oater additions were removed recently).

Not original. Subject

is naked, and his head inclined towards the left of the picture. He is holding the cross in his left hand.

Distinctive features A typical représentation of Christ risen from the dead. Previous history The origin of the work is unknown; in the early eighteenth century the painting was al¬ ready in the Palazzo Rosso. The twelve Apos¬ tles which formed a séries with the Christ, are mentioned in 1766 as part of the collection in the Palace of Giambattista Serra, also in Genoa. The art dealer Julius Bôhler (Munich) discovered them about 1914, in a private col¬ lection in Naples, and sold them separately.

83

Flemish painting

Wbereaboats of fragments The présent whereabouts of six Apostles (wood, 62.5/64 cm x 49/51 cm) is known: Saint Andrew (The John and Mable Ringling Muséum of Art, Sarasota, Florida, No. 227) ; Saint John the Evangellst (Muséum of Fine Arts, Budapest, No. 6377); Saint Paul (Niedersâchsische Landesgalerie, Hanover, No. 91 ; on loan from the Pelikan-Werke Collection, Hanover); Saint Peter and Saint Thomas (Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Collection, Essen); Saint Judas Thaddaeus (Kunstliistorisches Muséum, Vienna, No. 6809). Suggested reconstitutions The hypothesis that the thirteen paintings formed a séries is based on the similarity of dimensions and style and the existence of a séries of engravings representing Christ and the Apostles, made about 1660 by Comelis van Caukercken, after Van Dyck.

Bibliograpby Galleria de quadrt eslstenti nel Palazzo del Serenlsslmo Doge Glo Francesco Brlgnole Sale. Genoa. Ratti, C. G. 1780. Instruztone di quanto puo vedersi di più bello. In Genova. Vol. I. p. 152, 253. Genoa. (Ist éd. 1766.) Oldenbourg, R. 1914-15. Studien zu Van Dyck. MUnchner Jahrbuch der blldenden Kunst. Vol. IX. p. 225, 227-8. RosENBAin^, H. 1928. Der junge Van Dyck, 1615-1621, Dissertation, p. 37-44. Munich. Glueck, G. 1931. Van Dyck, des Meisters Gemàlde. p. 37-43, 522, 523. StuttgartLeipzig. 1748. Descrtzione délia

Iconography Glueck, op. cit., p. 37^3.

Illustrations 1 Christ, Galleria di Palazzo Rosso, Genoa. [Cat. No. P.R. 52.] 2 Saint Andrew, The John and Mable Ring¬ ling Muséum of Art, Sarasota, Florida. [Cat. No. 227.] 3 Saint John the Evangelist, Muséum of Fine Arts, Budapest. [Cat. No. 6377.] 4 Saint Paul, Niedersâchsische Landesgalerie, Hanover. [Cat. No. 91.] 5 Saint Peter, Krupp von Bohlen und Hal¬ bach Collection, Essen. 6 Saint Thomas, Krupp von Bohlen und Hal¬ bach Collection, Essen. 7 Saint Judas Thaddaeus, Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna. [Cat. No. 6809.]

Drafter: Nationaal Centmm voor de Plastische Kunsten in de 16e en de 17e eeuw, Antwerp.

84

Flemish painting

Portrait of Jan Woverius and his Son Artist Anthony Van Dyck. School, group, period Flemish School, seventeenth century.

Holder Musée du Louvre (Paris) (Cat. No. 1985). Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 1 10 cm X 75 cm.

Paint layer General condition very good; some overpaint¬ ing. Support Wood.

Subject John Woverius is shown full-face, standing, with a book in his left hand and his right hand on the shoulder of his son. In the background on the left is a ciutain, and on the right a column and a landscape.

85

Flemish painting

Distinctive features An important person a humanist who was a friend of Rubens and of Justus Lipse and adviser to the Archduke Albert and his wife Isabella. Previous history The work was obviously painted for Jan Wove¬ rius; in 1768 it was in a private collection in Paris, while its pendant portrait, The Wife of Woverius (Maria Clarissa) and Child, is men¬ tioned around 1750 in an inventory of the Dresden Gallery. The date at which the two paintings were separated is unknown. Whereabouts of fragments The portrait of Maria Clarissa and Child is in the Gemâldegalerie in Dresden (wood, 105 cm X 76 cm; Cat. No. 1023 B).

Suggested reconstitutions Comparison with several portraits of Jan Wo¬ verius proves that it is he who is represented in the Louvre painting. The Dresden painting has a coat of arms on it which has been identified

Illustrations / Portrait of Jan Woverius and his Son, Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Cat. No. 1985]. 2 Maria Clarissa and Child, Gemâldegalerie, Dresden. [Cat. No. 1023 B.]

belonging to Maria Clarissa, the wife of Woverius, It may therefore be supposed that the two portraits were pendant portraits. This theory is supported by the great similarity of style in the two works.

Drafter: Nationaal Centmm voor de Plastische Kimsten in de 16e en de 17e eeuw, Antwerp.

as

Bibliography

Glijeck, g.

1931. Van Dyck, des Meisters Gemàlde. p. 94, 95, 529. Stuttgart-Leipzig.

Iconography Glueck, op. cit., p. 94, 95.

86

Flemish painting

Homage to Louis XIH as a Child Artist Frans Pourbus the Younger. School, group, period Flemish School, 1618.

Holder Hermitage Muséum (Leningrad) (Cat. No. 487,

Paint layer The background of fragments (b) and (c) has been repaintcd in black. Support Canvas. Frame

488. 489).

Not original.

Shape

Subject (a) Portraits of four persons, half-length. On the left two men, an old man and a young man, in black doublets, with white ruffs; in the centre a man wearing a tight-fitting jacket in the Spanish style, made of white lace, and a multicoloured cloak, with a red lining; next to him on the right is an old man wearing a black magistrate's robe with a crimson lining. (b) Portraits of three persons, half-length, looking towards the right. On the left, a young man in black; in the middle a man in a black doublet with red sleeves; on the right, a man wearing a red magistrate's robe, (c) Portraits of three persons, half-length, looking towards the left, wearing black with white ruffs.

Three rectangular canvases. Dimensions (a) 69 cmx 94 cm; (b) and (c) 60 cm x 73 cm.

Distinctive features Only a few of the figures can be identified. From left to right: on fragment (a) Antoine de Loménie (7), an unknown man, the Duc de Luynes (?), Nicolas Bmlart de Sillery; frag¬ ment (b) Guillaume Clément, Pierre Perrot, Antoine III du Bouchot, seigneur de Bouville (?); fragment (c) three unknown magistrates of the city of Paris.

87

Flemish painting

Previous history The work, of which we bave several fragments, was painted for the great hall in the Hôtel de Ville in Paris. It remained there until 10 August 1792. Three fragments were sold by Vivant Denon who had probably acquired them during the sale of the contents of the Hôtel de Nesie to Labensky, Director ofthe Hermitage Collections, between 1808 and 1810. Whereabouts of fragments A fourth fragment (canvas, 65 cm x 80 cm), from the Cardon sale (Bmssels, 1921) on which are the portraits of three persons, is now part of the private collection of Mrs Hans Bumy, in Bmssels.

Suggested reconstitutions The four fragments are part of a work entitled Homage to Louis XIII, which we know of from a preparatory drawing in the Louvre. Frag¬ ment (a) represents the half-length portraits of the figures standing on the left in the painting, and the fragment belonging to the private col¬ lection in Bmssels represents the figures stand¬ ing on the right. Fragments (b) and (c) are halflength portraits of the figures kneeling on the left and on the right, respectively.

Bibliography Descamps, J. B. 1753. La vie des peintres flamands, allemands et hollandais. Vol. I. p. 277, 278. Paris. Dezallir d'Argenville. 1762. Abrégé de la vie des plus fameux peintres. Vol. III. p. 250, 251. Paris. . 1778. Voyage pittoresque de Paris, p. 197. Paris. SoMOF, A. 1901. Ermitage impérial, catalogue de la galerie des tableaux. II: Écoles néer¬ landaises et école allemande, p. 300, 301. St Petersburg. Novoselskaya, 1. 1958. Fragments de portraits municipaux par Frans Pourbus le Jeune, Bulletin ofthe Hermitage Muséum, vol. XIII,

p. 52-6. Wilhelm, J. 1963. Pourbus, peintre de la muni¬ cipalité parisienne. Art de France, p. 1 14-23. Iconography Wilhelm. op. cit., p. 116, 117.

Illustrations Portrait of Four Men, Hermitage Muséum, Leningrad. [Cat. No. 487.] 2 Portrait of Three Men, Hermitage Muséum, Leningrad. [Cat. No. 486.] 3 Portrait of Three Men, Hermitage Muséum, Leningrad. [Cat. No. 483.] 4 Portrait of Three Men, Mrs Hans Bumy Collection, Bmssels. 1

Drafter: Nationaal Centmm voor de Plastische Kunsten in de 16e en de 17e eeuw, Antwerp.

': ''

//

//

Disrnembered works of art

French painting

Jacques Thuillier

'So great is our négligence [i.e. the négligence of the French] and so lacking are we in love of beautiful things that scarcely hâve they been formed than we no longer attach any impor¬ tance to them; on the contrary, we often take pleasure in destroying them.' Thèse words were written by Poussin himself in 1642.1 It would be wrong to ascribe them to mère pétulance on his part, for they show a lucid awareness of a trait which was already characteristic of French people at the time and which was to become more and more pronounced with each successive century. We shall find it difficult to understand the vicissitudes of the artistic héritage of France unless we are aware of this national tendency. In particular, it will be difficult to understand why it is that there are few French paintings that can be called 'disrnembered', in com¬ parison with those of other countries. There is a paradox hère, for no art has been subject to more widespread dévastation. But if a work of att is dis¬ rnembered there must still be some slight interest in it whether intellectual or commercial in nature which puts a stop to destruction before it is too late. France, however, has destroyed works of art, and continues to do so, less out of mère neglect or on account of a mercenary spirit than as a matter of principle, almost virtuously; and as a rule nothing is left. The Frenchman, being a Cartesian, is more ready than anyone else to make a clean sweep and start aU over again. Let us dwell for a moment upon this peculiarity, which explains why, when so much has been said about Italy and Spain, this chapter will be relatively short. It has often been observed that, while France still has many wonderful monuments and works of art, very few groups are still intact. There are many reasons for this. Throughout the course of an eventful history, vast régions of France were completely laid waste by foreign wars, some¬ thing which rarely took place on Italian, Spanish or English soil. Italy and Spain were spared the sixteenth-century wars of religion, but they raged in France with a violence that is too often forgotten. The Révolution of 1789 had the effect of destroying or condemning to speedy annihilation, through¬ out almost the whole country, more than half of the national héritage, and in many cases the choicest part of it. But to thèse unfortunate circumstances must be added the fact that the French soon lost that sturdy affection for their towns or provinces and for the buildings and works of art that some of them had created and others acquired often by making great sacrifices which we observe in other nations.

Centralization took place in France at a very early stage. gave to the capital an intellectual prestige which was to be found nowhere else; it was responsible for a life style, a habit of mind, which was brilliant, mercurial, and totally subject to the all-powerful principle of fashion. From décade to décade, in the history of literature, music or the plastic arts, we can trace those incessant révolutions in taste which give to French intellectual life its fertility and pungency, but which also resuit in an incredible waste of créative talent and its products. For it is the essence of fashion to reject 'yesterday' by holding it up to ridicule. The latest craze must be followed, and nothing is to be discounted, nor even to be detested more than what was admired by the previous génér¬ ation or what the artists of yesterday produced. Furthermore, there is no fashion but Paris fashion. At a very early stage, the words 'the Town and the Court' were used to define an idéal which has no real équivalent in other countries. Molière could not conceive of anyone other than a Monsieur de Pourceaugnac coming from a small provincial town. A Parisian speaking of the provinces would inevitably adopt that bantering tone of superiority that Chapelle and Bachaumont had already ostentatiously assumed when describing their famous voyage? and a provincial who thinks that anything of any intellectual value could possibly exist outside of Paris will always appear somewhat foolish. Other countries create works of art along the lines laid down by tradition; the French do so by rejecting their héritage and by cutting them¬ selves off from their roots. The most noble enterprises of man, the greatest artists hâve often perished completely beneath the surge of animosity which follows each new fashion in France as inévitable as a trough follows a wave in the sea. The changes in fortune to which the work of men like Fouquet or Georges de la Tour has been subject can be paralleled by few other countries; and thèse are cases in which we hâve at least been fortunate enough to recover, centuries later, a few fragments of their work that remain. But more often than not, yielding to that 'pleasure in destruction' which is mentioned by Poussin, people hâve destroyed works of art even before creating others in their place. The French do not like working things over, changing their form, or adding to them. And this, too, is characteristic ofthe French at every period in their history. One example will suffice. When, in the eighteenth century, the left wing of the Cour du Cheval Blanc in the Palace of Fontainebleau was altered, no one thought of including in the

It soon

89

Disrnembered works of art

new constructions the Gallery of Ulysses which had been decorated by Primaticcio: this work of art, which for two centuries had served as a model to every painter, was demolished first of aU, and not the slightest fragment was left of a recognized masterpiece, from which engravings had been made, and which had been praised by many artists.

There is no better illustration of the conséquences of this attitude than the history ofthe paintings ofthe French Primi¬ tives. In spite of what we are told, there were very many of them. Most were simply destroyed; but as a rule those which escaped destruction hâve come down to us intact. The Mar¬ tyrdom of Saint Denis, from the Carthusian Monastery at Champmol, the Coronation of the Virgin by Enguerrand Quarton, the Altar-piece of the Parliament of Paris and the Triptych ofthe Burning Bush by Froment are almost complète. Ail the great muséums of the world possess numbers of panels taken from Italian, Spanish or Germanie altar-pieces, but it is extremely rare to find any by French artists. Perhaps the conclusion to be drawn from this is that France had a prédilection for large, monumental compositions rather than for altar-pieces divided up into a number of panels; but above ail it proves that when works of art were destroyed or burnt, nothing was preserved. The Annunciation by the Maître de Rohan, which was painted on a pièce of wood that was used again to make a cupboard3 or the Saint Siffrein in the Musée Calvet, which became the lid of a coffer in the small church in Magon,4 are exceptions which prove this rule. There are, however, a few examples of disrnembered works by the Primitives mostly works which had long survived, unnoticed, in buildings in the provinces.5 The growing inter¬ est in the Middle Ages, which was particularly marked towards the end ofthe eighteenth century, did not save them, but it did at least prevent the destruction of fragments. The kind of thing that occurred can be clearly seen in the case of the famous diptych of Etienne Chevalier, one of Fouquet's masterpieces. For a long time it was in the church of Notre-Dame de Melun, where, in the middle of the seven¬ teenth century, Denis Godefroy considered it worth while to give the foUowing interesting description of it, which, in view of the nature of the work, we shall quote: 'In the aformentioned church, behind the chancel, beside the sacristy and not very high up on the wall, a rare sight is to be seen two medium-sized paintings done on wood which close into each other. One of them is a portrait of the Virgin Mary with a

French painting

white veil on her head and, above it, a crown set with pearls and tall fleurons', her left breast is uncovered, and she is looking down at a small child who is standing at her feet [some say that Agnès Sorel, the mistress of Charles VII, was the model for the face of the Virgin]. And in the other paint¬ ing is depicted . . . Etienne Chevalier on his knees; his name is written in abbreviated form in large golden gothic letters beside him; he is dressed in a robe of red velvet with a brown lining, his head is bare, his hands are clasped; before him stands Saint Etienne, who appears to be presenting him to the Virgin. The borders of the paintings are covered on the inside with blue velvet adorned and embellished ail around by a great number of love knots in the antique manner, set at equal distances from each other and delicately embroidered in gold and silver; in each side of thèse love knots is a large E (Etienne), also done in the antique manner, overlaid with small fine pearls; and between the love knots there are medium-sized gilded silver medals depicting some holy story, the characters in which are painted admirably well.'6 The panels were in the church until at least 1775. The gold, silver and pearls may hâve been coveted; it was no doubt because of the story that it was the portrait of Agnès Sorel, a person of great renown in the history of France, that the panels were not totally destroyed. The panel depicting the Virgin, which is now in the Antwerp Muséum, was acquired for the famous Van Ertborn Collection. The portrait of Etienne Chevalier with his patron saint turned up at the time of the First Empire in Munich, where Brentano recognized it as the work of Fouquet and acquired it; for a long time it hung in the billiard-room of his small résidence on the Taunus Platz in Frankfurt, and was placed in the Berlin Muséum in 1896. The priceless frame, which probably resembled the various borders of the Book of Hours of Etienne Chevalier (itself disrnembered, but the main part of which is now in the Musée Condé in Chantilly), had naturally disappeared. Two of its enamels, however, were found. One was acquired by the Berlin Muséum, where it was unfortunately destroyed during the last war. The other is in the Louvre; this is the admirable portrait of Fouquet by himself, the first, and one of the most beautiful, separate self-portraits in the history of French painting. In more fortunate cases, only the side panels were dis¬ rnembered. They were the most seriously endangered. The worm-eaten wood eventually gave way beneath the excessive weight that had been placed on the hinges, and thèse large

90 Jacques Thuillier

pièces of furniture with opening panels suddenly went out of fashion in the middle of the seventeenth century. The side panels were nearly always removed; sometimes they were hung on a near-by wall or thrown into the Iumber-room. Some were found again in the nineteenth century, and reassembled. We are told that this happened to the famous triptych by the Maître de Moulins7 and to the altar-piece of Saint Eugénie in the church of Varzy, which was a later work. One of the side panels showed the saint in monk's habit suddenly exposing her breast to reveal herself as a woman. This was apparently enough to offend the modesty of some parish priest or other and bring about, towards the beginning of the nineteenth century, what the Révolution itself had not achieved. Fortunately, in 1849, a Parisian artist passing through the small town admired the work, inquired about the side panels, and finally found the two panels, neglected and 'covered with a thick layer of dust', in a small, uninhabited room in the presbytery; he saw to it that the work was put together again in its entirety an early example of judicious

reconstitution. . . .8 Fate was not usually so kind. As early as the eighteenth century the side panels of the Aix Annunciation were sepa¬ rated from the central composition; with the help of the disturbances during the Révolution they found their way exactly how is not known to the home of an art-lover in the area. Thereafter, sometimes described as belonging to the Flemish school, sometimes as the work of a Spanish painter or of Conrad Witz, they suffered a fate the stages of which are still obscure, but the determining factor in which was their commercial value that increased one hundredfold. The right side panel, an admirable figure of Jeremiah in a niche, has been for fifty years in the Royal Fine Arts Muséum in Brussels. The other was eut into two pièces. The figure of the prophet Isaiah left the country as part of the famous Cook Collection, before finding its way into the hands of Van Beunigen, whose muséum it now grâces with its présence. It was eut up so skilfully that the top part of the niche, with books and objects painted in trompe-Vceil, became a still life and was soon falsely described as the 'first French still life'. Paradoxically, the very fact that it had been mutilated was respon¬ sible for its réputation amongst scholars and art-lovers accustomed to detailed photography. For the Louvre to obtain, as a temporary loan, this fragment of an altar-piece, the main part of which is kept by the Church of La Madeleine, in Aix, without taking excessive précautions, nothing less

than Rembrandt's Titus had to be handed over to the Rijks¬ museum.

We hâve alluded to two factors which hâve perhaps been less pronounced in France than in other countries, but which one inevitably comes up against when dealing with disrnembered works of art. Thèse are prudishness and the profit motive. The first is indisputably the most dangerous, for virtue admits of no compromise. Confessors required works of art to be burnt without allowing the slightest fragment to be spared. It is highly probable that Michelangelo's Leda perished in this way, even though it formed part of the royal collections. This also accounts for the disappearance of the marvellous painting of Bacchus andAdriadne by Guido Reni, for which d'Emery, the superintendent of finance, had paid a high price and which he had looked after devotedly.9 Scarcely had he drawn his last breath than his widow, so we are told, 'could no longer endure thèse naked forms in her house. . . . Having given instructions that the canvas be torn to pièces, she was so promptly obeyed that her servants reduced it to shreds without sparing a single figure 10 If this is what happened to such paintings as thèse, we can easily imagine the damage caused to sixteenth-century French paintings in particular, unprotected as they were by such famous names and the fabulous priées that they could command. The extrême lack of restraint shown in such paintings, of which sufficient évidence is provided by engravings, goes far to explain why so few works of art hâve survived from this period. In order to understand thèse scrupules, which Molière made fun of but which continually reappeared, and to appreciate the extent of their conséquences, we may consider the case of Brienne, a great art-lover whose complicated life had not been a model of virtue. And yet we find him, when imprisoned in Saint Lazare for his dissolute behaviour, worrying about the immodesty of a painting by Poussin that he has brought with him to decorate his comfortable prison. 'For the last few days I hâve had a covering placed over a painting of Venus, consisting of four figures, which is really too naked and too immodest. By cutting it up and covering the figure of Venus, I hâve, however, made it possible for chaste eyes to gaze upon it without shame. I hâve had the painting eut in two. And as my main object was to préserve the three Cupids watching over Venus at the foot of her bed, where her legs were lying as she slept, I hâve had the beautiful

91

Disrnembered works of art

legs of the goddess obliterated, and her head put where her feet were. Thus, the Cupids are now at the head of Cytherea's bed, so that, instead of a figure that one dared not look on, there is a head with arms stretched out above it in a non¬ chalant manner, which are quite bewitchingly beautiful, and three Cupids as beautiful as Love herself. The immodesty of the painting lay in the fact that the goddess, as she slept or pretended to sleep, raised one leg, thereby disclosing overmuch the nakedness of the seat of love. As it is now, this can no longer be seen. The legs and the immodest thigh hâve been eut off, and nothing remains except the head of the main figure with the three Cupids. . . .'u It is not surprising that after this strange surgical trans¬

formation no further mention of this paintingis to be found. ... Other works by Poussin, for example, suffered a similar fate in the first place, his Women Bathing, painted for the Maré¬ chal de Créqui, which we know of only through engravings. In the Louvre there is a charming canvas by Poussin depicting a Cupids' Concert. The neck ofthe Iute, which appears to hâve been eut off on the right-hand side of the painting, can be seen on the side of a painting of Venus and Mercury which is in the Dulwich Collège art gallery. It is clear, from a drawing in the Louvre and, even more so, from an old copy which is to be seen at the Lille Muséum, that thèse are two fragments ofa painting that has been eut up. Are we to blâme the Duc de Penthièvre, from whom the painting now in the Louvre was confiscated during the Révolution, and who was extremely pious ? Whatever the truth of the matter might be, it is certain that the main part, which was detached in the second half of the eighteenth century, but not destroyed, underwent a great many changes of fortune. The naked forms must hâve been clothed, then cleaned once again, with the resuit that now we can scarcely make out who painted it. As for the profit motive, we hâve good grounds for suspecting that it, too, has been responsible for the mutilation of certain works of art; but, at least, it ensures that the main fragments of a painting are preserved. For this reason it is sometimes a curse and sometimes a blessing. Madame Nicole Reynaud has proved beyond ail possible doubt that the por¬ trait of Pierre de Bourbon, that of Anne de Bourbon and the Child Praying, ail three of which hâve been attributed to the Maître de Moulins or to one of the painters working in his atelier, were once part of the same painting executed by the painter himself.12 The first panel, still intact in its frame, with a Iengthy inscription upon it, was acquired by Louis-Philippe

in

French painting

1842 from a certain Monsieur Paul Vallet, who did not trouble to give any indication as to where he had obtained the painting. The portrait of Anne, considerably eut down, and unframed, belonged to the La Beraudière Collection, and was acquired at the sale of the collection by Jules Maciet, who recognized it as forming a pair with the portrait of Pierre, and donated it to the Louvre. The right-hand part of this panel had certainly been damaged. Some clever art-dealer must hâve turned this to good account by cutting out the portrait ofthe young princess; once the background had been repainted and the fleurs-de-lis were no longer visible, this became a portrait of an unindentified child which was ail the more touching in that it was alone and aU the more valuable in that it could only be compared to the portrait of the Dauphin Charles-Orlant. . . . It was acquired by the Amis du Louvre in 1908. Thus, by quite différent ways, the three fragments came to be in the same muséum, yet the kinship between them was not realized. X-ray photographs had to be taken before people believed in the miracle a miracle which, unfortunately, happened too late for it to be really effective; the second panel was damaged so much that it now looks as if it would be impossible to put the paintings together again indeed, it is not even désirable to do so. Group portraits sometimes experienced the same fate. To judge by the early référence to them, they were undoubtedly just as common in France as they were in the Netherlands family portraits in chapels, collective ex-votos, group por¬ traits of municipal magistrates, juries, members of religious fraternities, ordination group portraits one could think of endless examples, both in the provinces and in Paris. Many of them soon vanished because of the loss of interest in tra¬ ditions; then, at the time ofthe Révolution, they were wantonly destroyed, either on account of the coats of arms which were usually to be seen on them or because of their associa¬ tions with the aristocracy or with trade-guilds. Sometimes, however, part of a picture was eut out. Thus, of the portrait ofthe municipal magistrates painted by La Hyre in 1654, we possess only the superb figure of Famé which hovered in the air above the group;13 may we hope that by good fortune, through cupidity, the figures were similarly separated from each other and turned into half-length portraits? Monsieur Jacques Wilhelm has recently shown that one should never abandon ail hope. We once knew nothing, except from a drawing in the Louvre, of the painting in which Pourbus portrayed, for the Hôtel de Ville in Paris, the young

92 Jacques Thuillier

Louis XIII surrounded by dignitaries and municipal magis¬ trates.14 The painting was believed to hâve been destroyed during the Révolution, but M. Wilhelm recognized the main fragments of it in the reserve stock of the Hermitage, in the Warsaw Muséum and in a private collection in Brussels. Only the figure of the king has disappeared. It may be assumed that some industrious person tried to make the most he could from a badly damaged painting which was then unsaleable.15 We may also mention a more récent case one in which the entire fault can be laid at the door of cupidity for it has a happier ending. Despite Toulouse-Lautrec's réputation, the background ofthe Baraque de la Goulue fell into disrespectful hands. Thèse two huge canvases were eut up in such an intricate manner that an entire séquence of different-sized paintings was taken from them. This was a flagrant act of vandalism, the base motives of which are there for ail to see. By a stroke of good fortune, the national muséums acquired ail the pièces before they were dispersed and, surprisingly enough, they even managed to recover the scraps that had been eut away. The pièces were ail skilfully sewn together, and only the marks of the stitches remain to show the péril to which they were exposed, and how they were restored to life.

In the foregoing we hâve been concemed with the dismem¬ berment of individual works of art rather than of entire rooms decorated by a particular artist. The reason for this is that in France, as we hâve already said, the separate parts ofa whole which has ceased to be pleasing are rarely retained. One example will provide sufficient illustration of this. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, there were many painted galleries in the mansions and palaces in Paris, doubtless as many as the galleries in ancient Rome, if not more. No more than four of them are left the Galerie Mazarine in the Bibliothèque Nationale, decorated by Romanelli, the Galerie d'Hercule in the Hôtel Lambert and the Galerie d'Apollon in the Louvre, both of which are the work of Le Brun, and the less grandiose gallery of the Hôtel des Ambassadeurs de Hollande. We might hâve expected that there would be hundreds of fragments of thèse galleries in existence, but, in fact, there are almost none left. Poussin's intuition was well-founded: the Grande Galerie ofthe Louvre which was entrusted to him was to remain unfinished, and the part of the décoration which was completed disappeared exactly when is not known without trace.16 The gallery of

the Hôtel Bretonvilliers, in the Ile Notre-Dame, the master¬ piece of Sébastien Bourdon, was completely destroyed despite its great famé. Nothing is left of it, as far as we know. The gallery of the Hôtel de Toulouse, in which Poussin's art was epitomized, was pulled down, and then a copy of it was scrupulously reassembled, with the paintings included, but no one thought of preserving any of the original motifs or figures; and this was in 1870....17 There are few exceptions to this rule. At the time of the destruction ofthe Gallery of Famous Men in the Palais Royal, decorated by Philippe de Champaigne and Simon Vouet, the portraits which graced the walls were spared; the interest which people always find in historical portraits prevailed over the taste for destruction. Some of thèse portraits are still to be seen today for instance, the Gaston de Foix in Versailles, for which Champaigne used a celebrated figure from a painting by Giorgione, his Richelieu, which is in the National Gallery in London, his Louis XIII, in the Louvre, and Vouet's Lefthanded Man from Châtillon, which was recently acquired by the same muséum.18 The best case we know of is that of the Gallery of Aeneas, painted in the same palace by Antoine Coypel; it is by no means edifying, however. Completed at the beginning of the eighteenth century, the gallery was destroyed even before the Révolution, but the seven great latéral compositions, painted on canvas, were saved and transported to the Château of Saint-Cloud, and they then took their place in the national collections. Antoine Schnapper has recently made a successful attempt to track them down:19 two of the compositions hâve been in Montpellier since 1803, a third was deposited in the Arras Muséum at the end of the last century; three others were left to deteriorate, deep down in the stock-rooms of the Louvre, neglected because their identity was not known; and the last has been lost. This great and noble narrative, vastly superior to so many of the verse epics which that century persisted in composing, is now illustrated in its entirety only in the form of engravings. We may, however, find some consolidation for this unhappy state of affairs in the fact that we hâve many frag¬ ments of the décoration of suites of rooms from the seven¬ teenth century, and even more from the eighteenth. Thèse were often quite small works, which were easy to transform into pictures which could be hung in small rooms, and depicted attractive subjects, so that people were more inclined to keep them. Besides, the décoration ofa suite of rooms was

93

Disrnembered works of art

often changed completely. In the royal palaces the décora¬ tion was never regarded as a permanent fixture. They were eut about and refashioned more or less unscrupulously, according to requirements, and when parts of the previous décoration fitted in, they were used again. In many cases, therefore, it seems futile to consider restoring the original setting. The most one can do is to attempt to bring together again works which once formed part of an aesthetic whole, as has been achieved so successfully at the Grand Trianon.20 Private suites of rooms underwent similar changes; many paintings from the seventeenth or eighteenth century preserved by muséums were intended to be over mantels or over doors, or to be hung on piers. Examples of this are innumerable, and the origins of such paintings are often impossible to détermine. Much of the work of certain French painters, including Simon Vouet, Boucher and Hubert Robert, con¬ sists of pictures that were once part of the décoration of a room. But it must be admitted that we are strangely incon¬ sistent about such paintings. We would not allow the paint¬ ings by Boucher in the Palace of Fontainebleau or in the Bank of France to be removed from their original settings; we were pleased when the Sacrifice oflphigenia by La Fosse was put back in its place above the fireplace of the Salon de Diane in the Palace of Versailles and at once regained its splendour, or when Pierre Rosenberg and Jean Pierre Babelon identified and returned to their original places the two mythological paintings by Van Loo and Restout which were ail that was missing from the exquisite décoration of the Hôtel Soubise.21 Yet who would want to relegate the still-life paintings exe¬ cuted by Chardin for Choisy or Bellevue to their place above doors? Are we not pleased that the problem does not arise, since thèse two châteaux hâve been destroyed? And would not the public, even today, protest if paintings such as the Muses by Le Sueur were removed from the Louvre and returned to the Hôtel Lambert, where their place is still empty? Such an attitude is undoubtedly wrong, but it cannot be entirely discounted, for it stems, surely, not from mère préju¬ dice due to habit, but from a well-founded intuition. At the very time that we are making a stand against thèse fatal acts of dismemberment, let us hâve enough courage to admit that a work which has been removed from its original setting and transplanted elsewhere sometimes survives and becomes infused with a new life, acquiring a significance and distinc¬ tion that it could not possess whilst it served as décoration.

French painting

We must be able to recognize such cases and be careful to let well alone. Dogmatism in such matters is dangerous. The restoration of thèse seventeenth- and eighteenth-century settings may sometimes be the resuit of false learning or even of a lack of sensitivity as regards the work. The fact is that what is most urgently needed is préventive action. If steps are taken to prevent any more works of art from being disrnembered and to stop fragments from being dispersed, if législation is formulated so as to ensure that, in public sales, works of art that form a pair or which are part of an aesthetic whole are always put up for auction together with the works with which they belong (as is the usual practice), in order to avoid their being subsequently separated, then a great deal will hâve been achieved.

For works of art are still disrnembered before our eyes. It is commonly assumed that the establishment of muséums and the émergence of a sensé of history in the nineteenth century put an end to such ravages. Nothing is further from the truth. Certain causes of dismemberment hâve disappeared, and it is quite true that prudishness carries little weight nowadays. But the business world more than ever has an eye to the main chance, as we hâve shown in the case of La Baraque de la Goulue. Other factors hâve also played a part religious reasons, for instance, because of which, in récent years, altarpieces aU over France hâve been dismantled and ail forms of décoration hâve been removed from chapels. In comparison, laws and the registration of works of art hâve little effect. Certainly, as far as the distant past is concemed, minor works are practically the only ones now subjected to vandalism; but we today are aware of the value of an aesthetic whole which is not made up of masterpieces but which pré¬ serve the spirit and the poetry of an epoch. Few works of art of more récent date escape vandalism. When one first thinks about it, the works of painters seem to hâve been better protected during the last century or century and a half: but the reason for this is that a number of them those which are best known are not easily ill-treated. Nobody is likely to dismember a landscape by Corot or Monet, or a still life by Cézanne. But where painting in the grand style is concemed, and particularly décorative painting, the record is not good. The marvellous compositions by Delacroix in the Luxem¬ bourg Palace or in the Palais-Bourbon22 or even those that Puvis de Chavannes painted for the Sorbonne or the Muséum

94 Jacques Thuillier

of Amiens, or for Poitiers, Lyons or Marseilles, are ail intact. But this should not blind us to the fact that many others hâve disappeared.

Let us look, by way of example, at the case of the décora¬ tion of private dwellings. An incredible number of artists decorated private town-houses, villas and ordinary suites of rooms in the nineteenth and even the twentieth century. In nearly every case the décoration has disappeared, either through négligence or for mercenary reasons. The entire bathroom which Corot painted in the house of the Robert family in Nantes was acquired by the Louvre in 1926; but the four paintings that were commissioned from Millet by a Colmar banker, M. Thomas three panels and a ceiling illustrating the four seasons were put up for public auction in 1875, and some of thèse hâve been completely lost. What would we not give to see the inn at Le Pouldu, with its diningroom just as it was when it was decorated by Gauguin and his friends ? The panels in doors and wardrobes were ail removed, most of them were attributed to the master himself, as his name was the most famous, and they were sold for extremely high priées and dispatched to the four ends of the earth. The library of the Abbey of Fontfroide, with its paintings by Odilon Redon, is still intact a masterpiece which, we may hope, has been saved; and, although no longer in their ori¬ ginal positions, the four panels that Vuillard painted for his friend, Doctor Vaquez, which enchanted Gide at the salon of 1905, hâve come into the possession of the Muséum of Modem Art in Paris, without being separated from each other. But what is left intact of the many décors for rooms into which the Nabis often put aU that was best in their art? The Public Gardens painted by Vuillard, which decorated Alexandre Natanson's dining-room in the Avenue du Bois de Boulogne and which are quite rightly considered as one ofthe landmarks of décorative art, are now scattered between Paris, Bmssels, Cleveland and Houston; the dining-room that Bonnard painted for Misia Natanson has been divided among Parisian and American collections; the séries of compositions by Roussel which embellished the Rosengart résidence in the Avenue Foch and which was typical ofthe French style ofthe mid-twenties in aU its refinement is now in pièces, and was partially destroyed by the war. Who will hâve the courage or the ability to trace the history of thèse brilliant and ephemeral works of art, an unhappy répétition, it would seem, of the history of the galleries ofthe 'classical' period?23 But even more to be deplored is the fate of the Aubette, a café-dansant

in Strasbourg which, in the hands of Théo van Doesburg, Arp and Sophie Tauber, working in 1928, became one ofthe great experiments of modem décorative art: in 1930 the destruction began, and by 1940 almost everything had disappeared.24 We shall not go into the question of a room one of a suite of rooms which one would hâve thought sacrosanct for two reasons, because it belonged to the poet Éluard, and because the painter was one of the greatest of living artists; but no sooner had the décor been revealed than it was acquired for a fabulous sum, removed, taken to pièces, and dispatched to various destinations. Thèse were the works of artists who were known and admired; but what about those ofthe nineteenth century or the beginning of the twentieth who were not in favour and hâve not yet been rediscovered ? Does anyone even bother to préserve those fragments that remain? There is a ready excuse for their destruction: with the exception of Delacroix or Chassériau, ail those who undertook to decorate public buildings are considered as 'officiai painters', as 'conventionalists'; they are sacrified remorselessly indeed, with satisfaction because the 'independent', artists, the avant-garde who suffered at their hands are being 'avenged'. This disconcerting and stubborn naïveté, which transforms what was a useful polemic into historical terms and overlooks artistic quality and a proper scale of excellence in order to maintain a convenient fiction, is of itself capable of causing an immense amount of destruction, which, in a few years, will be as obvious to us as are the ravages of the seventeenth or eighteenth century, but far less excusable. The above examples should be sufficient for the Iesson to be clear. Action is both possible and necessary; as we hâve already said, it is primarily préventive action that is needed. In the case of France, the damage is of such a nature that the misdeeds of the past are nearly always beyond repair; what is important, then, is to see to the future. The public must be educated, and the authorities, even more than art-lovers, must be prevailed upon that is, ail those who hâve, or who may one day hâve, de jure or de facto responsibility for the administration of church property, public buildings, or any part ofthe national héritage; they must be made to question 'taste' and fashion, difficult though this may be in France; they must Iearn to respect every work of art and be convinced of that moral right which is the privilège of the artist and which makes mutilation of any kind nothing less than a crime. The remedy is a slow one, but it is no easy task to cure a Jean

95

Disrnembered works of art

country of a sickness which has steadily become worse since the time of Poussin. A complète course of éducation for young people is necessary the history of art is not taught in French schools and the concerted use of modem mass média is called for. But if only two or three masterpieces are saved as a resuit of this, the effort will not hâve been in vain. NOTES Poussin, letter to Sublet, the Inspector of Buildings, in Noyers; passage quoted by André Félibien in his eighth Entretien and included in Correspondence de Nicolas Poussin, p. 146, Paris, C. Jouanny, 1911. 2. Voyage de Chapelle et Bachaumont, lst éd., Cologne, 1663. The voy¬ age in fact took place in 1656. It will be noted in particular how thèse two authors praise the Pont du Gard, but scorn Narbonne and make fun ofthe local people who want them to admire its cathedral and the Résurrection of Lazarus by Sebastiano del Piombo, a masterpiece that Parisians rushed to see in a church in Rome but which, in the provinces, was nothing more than a 'gloomy old painting', enough to frighten them away. 3. Laon Muséum: 95 cmx 103.5 cm. The work in question is a very incomplète fragment of a diptych or of a polyptych; the Virgin has disappeared, only the Angel and a donor remain; on the back may be seen a séries of figures, some of which are missing. The marks of métal fittings can easily be made out, showing that the wood was used again. 4. Musée Calvet, Avignon; 76 cm x 140 cm. Often attributed to Nicolas 1.

Froment himself. of this are several triptychs or polyptychs from Provence of which we still possess a number of very incomplète séries of frag¬ ments. Thèse include: a séquence of paintings of the life of the Virgin (Avignon, Brussels, Louvre) and a séquence of paintings of the life of Saint Sébastian (seven panels in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lenin¬ grad and Rome), both of which are the work of the Maître de Saint Sébastien (identified by Charles Sterling as Josse Lieferinze); a few small panels attributed to Nicolas Dipre (San Francisco, Détroit, Denver and private collections), which seem to come from two différent altar-pieces. It will be noted that in this respect Provence, which is some distance from Paris, bears a strong resemblance to its neighbour, Italy. 6. Denys II Godefroy, Histoire de Charles VII . . . , p. 886, Paris, 1661. We hâve reproduced the whole of this text, which is of the greatest importance and very little known. 7. Formerly on the high altar of the collegiate church of Moulins, and now in the vestry of the church, which has become a cathedral. 8. For this work, which is dated 1535 and was painted for Françoise II de Dinteville, see Jacques Thuillier, 'L'Énigme de Félix Chrestien', Art de France, Vol. I, 1961, p. 57-75; for its dismemberment in the nineteenth century, see in particular p. 66, note 60. 9. We still know this picture from early copies, the best of which are probably those in the Palazzo Montecitorio and the Accademia di San Luca in Rome. 10. André Félibien, Entretiens sur la Vie et les Ouvrages des plus Excel¬ lents Peintres, Trévoux, 1725. 5. Examples

11.

French painting

Louis Henri de Loménie, Comte de Brienne, Discours sur les Ouvra¬ ges des plus Excellents Peintres..., Ms. Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (Ancien Saint-Germain No. 16986); the quotation is reproduced in

Jacques Thuillier, 'Pour un Corpus pussinianum' , Actes du Colloque International Nicolas Poussin, Vol. II, p. 223, Paris, 1960. 12. Nicole Reynaud, 'LesPortraits des Bourbons au Louvre. Reconstitu¬ tion d'un Panneau du Maître de Moulins', La Revue du Louvre, No. 4-5, 1963, p. 159-66. 13. Paris, private collection. 14. This work, by a Flemish artist, was painted in Paris and has long formed part of the French cultural héritage. There are two studies of it one by J. Lavalleye, in 'Disrnembered Works of Art Flemish Painting', and another by G. Thuillier, in this article. The dossiers established by thèse two authors one Belgian, the other French

reflect points of view that differ considerably. They provide a great deal of additional information and we therefore felt that both should be published. (Note by Unesco.) 15. Jacques Wilhelm, 'Pourbus Peintre de la Municipalité Parisienne', Art de France, Vol. III, 1963, p. 114-23. 1 6. Only one drawing gives us any clear idea of it the one published by Sir Anthony Blunt in his Nicolas Poussin, p. 159, Fig. 139, New

York, 1967. 17. The copies ofthe paintings were executed before

their destruction, by the brothers Balze and Denuelle. The magnificent woodwork in the gallery was fortunately preserved, but 'ail the rest of the décoration of the gallery the paintings, bronzes, fireplaces and mirrors is entirely new'. On this point, see the Notice sur l'État Ancien et Nou¬ veau de la Galerie de l'Hôtel de Toulouse, Paris, 1 876. 18. Five ofthe séries of twenty-five portraits hâve survived; in addition to the paintings mentioned, there is the Portrait de l'Abbé Suger, perhaps by Vouet (Nantes Muséum). We also hâve a few early copies of thèse that hâve been lost. The whole séries was engraved by Heince and Bignon in the seventeenth century. 19. Antoine Schnapper, 'Antoine Coypel: La Galerie d'Enée au PalaisRoyal', Revue de l'Art, No. 5, 1969, p. 33-42. 20. Some idea of the difficulty of the task of bringing together such works and of the numerous problems that may be encountered in performing it may be gained from the research carried out by Antoine Schnap¬ per on the pictures in the Trianon, which showed how the paintings in the castle should be rearranged. He has himself published an (unduly modest) account of his research in his excellent work: Tableaux pour le Trianon de Marbre, 1688-1714, Paris, 1967. 21. Pierre Rosenberg, La Revue du Louvre, No. 4-5, 1968, p. 544. 22. Maurice Serrulaz has published an admirable work which shows how déplorable it is that so many compositions hâve been destroyed or disrnembered Les Peintures Murales de Delacroix, Les Éditions du Temps, Paris, 1963. 23. Their importance is rightly stressed in an important (and brilliantly illustrated) article by Roseline Bacou, 'Décors d'Appartements au Temps des Nabis', Art de France, Vol. IV, 1964, p. 190-205. 24. For this group, which vanished too quickly and has rarely been accorded its true importance, cf. Michel Seuphor, 'L'Aubette de Strasbourg', Art d'Aujourd'hui, No. 8, 1953; and Théo Walters, 'L'Aubette de Strasbourg (1928), Monument Dispam d'Art Concret', L'Information d'Histoire de l'Art, No. 3, 1968, p. 143-9.

96

French painting

Diptych, Melun Artist Jean Fouquet (c. 1425-80).

School, group, period France, fifteenth century. Shape

Diptych with fragments of frame. Dimensions Panels, 93 cmx 85 cm; Enamels, 6.8 cm diameter.

Paint layer Oils on wood; enamel.

Subject Left panel: Etienne Chevalier Presented by Saint Etienne. Right panel: Virgin with Child Surrounded by Angels. First enamel: The Descent of the Holy Splrlt among the Faithful and the Unbellevers. Second enamel: Self-portrait of Jean Fouquet.

97

French painting

Previous history Painted for Etienne Chevalier (Treasurer of France in 1451) and placed in the Church of Notre-Dame de Melun; remained there until c. 1775; disrnembered about the end of the eighteenth century. Whereabouts of fragments Left panel: found in Munich at the time of the

first Empire; acquired by Brentano-Laroche of Frankfurt am Main; acquired by the Berlin Muséum in 1896. Right panel: acquired by van Ertbom of Antwerp; bequeathed to the Royal Fine Arts Muséum in 1 841 . First enamel: Berlin Schlossmuseum; destroyed in 1945. Second enamel: Louvre, Paris Oegacy of M. de Vasselot).

Suggested reconstitutions It is no longer questioned that the two main panels belong to the same diptych. No positive évidence has been advanced to prove that the two enamels belong to the frame of this dip¬ tych, so that there is still a considérable élément of doubt. It now appears to be impossible to reconstitute the work or to bring the separate parts together; moreover, one of the enamels was destroyed during the last war.

Bibliography Mentioned, reproduced and discussed in ail works on Fouquet and on the French Primi¬ tives; see however; Leprieur, p. 1 897. Notes sur le cadre du dip¬ tyque de Melun. Bulletin de la Société des Antiquaires de France, p. 315. Marquet de Vasselot. 1904. Deux émaux de Jean Fouquet. Gazette des beaux-arts. Vol. II, p. 140. Grete Ring, 1949. A century of French painting 1400-1500. London. Nos. 122-5 (with spécial bibliography).

Illustrations 1

2

Etienne Chevalier Presented by Saint Etienne, ^tr\\n Muséum. [Photo: Giraudon.] Virgin with Child Surrounded by Angels. Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Antwerp. [Photo:

Giraudon.] The Descent of the Holy Splrlt Among the Faithful and the Unbellevers (destroyed in 1945). [Photo: made available by Dr Schade, Curator, Staatliche Museen, Berlin.] Second enamel: Self-portrait of Jean Fouquet. Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: National Muséums.]

98

French painting

Triptych of the Annunciation, Aix Artist

Subject

Unknown (numerous hypothèses hâve been

Central part: The Annunciation, depicted in a church, in accordance with iconographie practice common in the fifteenth century. Right panel: The Prophet Jeremiah in a Niche, with a still life above; the face bears a certain resemblance to that of King René. Left panel: The Prophet Isaiah in a Niche, with a still life above. Exterior of the side panels: The Rlsen Christ and Mary Magdalene (part of the Noli me

advanced). School, group, period Provençal painting of the fifteenth century.

Original location Aix-en-Provence (France). Shape

Triptych. Dimensions When closed: approx. 155 cm high x 176 cm wide.

Paint layer Oils on wood.

Tangere).

99

French painting

Distinctive features The iconography of the scène of The Annun¬ ciation is extremely complex. We see God the Father and the soûl of Christ in the form of a tiny naked child. Previous history Painted in accordance with the last will and testament of the draper Corpici (9 December 1442) for his tomb in the chancel of the cathe¬

dral of Saint-Sauveur in Aix-en-Provence; completed in July 1445. The painting was moved and the wing panels separated from the rest before the Révolution. After the Révolu¬ tion the central part, which had been seized, was placed in the church of La Madeleine in Aix; the side-panels became part of a private

collection. The part depicting the prophet Jeremiah was acquired at the Normand sale in 1923 by the Royal Fine Arts Muséum in Bmssels. The part depicting the prophet Isaiah, reduccd in size, found its way into the Cook Collection in Richmond (England) where it was first thought to be a work of the Spanish school and then a work by Conrad Witz; it was acquired for the van Beuningen Collection, which became a muséum. The detached still life turned up at the Frederick Muller sale (Amsterdam, 30 November 1909, No. 23, as a work of the Flemish school) and was acquired by the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

100

French painting

Whereabouts of fragments

Church of La Madeleine (Aix-en-Provence): Central part. Royal Fine Arts Muséum (Brussels): The Prophet Jeremiah. Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam) (on loan to the Louvre): Still Life. Van Beuningen Muséum (Rotterdam): The Prophet Isaiah. Suggested reconstitutions The work has been convincingly reconstituted for exhibitions; Jacques Dupont (Les Primitifs Français, p. 26-7, 1937) has made a photo¬ montage showing the work reconstituted in its entirety. A reconstitution of the work in its entirety is materially possible, although large pièces are missing from the volets, but in the circumstances this does not appear very practicable and the resuit, from the aesthetic point of view, might well tum out to be disappointing.

Bibliography Referred to, reproduced and commented on in ail Works on the French Primitives; there is a useful summary of the problems and a bibliog¬ raphy (up to 1949, that is to say without any référence to the discussions conceming the artist which arose subsequently) in: Grete Ring, 1949. A century of French paint¬ ing, 1400-1500, No. 91. London. The problem of reconstitution is not dealt with in this work.

Illustrations 1 Central part: The Annunciation, Church of La Madeleine, Aix-en-Provence. [Photo: Giraudon.]

Right panel: The Prophet Jeremiah, Royal Fine Arts Muséum, Brussels. [Photo: Girau¬ don.] 3 Left panel (above): Still Life, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (on loan to the Louvre). [Photo: Giraudon.] 4 Left panel (below): The Prophet Isaiah,

2

van Beuningen Muséum, Rotterdam. [Photo: BuUoz.] 5 On the outer side of the Still Life: The Risen Christ. [Photo: Giraudon.] 6 On the outer side of The Prophet Isaiah: Mary Magdalene, van Beuningen Muséum, Rotterdam. [Photo: Bulloz]. 7 Reconstitution by photomontage for exhi¬ bitions, by Jacques Dupont: Les Primitifs Français, p. 26-7, 1937. [Photo: Giraudon.]

Drafter: J. Thuillier.

101

French paintmg

102

French painting

Venus and the Libéral Arts Artist Nicolas Poussin.

Paint layer Oils on canvas.

School, group, period France, 1594-1665.

Subject

Dimensions Fragment 1 (Louvre), 57 cmx 51 cm (a strip 5 cm wide has been added on the right-hand side); fragment 2 (Dulwich), 78 cm x 85 cm.

Protective layer This second fragment is in poor condition. The figure of Venus was probably concealed by drapery, which was subsequently removed; certain parts appear to hâve been added (the material draped over Mercury 's knee, his wand, etc.); other parts hâve been entirely repainted (the top of the chariot, etc.).

Originally (cf. drawing in the Louvre and the early copy in the Lille Muséum; see reproduc¬ tions) the intention was to depict Venus and the libéral arts: Mercury was pointing out to Venus a young satyr, symbolizing purely sensual désire, being defeated in a wrestling match by a winged cupid, whiist ail around could be seen the symbols of the arts: musical instmments, painter's palette, books. The painting, then, was a reflection on the power of Beauty to inspire not only désire but also, when désire is subdued, artistic création. The mutilation of the painting caused the wrestling match to lose its central position, and

so obscured the profound meaning ofthe work. The fragment in Dulwich, in which roses hâve been placed in the hand of Venus and a more visible wand has been added, is usually interpreted as merely representing an amorous (?) encounter between Venus and Mercury; the fragment in the Louvre has become a 'cupids' concert', in which the child waving the victor's wreaths has lost ail meaning.

Previous history Painted by Nicolas Poussin at a date on which historians do not agrée: 1630-35 (Grautoff), 1629-31 (D. Mahon), 1627-29 (A. Blunt), 1 625-27 (ThuiUier). Engraving made by Fabrizio Chieri in 1636. The history ofthe painting remains uncertain. It must hâve been mutilated during the second half of the eighteenth cen¬ tury, undoubtedly on account of moral scmples (originally the two divinities were completely naked). The 'cupids' concert' was taken from the Château of Châteauneuf-sur-Loire, the home ofthe pious Duc de Penthièvre, in 1794, and was immediately incorporated in the na¬ tional collections. The Venus and Mercury seems to hâve tumed up in England at the end of the eighteenth century, and was donated to Alleyn's Collège of God's Gift in Dulwich by Sir Francis Bourgeois in 1811. Whereabouts of fragments Musée du Louvre (Paris): Concert d'Amours. Dulwich Collège Picture Gallery (Dulwich): Venus and Mercury. The third fragment seems to hâve completely disappeared. The relation between the two fragments that remain has been confirmed by scientific examination using X-rays. Suggested reconstitutions Reconstitution is neither possible nor désirable. Too much is missing (the sky and a putto). The state of conservation of the fragments varies too greatly, the Dulwich picture having been

totally mined by restoration. Bibliography The two preserved fragments are mentioned in most works on Poussin. For the vicissitudes of the painting, see: THtnLLiER, J. 1960. Tableaux attribués à Pous¬ sin dans les archives révolutionnaires. Nico¬ las Poussin, Actes du Congrès International Nicolas Poussin. Vol. II. p. 41, Paris, CNRS. For material information and bibliography, see: Nicolas Poussin. Catalogue of exhibition held at the Louvre in 1960, entry for Nos. 35, 36. Blunt, Anthony. 1966. The paintings of Nico¬ las Poussin, a crltlcal catalogue. Phaidori. (Description of No. 184.) Dlustrations / Cupids' Concert, Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: National Muséums.] 2 Venus and Mercury, Dulwich Collège Pic¬ ture Gallery, London. [Photo: by per¬ mission ofthe Dulwich Collège Governors.] 3 Venus arul the Libéral Arts (pen and wash drawing). Cabinet des Dessins, Musée du Louvre. [Cat. No. 32433.] 4 Copy from Nicolas Poussin: Venus and the Libéral Arts, Fine Arts Muséum, Lille. [Photo: Gérondal, No. 6749/083.]

Drafter: J. Thuillier.

103

French painting

104

French painting

Triptych of the Bourbons Artist Maître de Moulins. School, group, period Late fifteenth to early sixteenth century, France.

Holder Musée du Louvre (Paris): the three fragments. Shape Was in the form of a triptych (probably non-

closing). Dimensions

The triptych was formerly approximately 84 cm high (including the frame).

Paint layer Painted in oils on oak.

Subject

None ofthe hypothèses put forward conceming the (missing) central part appears entirely plau¬ sible. One can suppose that it was a religious subject, perhaps a Virgin with Child. It has now been established that the two side-panels depicted Pierre II, Duc de Bourbon, with Saint Peter (preserved) and Anne de France, Duchesse de Bourbon with her Daughter, Suzanne de Bourbon, arul Saint John the Evan¬ gelist (eut up).

105

French painting

Previous history

Probably painted around 1492-93 by the Maître de Moulins for the Duke and Duchess of Bourbon; we do not know where the paint¬ ing was intended to be hung (in a private chapel?). The history of the work is imknown. There is almost no trace ofthe three fragments we are concemed with imtil they were incor¬ porated in the French national collections, at the foUowing dates: 1842, Pierre II, acquired by Louis-Philippe from M. Vallet; 1888, Anne de France, donated by J. Maciet (the painting had just appeared at the Comte de la Beraudière sale in Paris, 18-30 May, 1885, No. 126); 1908, Child, donated by the Amis du Louvre. Whereabouts of fragments Ail three fragments are now in the Louvre: Fragment I {Pierre H), 84 cm x 77 cm (with the original frame); Fragment II (Anne de France), Ti cmx 53 cm; Fragment III (Child), 26.8 cm X 16.2 cm (strip 2 cm wide restored to the right-hand side).

Suggested reconstitutions The three fragments belong to the same mu¬ séum; but too much is missing from the panel which has been eut up for the reconstitution of the work to be aesthetically désirable.

Bibliography The three fragments in existence are mentioned in ail Works on the Maître de Moulins, the opinions expressed, attributions and hypo¬ thèses being contradictory in many cases. The définitive study, which has superseded ail other publications on this subject, is the work of: Reynaud, Nicole. Les portraits des Bourbons au Louvre, reconstitution d'un panneau du Maître de Moulins, La revue du Louvre, No. 4-5, 1963, p. 159-66.

Illustrations 1 Pierre H, Duc de Bourbon, Presented by Saint Peter, Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: Bulloz.] 2 Anne de France, Duchesse de Bourbon, with Saint John the Evangellst, Musée du Louvre, [Photo: Bulloz.] 3 Portrait of Child Praying (actually a portrait of Suzanne de Bourbon), Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: Bulloz.] 4 Sketch showing the relationship between panels 2 and 3, based on what was revealed by X-ray (the work of Nicole Reynaud). 5 (a) and (b) Reconstitution of the side-panels of the triptych on the basis of the three parts which hâve been conserved (recon¬ stitution by Nicole Reynaud).

Drafter: J. Thuillier.

106

French painting

Homage to the Child Louis XIII Artist Frans Pourbus the Younger. School, group, period Antwerp 1569-Paris 1622.

Original location Paris (France).

Material description Large painting, slightly higher than wide, painted in oils on canvas; the exact dimensions are not known.

Subject Commissioned by the municipality of Paris, the painting depicted the young Louis XllI seated, surrounded by important dignitaries, including the Chancellor Nicolas Brulard de Sillery and the Keeper of the Seals, Guillaume du Vair, receiving the homage of the Provost of the Merchants and Municipal magistrates of the city. Previous history Probably painted in 1618 for the municipality of Paris and placed in the great hall of the Hôtel de Ville. Torn to pièces during the insurrection on 10 August 1792, when the central part, with the figure of the King, must

107

French painting

hâve been destroyed. It was probably sent to the Hôtel de Nesie, to be held in trust, and then sold. Fragments I, II and IV came into the possession of Vivant Denon, and were sold by

him to Labensky, Director of the Hermitage Collections (in Paris, between 1808 and 1810). Fragment III came to light in the catalogue of the Gardon Sales in Bmssels in 1921 (2730 June, No. 89) ; it seems to hâve been sold on the Parisian art market. Whereabouts of fragments Hermitage Muséum (Leningrad): Fragment I, 69 cm X 94 cm; Fragment II, 60 cm x 73 cm. Private collection (Brussels): Fragment III, 60 cm X 74 cm. National Muséum (Warsaw): Fragment IV, 60 cm X 73 cm.

Suggested reconstitutions The relation between the four fragments has been definitively established by Jacques Wil¬ helm (see 'Bibliography'); but the parts that hâve been destroyed are so large that reconsti¬ tution is out of the question.

lUustrations

/

2

Bibliography

Brière, g.; Dumolin, M.; Jarry, P. 1937. Les tableaux de l'Hôtel de Ville de Paris et de l'Abbaye Sainte-Geneviève. Bulletin de la Société d'Iconographie Parisienne. Novosselskaia, I. 1958. Fragments of the group portraits of Frans Pourbus the Younger. The Hermitage bulletin. No. XIII. (In Russian.) But the définitive study is that of: Wilhelm, Jacques, 1963. Pourbus peintre de la municipalité parisienne. Art de France, Vol. III, p. 114-23.

3

The Municipal Magistrates of the City of Paris Congratulating the Young King Louis XIII on the Occasion ofhls Marriage (drawing). Cabinet des Dessins, Musée du Louvre. [Photo: National Muséums.] Fragment I: with a portrait of Chancellor Nicolas Brulart de Sillery on the right, Hermitage Muséum, Leningrad. [Photo: Hermitage Muséum.] Fragment II: with a portrait of the Provost of the merchants of Paris, Hermitage Mu¬ séum, Leningrad. [Photo: Hermitage Mu¬

séum.]

Fragment III: with a portrait of the Keeper of the Seals, Guillaume du Vair, on the left, private collection, Brussels. 5 Fragment IV: with a portrait of three mu¬ nicipal magistrates of the City of Paris, National Museimi, Warsaw. [Photo: Na¬ tional Muséum, Warsaw.]

4

Drafter: J. Thuillier.

108

French painting

La Baraque

de la Goulue Artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. School, group, period France, nineteenth century.

Original location Paris (France). Shape

Two rectangular canvases painted in oils.

n

Paint layer Oils. Support Canvas. Subject

La Goulue and Valentin le Désossé at the Mou¬ lin Rouge; La Goulue Dancing an Egyptian Dance in her Dance Shack. Previous history Painted in 1895 by Toulouse-Lautrec to decorate the dance shack of La Goulue (Louise Weber) at the Foire du Trône (cf. letter from La Goulue to Toulouse-Lautrec, dated 6 April 1895); acquired for a private collection and eut into pièces by the owner of the painting in 1926; acquired by the State in 1929 and recon¬

stituted.

109

French painting

Whereabouts of fragments Now re-assembled and reconstituted at the Louvre. Suggested reconstitutions Some photographs taken before the painting was disrnembered hâve made accurate recon¬ stitution possible, especially since most of the pièces left after cutting up the painting had been preserved.

Bibliography Referred to and reproduced in ail works on Toulouse-Lautrec. See the account given in: Bazin, Germain; Adhemar, Hélène. 1958. Musée du Louvre, Catalogue des peintures impressionnistes. Paris (art. Toulouse-Lau¬ trec).

Illustrations 1 La Goulue and Valentin le Désossé at the Moulin Rouge (canvas which had been eut up). Musée du Louvre, Paris. 2 La Goulue arul Valentin le Désossé at the Moulin Rouge (reconstituted canvas). Mu¬ sée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: Bulloz.] 3 La Goulue Dancing an Egyptian Dance in Her Dance Shack (canvas which was eut up). Musée du Louvre, Paris. 4 La Goulue Dancing an Egyptian Dance in Her Dance Shack (reconstituted canvas). Musée du Louvre, Paris [Photo: Bulloz.]

Drafter: J. Thuillier.

110

French paintmg

Gallery of Aeneas, at the Palais Royal

'

HM

JI

Great Gallery painted by Antoine Coypel

r-'i yr^^^rr-^-^X^^r^ I

^

^r-^ " V^T " -^^^^^=7

" V==7

m French painting

Artist Antoine Coypel. School, group, period France, 1661-1722.

Original location Paris (France).

Material description Painted décoration, comprising seven large compositions on canvas, of différent sizes, arranged on the wall that mns parallel to the Rue de Richelieu, and a vault entirely deco¬ rated with frescos and also comprising seven main compositions. The compositions varied in size as well as in shape (arched, with indented and moulded corners, etc.) ; the large central panel, Aeneas tn the Underworld, is 750 cm wide; the four arched panels are higher than they are wide (385 by 190 cm); the two intermediate panels are wider than they are high (385 by 570 cm).

Subject The entire décoration of the gallery was based on the story of Aeneas, and the subjects of the compositions were directly derived from the Aeneid. For détails see the reconstitution by Antoine Schnapper, opposite. Previous history The gallery would appear to hâve been built between 1698 and 1700. The décoration was probably commissioned by the Duc d'Orléans, the owner of the Palais Royal, from Antoine Coypel, his chief painter, as early as 1701. The paintings in the vault were finished by the end of 1705. The seven large canvases hung on the wall were painted during a second period of activity between 1714 and February 1718. The gallery was destroyed in 1784 to make way for the présent Rue de Beaujolais and enable the Théâtre Français to be built. It was then that the paintings in the vault disappeared. The seven paintings on the walls had previously been removed and taken to the Château de

Saint-Cloud. They were incorporated in the national collections at the time of the Révo¬ lution. The first three, which were in a better state of conservation than the others, were sent to muséums in the provinces in 1803 (Montpellier) and 1898 (Arras). Three others were left in the stock-rooms ofthe Louvre, and the name of the painter to whom they shoidd be attributed was forgotten. Whereabouts of fragments The paintings from the vault hâve completely disappeared and we know of them only from engravings and a sketch which is in the Angers Muséum. Ofthe seven paintings that decorated the wall, six hâve been located Jupiter Appearing to Aeneas has been lost. Aeneas and Achates Appearing to Dido is in the Fine Arts Muséum at Arras; Aeneas Carrying Away his Father Anchises and The Death of Dido are in the Fabre Muséum, Montpellier; Aeneas in the Underworld, The Death of Pallas and The Defeat and Death of Turnus are in the Louvre (reserve stock).

112

French painting

Suggested reconstitutions The séries of paintings cannot be reconstituted as a whole. Three of the paintings that bave been found are badly damaged; the three others, which are in two diflTerent muséums in the provinces, could possibly be placed to¬ gether in one of them.

Bibliography A récent study, abundantly illustrated by photographs and containing a wealth of critical insight, has superseded ail previous publica¬ tions: Schnapper, Antoine. 1969. Antoine Coypel: La Galerie d'Énée au Palais Royal, La revue de l'art. No. 5, p. 33-42. Illustrations 1 Plan of the Gallery of Aeneas in the Palais Royal, Paris (destroyed). 2 Aeneas Carrying Away his Father Anchises, Fabre Muséum, Montpellier. [Photo: Gé¬ rondal.]

3 Aeneas and Achates Appearing to Dido.

Fine Arts Muséum, Arras. [Photo: Leroy, Arras.] 4 The Death of Dido. Fabre Muséum, Mont¬ pellier. [Photo: Gérondal.] 5 Aeneas Carrying Away his Father Anchises (engraving by Desplace). (Reconstitution by

12

13

A. Schnapper.) to Dido (engraving by Simon Thomassin). (Recon¬ stitution by A. Sclmapper.) The Death of Dido (engraving by G. Duchange). (Reconstitution by A. Schnapper.) Aeneas in the Underworld (engraving by J. Surugue). (Reconstitution by A. Schnap¬ per.) Jupiter Appearing to Aeneas (engraving by Desplace). (Reconstitution by A. Schnap¬ per.) The Death of Pallas (engraving by Des¬ place). (Reconstitution by A. Schnapper.)

6 Aeneas and Achates Appearing

7

5

9

10

12 13

of Turnus (engraving by Poilly). (Reconstitution by A. Schnap¬ per.) Juno Lettlng Loose the Tempest (engraving by Tardieu). (Reconstitution by A. Schnap¬ per.) Neptune Quelllng the Tempest (engraving by Tardieu). (Reconstitution by A. Schnap¬ per.) Venus Imploring Jupiter (sketch). Fine Arts Muséum, Angers. [Photo: Arts Graphiques de la Cité.] The Wreck of Aeneas' Fleet (engraving by Beauvais). (Reconstitution by A. Schnap¬ per.) Venus Asking Vulcan for Arms for Aeneas (engraving by Tardieu). (Reconstitution by A. Schnapper.)

11 The Defeat and Death

14

15

16

Drafter:

J.

Thuillier

14

k'^:2>^ - ^. / ,^%'^. .' '^'''^i.ï *^^*' '-

"

>

\

jSiU

i^b

/Air

113

French painting

114

French painting

Décoration of the Hôtel Thomas Artist Jean-François Millet. School, group, period France, 1814-75.

Original location Paris (France).

Holders

National Muséum of Western Art, Tokyo: Sprlng. Private collections: Summer and Winter. Destroyed: Autumn.

Material description Décoration ofa room in the Thomas résidence, composed of three vertical panels and a ceiling, painted in oils on canvas.

Présent size: Sprlng 231.5 cm x 1 31. 5 cm; Summer 260 cm x 134 cm; Wlnter 205 cm x 112 cm.

Subject

The thème treated was that ofthe four seasons, a thème suited to Millet, who drew his inspira¬ tion from the coimtryside. However, the painter has interpreted this thème in the clas¬ sical style: Sprlng is illustrated by the fable of Daphnis and Chloe; Summer, by the figure of Ceres; Winter by the story of Anacreon receiv¬ ing the chemb shivering with cold. Autumn, which was painted on the ceiUng, was repre¬ sented by a cloudy sky with winged children pursuing owls and bats; along the sides was a pile of venison and other food.

115

French painting

Previous history

The commission was obtained from a rich Colmar banker. Monsieur Thomas, through the agency of the architect Feydeau, and signed on 3 April 1 864 ; the paintings were hung on 29 September 1865 (information kindly supplied by Professor Robert Herbert). The paintings were sold to dififerent purchasers at the Hôtel Drouot in 1875 (Duc de Bojano sale, 16-17 April 1875). The ceiling was destroyed in the fire at the Palais de Laacken before 1898; the three other parts hâve been put up for sale several times in Paris. Spring, which was incorporated in the Matsukada Collection, is now in the National Muséum of Westem Art (Tokyo). The exact whereabouts of the other two parts remains uncertain. Whereabouts of fragments

Two of the three panels which remain are in a private collection; the third now belongs to the National Muséum of Westem Art, Tokyo. Suggested reconstitutions The group of paintings is now incomplète, the décor which went with them has been de¬ stroyed, and it is highiy unlikely that the three remaining panels will be brought together.

Bibliograpby The commission one of the few commissions obtained by Millet is mentioned in most of the numerous works conceming this painter. However, no spécial study has been made of it.

niustrations / The Cherub Shivering with Cold, or Winter, private collection. [Reproduced from a sale catalogue in June 1964.] 2 Ceres, or Summer, private collection. 3 Daphnis and Chloe, or Sprlng, National Muséum of Westem Art, Tokyo. [Photo: National Muséum of Western Art, Tokyo.]

Drafter: J. ThuiUier.

Disrnembered works of art

Spanish painting

Xavier de Salas

It is not, I think, an exaggeration to say that Spanish painting was unknown in Europe until a large number of Spanish pictures were taken out of Spain after the Napoleonic wars. Before that time, there were only a few Spanish works in private collections in Europe, and they were not highiy thought of. Few Spanish masters were mentioned in critical works on art or in historiés or dictionaries of art and, even so, not much attention was paid to them. That Ribera enjoyed a certain famé was due mainly to the fact that he had spent most of his life in Naples, and was classed as one ofthe painters of the Napolitan school. Velasquez, although he left one of his magnificent por¬ traits in Rome, is rarely mentioned in art historiés of this time; whiist El Greco and Zurbarân, as well as other fine painters from Madrid or Seville, such as Valdés Leal, Pereda and Antolinez were totally unknown in the eighteenth cen¬ tury, with one curious exception Collantes; one of his landscapes was in a famous European collection; and his name was not entirely forgotten. It was not until about 1750 that people began to take an interest in Murillo and seek out his work indeed, the first law promulgated with a view to preventing works of art from being taken out of Spain was specifically designed to protect the works of this painter. Then, suddenly, the situation changed. The Napoleonic wars, which extended into the peninsula, caused a mass exodus of Spanish works of art. The Peninsular War, as we know, besides causing disasters of the kind that usually follow in the wake of armed conflicts, also gave rise to a serious crisis in the Spanish monarchy, put an end to the old régime and radically changed the social structure of Spain. It also led to the émancipation of Latin America, an event followed by ail manner of political and économie consé¬ quences. The social changes were further aggravated by the aliénation laws, which immediately resulted in the closing down of many monasteries, convents and churches. Due to the war, many French gênerais acquired large collections of Spanish works of art; and art dealers who had come to Spain procured works by Spanish artists; and in a very short time the process of aliénation brought a new flood of works of art on the market. It will be remembered that the first aliénation measures were taken at the time of Joseph Bonaparte; and the process culminated with the laws passed in the reign of Isabella II, in 1835. This social phenomenon did, however, hâve one good effect it was from then onwards that Spanish art became

117

Disrnembered works of art

known and appreciated in Europe. After the war against Napoléon, Spanish paintings began to appear in the collec¬ tions of Europe, and came to be regarded as the works of a school deserving of respect, a school with a character of its own and painters of undoubted merit. The outstanding event in this domain was the inauguration by Louis-Philippe of a 'Spanish Gallery' in the Louvre, an event which played an extremely important part in making Spanish paintings more sought after and better known. When this gallery was subse¬ quently sold in London, the treasures it contained were dis¬ persed amongst many différent collections in a great variety

of places. The appearance of vast numbers of works of art on the market, due first to war and second to the dissolution of the monasteries, was responsible for the fragmentation and dis¬ persai of many groups of works. Very few such groups were taken out of Spain intact. The majority were disrnembered even before leaving the country, and in yet most cases the fragments were exported at différent times, when some impor¬ tant political event took place. Some of the works were soon destroyed, whiist others, of outstanding importance, were dispersed and eventually disappeared. The first example we shall take is the group of paintings executed by El Greco for Santo Domingo el Antiguo, Toledo chronologically the earliest of the groups of works with which we shall be dealing. El Greco arrived in Spain in 1577, and this was his first important work. He received the commission for it shortly after his arrivai; indeed, there are grounds for thinking that it was for this purpose that he came to Toledo. It appears to be the first time that El Greco had obtained a commission of such importance; for the works he had executed in Italy or at any rate, so far as we know had mostly been smaUer ones; for San Domingo he undertook to paint a group of three altar-pieces, including one of immense size. He also prepared the architectural plans for the altar-pieces, made the sketches for the sculptures executed by Juan Bautista Monegro, and executed the paintings for the three altars. The high altar had probably been erected by 1579, when the church was con¬ secrated.

The centre-pièce of this high altar was The Assumption, which is housed today at the Art Institute in Chicago. This work, signed in 1577, was sold in 1827 to the Infante Don Sébastian de Borbon, who was a great collector, and a copy was hung in its place in the church. Immediately above The

Spanish painting

Assumption was a painting of The Trinity which, since being acquired by Ferdinand VII in 1832, has been in the Prado. On either side of The Trinity were three-quarter view portraits of two saints that of Saint Benedict, which was at one time in the collection of the Infante Don Sébastian and is now in the Prado, and that of Saint Bernard, which was also at one time in the Infante's collection and which, according to the latest information we hâve, was in the Oppenheimer Collec¬ tion in 1908. Since then, we hâve lost trace of it. The Assumption was llanked by two full-length portraits of saints, which were not removed: Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist. There was yet another painting over the high altar The Holy Face, oval in form, with two carved angels supporting the frame. In 1961, ail thèse paintings were sold by the nuns to Don Juan March, of Madrid. El Greco had executed paintings for the side altars measuring 2.10 m by 1.28 m, one depicting The Adoration of the Shepherds, with a portrait of Saint Jérôme, the other, The Résurrection with Saint Ildefonsus portraying at least, so it is thought Don Diego of Castile, the painter's friend and benefactor, who obtained the commission for him. The Ado¬ ration of the Shepherds was acquired by Don Emilio Botin and is now in his collection at Santander; The Résurrection was neither tampered with nor moved. Both the framework of the altar-pieces and the sculptures executed by Monegro are still in the church, together with the three above-mentioned paintings; but the other parts ofthe group, as stated earlier, are dispersed one is in the Chicago Muséum, two are in the Prado and two are in private collec¬ tions. The sixth has disappeared, having been either lost or destroyed. The dispersai of this exceptional group of paintings is a somewhat rare case, in that it was due to purely économie factors, which caused a poverty-stricken, practically ruined monastery to divest itself of its treasures. The other examples given below concern groups of works which were fragmented and dispersed either as a resuit of wars or for political reasons, or the two combined. We shall take first the case of the group of paintings exe¬ cuted by Francisco de Zurbarân and his workshop for the Carthusian monastery at Jerez de la Frontera. This group, the arrangement of which is still a matter of discussion, has been examined by a number of experts, the most authoritative being César Pemân and P. Guinard, on whose opinions we shall base our statements. Two paintings, dated 1638 and

118

Xavier de Salas

1639 respectively, are generaUy considered to belong to this group, which was executed by Zurbarân when he was at the height of his career and of his artistic powers. It was, we may note, in 1639 that Zurbarân was appointed painter to the King, in récognition of his services and outstanding merit. The work consisted of a large altar-piece and of paintings decorating the passage leading to the Tabernacle. In addition, Zurbarân had painted pictures for the altars in the lay choir and for the sacristy. The altar-piece which was constructed by the sculptor José de Arce was divided into three tripartite sections, with sculptures placed in front cf the column between the paint¬ ings. The first was adorned by three large paintings: the cen¬ tral one, representing The Appearance of the Virgin, the patroness of the Carthusian Order, at the Battle of Jerez, now in the Metropolitan Muséum, New York; one on the left, depicting The Adoration ofthe Shepherds, and one on the right, depicting The Adoration ofthe Wise Men, both now in the muséum at Grenoble. Above thèse large side paintings were pictures of Saint John the Evangelist and of Saint Matthew, both of which are now in the muséum at Cadiz. The second section was composed of a central painting showing Saint Bruno in Ecstasy, now in the Cadiz muséum, with The Annunciation on the right and, on the left, The Cir¬ cumcision, thèse latter both now in the muséum at Grenoble. Surmounting thèse two side pictures were paintings of Saint Mark and Saint Luke, now in the muséum at Cadiz. The third section of the altar-piece consisted of a carved Calvary flanked by pictures of Saint John the Baptist and Saint Lawrence, which are now likewise in the muséum at Cadiz. In the passage leading to the Tabernacle i.e. to the small chapel designed to contain the Tabernacle were two paint¬ ings of angels bearing incense, now in the muséum at Cadiz, and eight paintings of saints, of the blessed, and of eminent members of the Order, some turning towards the right, others towards the left. Thèse included a painting of Saint Ayrald (which has now disappeared), Saint Anthelm, Saint Hugh of Grenoble and Saint Bruno (thèse last three now in the Cadiz muséum); Cardinal Nicolas Albergati, Saint Arthaud, Saint Hugh of Lincoln and Blessed John Houghton (also in the Cadiz muséum), turning towards the left. Apart from thèse, there were two large paintings, on the two altars in the lay choir: an Immaculate Conception with Saint Joachim and Saint Anne (now in the National Gallery,

Edinburgh), and a Virgin ofthe Rosary (now in the Muzeum Narodowe in Poznan, Poland). The dispersai of this group of paintings occurred after the secularization of the Carthusian monastery in 1835; and it was then that Baron Taylor acquired seven of the largest paintings for the Spanish gallery in the Louvre, which King Louis-Philippe had charged him to stock with pictures. When Louis-Philippe's collection was sold they finally, after many vicissitudes, found their way into the above-mentioned muséums.

It is also worth examining the fate of a group of paintings executed by Zurbarân and his studio, which were in the Monastery of Saint Joseph of the Order of Discalced Mercedarians, in Seville. They were painted shortly before the ones at Jerez which we hâve just mentioned, i.e. when Zurbarân was at the summit of his career. They were completely dis¬ persed; and as a resuit ofthe secularization laws promulgated by the government of Joseph Bonaparte (1810), many, including the most important, found their way into the storerooms ofthe Alcazar at Seville; Marshal Soult took away the ones he liked best; the rest were returned to the monastery, but not for long, owing to the aliénation laws of 1835. It was at this time that Baron Taylor acquired another group of pictures for the Spanish gallery inaugurated by King LouisPhilippe. There are différences of opinion about the order and the exact number of paintings by Zurbarân in this group of works. It seems that a picture of The Eternal Father, now in the Seville muséum, formed part of the main altar-piece. The two saints Saint Apollonia and Saint Lucy which were transfered from the Soult collection to the Louvre and the Chartres muséum respectively, probably also belonged to this group, as well as Christ Crowning Saint Joseph, now in the Seville muséum. It is generaUy agreed that the side altars were dedicated to Saint Peter Nolasco and Saint Raymond Nonnat; each was adorned with five small paintings from the life of thèse two saints. It is not possible to identify the scènes depicted with any certainty: The Bestowal of the Habit of the Order of Mercy by the Virgin on a Young Man and The Exposition of the Body of a Saint are doubtless taken from the history of Saint Peter Nolasco, whiist The Miraculous Communion Given by Christ and two other scènes probably represent either Saint Dominic or Saint Raymond of Penafort. As to the paintings from the transept altar-pieces, wbich

119

Disrnembered works of art

likewise passed through the hands of Marshal Soult and were subsequently sold, that of Saint Lawrence is now in the Her¬ mitage, while that of Saint Anthony the Abbot belongs to the Valdés Collection in Bilbao. The chapel of Saint Catherine contained a picture of Angels Burying Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai, of which there were various versions: the one which, according to tradition, came from the Order of Mercy, now belongs to Count Ibarra, but another version, the one in the Munt Gallery, New York, may be the original. According to P. Guinard, The Crowning of a Young Saint, which is in the possession of Marshal Soult's heirs, belonged to the Saint Catherine séquence. The sacristy of the monastery formerly contained a paint¬ ing of Christ on the Cross which belonged to Louis-Philippe's collection, passed through other hands, and is now in New York (Hamilton Collection); and a Virgin of Mercy, which was also at one time in the Spanish Gallery, then passed into the possession of the Duke of Montpensier in Seville, and now belongs to the heirs of the Marquis of Valdeterrazo. We cannot describe in détail the séquence depicting the Martyrs of the Order of Mercy, a séries of small pictures varying in quality. Thirty-eight of them were placed in the store-rooms in the Alcazar in 1810 and are now in various parts ofthe world. The discovery of new pictures in this séries is constantly being reported from ail kinds of places. King Louis-Philippe exhibited sixteen of them in his Spanish Gal¬ lery, and they were later sold by auction in London. Three of thèse are now reported to be in the Adanero Collection in Madrid, one in each of a number of collections (Ceballos, Gonzalo Bilbao, Marquis de Valdeterrazo and J. Lifschitz, New York); and two in the Perez Asansio Col¬ lection at Jerez. Three others belonged at one time to the T. Harris (London) Schaffer (New York) and W. Duits (London) galleries; and three are mentioned by P. Guinard as belonging to a private collection in Seville. One is in the El Greco muséum in Toledo, one in the Fogg Art Muséum (Cambridge, Massachusetts), and two in the Wadsworth

Atheneum (Hartford, Connecticut). Let us now take another group of works originating in Seville the séries which was painted by Juan de Valdés Leal for the Monastery of San Jeronimo de Buenavista, and subse¬ quently disappeared. This monastery was near Seville; the great baroque artist painted for it a large number of pictures, the original position of which has not, as far as we know, been determined.

Spanish painting

The présent situation of thèse paintings is due to the fact that they were purchased by Baron Taylor for the Spanish Gallery, the paintings in which were subsequently dispersed to various parts of the world. It would appear that the large paintings depicting scènes from the life of Saint Jérôme were originally six in number. Two of thèse The Death of Saint Jérôme and Saint Jérôme with the Jewish Doctors hâve disappeared. The latter was at one time in the Spanish Gallery next to the large painting depicting Saint Jérôme with the Pagan Doctors, now in the Cremer Collection, Dortmund. The Baptism of Saint Jérôme dated 1657 and two other paintings, the Temptation of Saint Jérôme and The Flagellation of Saint Jérôme, are now in the Seville Muséum. Assuming that thèse large canvases formed part of the altar-pieces, it is probable that there was a séries of pictures representing saints and monks of the Order (twelve, accord¬ ing to the 1810 inventory) in one ofthe monastery buildings. Not ail the pictures in this séries are extant. We only know of two paintings, of normal size, like aU the others belonging to this séries, representing Saint Paula and her daughter, Saint Eustochium, who are depicted full-length, both dressed in the habit of their Order. The painting of Saint Paula is now in the Tessé muséum at Le Mans, and that of Saint Eustochium is in the Bowes Muséum, at Barnard Castle. Thèse paintings were accompanied by others of identifical dimensions and composition, representing monks of the Order: Friar Alonso de Ocana (Grenoble muséum), Friar Fernando Yànez de Figueroa, Friar Gonzalo de Illescas, Friar Pedro Femandez Pécha and Friar Juan de Ledesma (aU four in the muséum at Seville), Friar Vasco de Portugal (in the Gemâldegalerie in Dresden), Friar Pedro de Cabanuelas and Friar Hernando de Talavera (both in the Seville muséum). Two other paintings, which hâve been in the Prado for a few years only, also belonged to this séries: Saint Jérôme and a Hieronymite Martyr. It is not long since thèse pictures were brought back to Spain; they were formerly in King Louis-Philippe's collection and included in the catalogue; the second ofthe two, however, was described as a Dominican martyr.

120

Spanish painting

121

Spanish painting

High altar of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, Toledo Artist El Greco.

Original location Toledo (Spain). Paint layer Oil paint. Support Canvas. Frame The altar is still in its original place; the gênerai plan was drawn by El Greco and the sculptures were executed by B. Monegro. Subject

High altar: grouped round the painting of 77ie Assumption are paintings of the founder and the reformer of the Bénédictine Order, Saint Bernard and Saint Benedict, with Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangellst. Side altars: The Adoration ofthe Shepherds and The Résurrection. Previous history El Greco, on his arrivai in Toledo in 1577, was commissioned to paint the altar-pieces for the church of the Monastery of Santo Domingo el Antiguo. The high altar had probably already been erected when this church was consecrated in 1579. Whereabouts of fragments The Assumption ofthe Virgin the centre-pièce of the high altar is in the Art Institute, Chi¬ cago. The Trinity is in the Prado Muséum, also the Saint Benedict, which was next to it. The Saint Bernard, which was the pair to the Saint Benedict, has gone. The two Saint John, on either side of The Assumption, are still in their original place. A Holy Face, which was perhaps above The Assumption, is in the March Collec¬ tion in Madrid. The Adoration ofthe Shepherds, from one side of the altars, is now in the Botin Collection at Santander; The Résurrection on the other side altar is in its original place.

Saint Bernard

n

Samt John the Baptist

Saint I Benedict

I

The Assumption

I

n

1

Saint John the Evangelist

122

Spanish painting

Suggested reconstitutioiis Since the framework of the altar-piece has remained in position, reconstitution présents no problem, except as regards the position of the painting of the Holy Face flanked by two angels supporting the frame. See bibliography.

Bibliograpby Wethey, Harold E. 1962. El Greco and His School. Vol. II, p. 5. Princeton.

123

Spanish painting

Illustrations / Diagram showing the reconstitution of the high altar. 2 The Assumption, Art Institute, Chicago. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 3 The Trinity, Prado. [Photo: Mas, Barce¬ lona.] 4 Saint Benedict, Prado. [Photo: Mas, Bar¬ 5

6

7

8

9

celona.] Saint John the Baptist, Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, conserved in situ. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] Saint John the Evangelist, Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo. [Photo: Mas, Bar¬ celona.] The Holy Face, Juan March Collection, Madrid. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] The Adoration of the Shepherds, side altar of Santo Domingo el Antiguo, Toledo, Emilio Botin Collection, Santander. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] The Résurrection, side altar of Santo Do¬ mingo el Antiguo, Toledo, Church of Santo Domingo el Antiguo. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.]

Drafter: Xavier de Salas.

124

Spanish painting

High altar of the Carthusian Monastery at Jerez de la Frontera Artist Francisco de Zurbarân. School, group, period Seventeenth century, Sevillian school.

Original location Jerez de la Frontera (Spain). Paint layer Oil paint. Support Canvas.

^^^^^^^1 V^M/«^B^^^H ^^^ s^t

^^^^^^^^^^^r

^^^^9^hbS^^_

w-'

^^^^^^^^^^sr

^L.^fl

^^^F^

*

^^^^^^^H

^

j^* v^^HHH^

^^Êm

^^

'''

^^^^B

^1

V

i

i «

*-

"t :)

^.

H

1

Niyg|ê

i

SlpHr 1

Frame The altar-piece, the framework of which was constructed by the sculptor, José de Arce, is still in its original position.

125

Spanish painting

Subject The paintings on the high altar represented: in the centre, The Appearance ofthe Virgin at the Battle of Jerez, which was the origin of the foundation of the Carthusian Monastery hère, and Saint Bruno in Ecstasy; flanking The Appearance of the Virgin, The Adoration of the Shepherds and The Adoration ofthe Wise Men; on either side of the Saint Bruno, The Annun¬ ciation and The Circumcision. Above the four large pictures were paintings of the four Evangelists; and surmounting the whole was a carved représentation of Calvary, with Saint John the Baptist on one side of it, and Saint Lawrence on the other. Previous history

A contract dated 1637 between Zurbarân and Alonso Cano and the sculptor José de Arce refers to an earlier contract; two of the paint¬ ings are dated 1638 and 1639. After the secu¬ larization ofthe Carthusian monastery in 1835, Baron Taylor bought seven large canvases for Louis-Philippe's Spanish gallery; thèse were later dispersed, when this gallery was sold in London. The remaining pictures acquired by the Cadiz Muséum. See the notes on the groups of paintings for the 'Passage to the Tabernacle', the 'Altars' and the 'Sacristy'.

The Calvary

Saint John the Baptist

Saint Lawrence

"Saint Mark"

"Saint Luke"

D

D

The Annunciation

Saint Bruno

in Ecstasy

The Circumcision

Saint John

'the Evangelist"

Saint Matthew"

D

D

Adoration ofthe Shepherds

Battle of Jerez

Adoration ofthe Wise Men

126

Spanish painting

Whereabouts of fragments The Metropolitan Muséum, New York, has The Appearance of the Virgin at the Battle of Jerez; the Grenoble Muséum, The Annuncia¬ tion, The Circumcision, The Adoration of the Shepherds and The Adoration ofthe Wise Men. Saint Bruno in Ecstasy; the four Evangelists, Saint John the Baptist and Saint Lawrence are in the Cadiz Muséum. Suggested reconstitutions

The fullest study of this subject, containing suggestions which are generally accepted, is that of César Pemân: 'La Reconstrucciôn del Retable de Jerez de la Frontera*, Archiva Espanol de Arte, 1950.

Bibliograpby Guinard, P. 1960. Zurbarân et les peintres espagnols de la vie monastique, p. 200. Paris.

lilustrations 1 Diagram of reconstitution of the high altar of the Monastery at Jerez de la Frontera, as suggested by Paul Guinard. 2 The Battle of Jerez (the Virgin of the 'Defension', Patroness of the Carthusian Monastery, Putting the Moors to Flight). Metropolitan Muséum, New York. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 3 The Adoration ofthe Shepherds, Fine Arts Muséum, Grenoble. [Photo: Mas, Barce¬

lona.]

4 Saint John the Evangelist, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 5 The Adoration of the Wise Men, Fine Arts Muséum, Grenoble. [Photo: Mas, Barce¬ lona.] 6 Saint Matthew, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 7 Saint Bruno in Ecstasy, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 8 The Annunciation, from the large altar-piece in the Carthusian Monastery at Jerez, Fine Arts Muséum, Grenoble. [Photo: Mas, Bar¬ celona.] 9 Saint Mark, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 10 The Circumcision, Fine Arts Muséum, Grenoble. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.]

127

Spanish painting

[Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 12 Saint John the Baptist, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 13 Saint Lawrence, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.]

11 Saint Luke, Cadiz Muséum.

Drafter: Xavier de Salas.

128

Spanish painting

Passage to the Tabernacle (Pasillo del Sagrario), Carthusian Monastery at Jerez de la Frontera

129

Spanish painting

Artist Francisco de Zurbarân. School, group, period Seventeenth century, SeviUian school.

Original location Jerez de la Frontera (Spain).

Paint layer Oil paint. Support Wood. Subject The pictures were hung in two rows on the walls of the passage. On the left were an Angel Bearing Incense, Saint Ayrald, Saint Anthelm, Saint Hugh of Grenoble and Saint Bruno; on the right, an Angel Bearing Incense, Cardinal Albergati, Saint Arthaud, Saint Hugh of Lincoln and Blessed John Houghton. Previous history The history of this work is the same as that of the high altar in the Carthusian Monastery.

130

Spanish painting

131

Spanish painting

Whereabouts of fragments With the exception of the Saint Ayrald, which is lost, the paintings are in the Cadiz Muséum. Suggested reconstitutions See César Pemân's study,

'La Reconstrucciôn

del Retable de Jerez de la Frontera', Archiva Espanol de Arte, 1950.

Bibliography

Guinard, P. 1960. Zurbarân et les peintres espagnols de la vie monastique, p. 200. Paris.

Illustrations 1 Angel Bearing Incense, left side of the Pa¬ sillo del Sagrario, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 2 Saint Anthelm, left side of the Pasillo del Sagrario, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.]

3 Saint Hugh of Grenoble, left side of the Pasillo del Sagrario, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 4 Saint Bruno, left side of the Pasillo del Sagrario, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 5 Angel Bearing Incense, right side of the Pasillo del Sagrario, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 6 Cardinal Albergati, right side of the Pasillo del Sagrario, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 7 Saint Arthaud, right side of the Pasillo del Sagrario, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.]

8 Saint Hugh of Lincoln, right side of the Pasillo del Sagrario, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 9 Blessed John Houghton, right side of the Pasillo del Sagrario, Cadiz Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 10 The Immaculate Conception with Saint Joachlm and Saint Anne, National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh. [Reproduction authorized by the National Gallery.] 11 The Virgin of the Rosary with Carthusian Monks, Muzeum Narodowe, Poznan. [Cat. No. 11038.0/10 38.]

Drafter: Xavier de Salas.

132

Spanish painting

Monastery of Saint Joseph, Order of Discalced Mercedarians Artist Francisco de Zurbarân. School, group, period Seventeenth century, Sevillian school.

Original location Seville (Spain).

Paint layer Oil paint. Support Canvas.

Subject We hâve no complète description of this group of paintings as it was in its original posi¬ tion. On the high altar, according to Ponz, were the Eternal Father and two saints, Saint Appollonta and Saint Lucy. It is very possible that Christ Crowning Saint Joseph belonged to the same altar-piece. Two paintings depicting Saint Peter Nolasco and Saint Raymond Nonnat are thought to hâve come from two side altarpieces which were dedicated to thèse two saints; whereas a Saint Lawrence and a Saint Anthony the Abbot are thought to hâve come from two altar-pieces in the transept.

Previous history We hâve neither material évidence nor a com¬ plète description of this group of paintings dating from before its destruction. Ponz has discovered only a few of the pictures. The paintings from this church were taken to the Alcazar, and Marshal Soult took possession of many of them. Most of those which were restored to the Monastery were purchased, after the secularization, by Baron Taylor for King Louis-Philippe, and dispersed when the Spanish Gallery was sold.

133

Spanish painting

Whereabouts of fragments The Eternal Father and Christ Crowning Saint Joseph are in the Seville Muséum; Saint Apollonla and Saint Lucy are in the Louvre and the Chartres Muséum respectively; four paintings depicting scènes from the life of Saint Peter Nolasco and Saint Raymond Nonnat are at Saint-Amans-Soult (France) and belong to the heirs of Marshal Soult. Saint Lawrence is in the Hermitage Muséum and Saint Anthony the Abbot in the Valdés Collection at Bilbao. The Burial of Saint Catherine may be either the one in the Ibarra Collection in Seville, or else the one which was in the Munt Gallery, New York. A Crowning of a Saint, now at Saint-AmansSoult, probably belonged to this group of

Works. A Christ on the Cross, which was in the sacristy, is now in New York (Hamilton Col¬ lection); and a Virgin of Mercy, which was also in the sacristy, is now in the possession of the heirs of the Marquis of Valdeterrazo,

2

3

Suggested reconstitutions

Matute, 1887, Archiva hispanense, p. 381.

4

Bibliography GtriNARD, p. 1960. Zurbarân et les peintres espagnols de la vie monastique, p. 196. Paris. 5

Illustrations / The Eternal Father, from the main altarpiece of Saint Joseph, Seville Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.]

Saint Apollonia, from the main altar-piece of Saint Joseph, Musée du Louvre, Paris. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] Saint Lucy, from the main altar-piece of the Church of Saint Joseph of the Order of Discalced Mercedarians, Seville, Chartres Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] Christ Crowning Saint Joseph, from the main altar-piece of the Church of Saint Joseph of the Discalced Order of Merce¬ darians, Seville Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Bar¬ celona.] Saint Lawrence, from the transept of the Church of Saint Joseph, Hermitage Mu¬ séum, Leningrad. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.]

Drafter: Xavier de Salas.

134

Spanish painting

Séries

of the martyrs of the Order of Mercy

Artist Francisco de Zurbarân. School, group, period Seventeenth century, Sevillian school.

Original location Seville (Spain). Paint layer Oil paint. Support Canvas.

Subject The séries ofthe martyrs ofthe Order of Mercy was composed of at least thirty-eight small pictures, representing members of the order who are difBcult to identify.

Previous history This séries must hâve been painted about 1636 for the Monastery of the Discalced Merceda¬ rians in Seville. In 1810, thirty-eight pictures were requisitioned, and appear on the inventory of the Alcazar; a certain number of thèse were later restored to the convent, including the sixteen which were subsequently purchased for King Louis-Philippe's collection and thereafter dispersed.

Whereabouts of fragments The présence of one picture from this séries has been reported in each of the foUowing collections: Ceballos, Gonzalo Bilbao, Marquis de Valdeterrazo and J. Lifschitz; two are in the Pérez Asensio Collection at Jerez; three belonged at one time to the Harris and Duits galleries in London and the Schaffer gallery in New York; three others were mentioned by P. Guinard as belonging to a private collection in Seville. Both the El Greco Muséum (Toledo) and the Fogg Art Muséum (Cambridge, Massa¬ chusetts) possess one; and the Wadsworth Atheneum at Harford (Connecticut) possesses

two.

135

Spanish painting

Bibh'ography Guinard, P. 1960. Zurbarân et les peintres espagnols de la vie monastique, p. 261. Paris.

Illustrations 1

Martyr, Pérez Asensio Collection, Jerez. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.]

2 Martyr, Pérez Asensio Collection, Jerez.

[Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] Martyr, Adanero Collection, Madrid. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 4 Martyr, Adanero Collection, Madrid. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] J Martyr, Ceballos Collection, Madrid. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 6 Martyr, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 3

7 Saint

Serapion,

Wadsworth Atheneum,

Hartford, Connecticut. [Photo: Mas, Bar¬ celona.] 8 Martyr,

Adanero Collection, Madrid. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 9 Martyr, Muséum of the Casa del Greco, Toledo. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 10 Martyr, Collection belonging to the heirs of the Marquis de Valdeterrazo. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.]

Drafter: Xavier de Salas

136

Spanish painting

Group of paintings from the Monastery of Saint Jérôme

of Buenavista Artist Juan de Valdés Leal. School, group, period Seventeenth century, Sevillian school.

Ortgirml location Seville (Spain). Subject

This group of six paintings, only four of which are known to us, must hâve been in the church of the Monastery. We do not know what position they originally occupied. They depicted the life of Saint Jérôme. The four pictures known to us depict Saint Jérôme with the Pagan Doctors, The Baptism of Saint Jérôme, The

Temptation of Saint Jérôme and The Flagella¬ tion of Saint Jérôme. The pictures of saints and monks of the Order, hfe-size, must hâve been hung in another part of the Monastery. They are as follows: Saint Paula and Saint Eusto¬ chium; Friar Alonso de OcaHa, Friar Fernando Yâhez de Figueroa, Friar Gonzalo de Illescas, Friar Pedro Fernandez Pécha, Friar Juan de Ledesma, Friar Vasco de Portugal, Friar Pedro de Cabaâuelas and Friar Hernando de Talavera. Previous history The monastery, from which the paintings had been removed to the Alcazar in 1810, was closed in 1835. Baron Taylor purchased thèse paintings for the Spanish Gallery, and the sale

of this gallery in London brought about their dispersai. Whereabouts of fragments Saint Jérôme with the Pagan Doctors is in the Cremer Collection in Dortmund; The Baptism of Saint Jérôme, The Temptation of Saint Jérôme and The Flagellation of Saint Jérôme, are in the Seville Muséum. The séries of monks and members of the Order was originally composed of twelve paintings. The picture representing Saint Paula is now in the Tessé Muséum at Le Mans, the one representing Saint Eustochium, in the Bowes Muséum at Barnard Castle (United Kingdom). Friar Alonso de Ocana is in the Grenoble Muséum;

fi

m

'il^

-,

^B^^^^^^^

L^ /......^iLl^^^BW^

^

137

Spanish painting

^H

.'

"

il'

1

^^^^1

138

Spanish painting

Friar Fernando Yànez de Figueroa, Friar Gon¬ zalo de Illescas, Friar Pedro Fernandez Pécha and Friar Juan de Ledesma in the Seville Mu¬ séum; and Friar Vasco de Portugal in the Dres¬ den Muséum; Friar Pedro de Cabahuelas and Friar Hernando de Talavera at the Seville Muséum; a Hieronymite Martyr and a Saint Jérôme which formed part of this séries are in the Prado.

Illustrations 1 Saint Jérôme with the Pagan Doctors, Cremer Collection, Dortmund. 2 The Baptism of Saint Jérôme, Seville Mu¬ séum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 3 The Temptation of Saint Jérôme, Seville Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 4 The Flagellation of Saint Jérôme, Seville Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 5 Saint Eustochium, Bowes Muséum, Barnard Castle, Durham (United Kingdom). 6 Saint Paula, Tessé Muséum, Le Mans, France. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 7 Friar Alonso de Ocaùa, Grenoble Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 8 Friar Fernando Yâriez de Figueroa, Seville Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 9 Friar Gonzalo de Illescas, Seville Muséum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 10

Friar Pedro Fernandez Pécha, Seville Mu¬

11

séum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] Friar Juan de Ledesma, Seville Muséum.

[Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 12 Friar Vasco de Portugal, Dresden Muséum.

[Photo: Deutsche Fotothek, Dresden.] 13 Friar Pedro de Cabahuelas, Seville Muséum.

[Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 14 Friar Hernando de Talavera, Seville Mu¬ séum. [Photo: Mas, Barcelona.] 15 Hieronymite Martyr, Prado. [Photo: Mas,

Barcelona.] 16 Saint Jérôme, Prado, Madrid. [Photo: Mas,

Barcelona.]

Drafter: Xavier de Salas.

139

Spanish painting

ê

1

1

Disrnembered works of art

German painting

Albert Schug

So far as German art is concemed, the highest proportion of disrnembered works of art is naturally to be found among the great altar-pieces ofthe Late Gothic and Renaissance periods.

The winged altar-pieces typical of the German art of that period were obvious targets in the dismemberment of sacred objects and works of art, as the panels could be separated and presented ostensibly as complète units, in private galleries or public art collections. The side-wings were even split up into panels depicting separate scènes so that a large number of small collector's pièces could be made available for sale. The dismembering of ecclesiastical property during the seculari¬ zation connected with the State Commission Settlement of 1803 occurred just at the time when there was unusual public interest in the forming of art collections, as we know, for example, from the very notable activity of the Bavarian Centralgemâldegalerie (Central Art Gallery). The paintings seized in the course of secularization were collected there and used as required, either being incorporated into public col¬ lections or, as in the case of Grûnewald's Virgin ofthe Snow Altar, sold to obtain ready money for other purposes. The nineteenth century thus had a considérable share in destroying the original composition of the great religious masterpieces of the German Renaissance. The altar-pieces painted by the great masters, starting with Master Bertram and Master Francke around 1400, followed by Konrad Witz, Holbein the Elder and Durer, up to Grûnewald's altar-pieces at the end of this period, can be only fractionally reconstructed in their original form, and where reconstitution is possible, it is generally thanks to the private collections built up in connexion with secularization. Lochner's Last Judge¬ ment altar-piece is a good example of this. When the Church of Saint Lawrence in Cologne ceased to be used for religious purposes in 1803, Thomas Jakob Tosetti acquired the two side wings, apparently with the intention of selling them separately. He therefore had them sawn up without regard for the paintings on the reverse sides and later split off the outer surfaces, which having formed part of larger paintings, were almost ruined in the process, and then sold them, wrongly put together, to the Stâdelisches Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt (1830). F. F. Wallraf, in an all-out bid to save those works of art of his native town of Cologne which were in danger of destruction, acquired the large centre panel in 1803, which came with his collection to the Wallraf- Richartz Muséum. The outer surfaces of the side panels, which had been detached and sawn up in 1812, were bought by Melchior

Boisserée, who reassembled them. From his collection, they passed into the hands of Ludwig II of Bavaria, and so became part of the State Art Collection in Munich. In this way, ail the parts of the altar which had come on to the market in conséquence of government action were bought up and kept safe by private collectors whose names figure prominently in the history of artistic activity in the early nineteenth century, being subsequently returned to public ownership and pre¬ served for posterity in their full beauty. In 1936 it was again possible to reassemble the whole altar for display in its ori¬

ginal form at the big Lochner Exhibition. Other works, considered unsuitable for the new concep¬ tions of public worship brought in by the Reformation, were dismantled, painted over and forgotten, as for example the large Saint Peter Altar by Meister Bertram, which Alfred Lichtwark was finally able to reassemble to a large extent, in 1903, from three différent churches and a muséum. The large altar-pieces were generally more exposed to the effects of religious disturbances and controversies, as they raised the whole problem of iconolatry or iconoclasm within the house of God itself. Thus it must be assumed today that the Spécu¬ lum altar-piece by Konrad Witz in Basel was demoÛshed less than one hundred years after its création in the outburst of iconoclasm which took place in Basel in 1529. That would also explain the destruction of the centre panel, which was certainly of particular interest from the theological standpoint, and of the Annunciation, whereas the Old Testa¬ ment scènes, significantly, were not exposed to the fury ofthe iconoclasts and hâve therefore been preserved more nearly intact. On the other hand, mère failure to appreciate the artistic value of a work or the need for something new, even if inferior in quality, was enough to cause an altar-piece to be removed from its traditional place and handed over for des¬ truction. Hans Multscher's High Altar at Sterzing, as an important Late Gothic altar-piece of enormous dimensions, never seems to hâve been particularly appreciated by later générations of parishioners in Sterzing. Already by 1650, three master craftsmen from Sterzing, the painter Caspar Pock, the joiner Hans Triepp and the wood-carver Hans Ludwig, were engaged in making changes to the altar. In the eighteenth century, it was first temporarily adapted to the needs ofa new form of public worship, being transformed into a baroque processional altar, and finally removed, in the course of alter-

141

Disrnembered works of art

ations to bring the church into fine with the baroque style, partly destroyed and replaced by an insignificant gilded wooden altar, which seemed more in keeping with the taste and liturgical needs of the time. Only the deeply venerated image of the Virgin remained on the altar. This in its turn, in the nineteenth century, when architectural taste changed again, was replaced by a Neo-Gothic altar, once more providing room for some of the original figures, which were accordingly brought back from the places where they had been housed. Contrary to the original intention, the painted panels were not handed over to the donor of the new altar, but were placed in the charge of the parish, where they not only, from the middle of the nineteenth century onwards, attracted the attention of art specialists but also, in 1940, fell under the covetous gaze of Hermann Gôring who, in the course of his art-collecting activities, which hâve been fully described elsewhere, succeeded, with Mussolini's help, in getting them into his clutches. In the course of restitution in 1948 they were restored to the parish of Vipiteno-Sterzing. After the time of the great winged altar-pieces, we find fewer works of art disrnembered, with their component parts, dispersed, as post-Renaissance works are either indivisible entities or else although separable go together as a séries or form a pair as in the case of man-and-wife portraits. And it is obvious from the example of the Holbein portraits of Sir Henry and Lady Mary Guildford, quoted hère, that the sépa¬ ration of man and wife is not only a tragedy on the human level, but may also detract considerably from the artistic value of two works which belong together. Each picture enhances the other and helps in its interprétation, alike through the similarities and through the dissimilarities of the companion pièces. A massive pillar adds weight to the portrait of Lady Mary Guildford, who is known to hâve been consid¬ erably smaUer than her husband, so that the two very différent figures are more evenly balanced. The fact that the two paint¬ ings are companion pièces is discreetly but effectively emphasized by the curtain rod running across the top of each picture. The two parts of the composition produce their full impact only when the two portraits are seen side by side, revealing a new, advanced conception of pictorial composition as an organic élément in the painting as a whole. In the nineteenth century we find a particular form of dismemberment, already occasionally encountered in the development of modem art in the post-Renaissance period.

German painting

The nineteenth-century artist had finally broken away from the old craft conception of producing works of art on com¬ mission, and had therefore found a new critical approach to his own work. Having set himself his own task, he might yet fail to achieve his purpose. And in nineteenth-century art, people often set themselves very difficult tasks, both intellectually and from the purely technical standpoint. Phillip Otto Runge considered that he had failed in his attempt to produce a complète and comprehensive work of art and therefore made his brother promise to eut up his painting The Morning, which is now regarded as his masterpiece. This was in fact done after Runge's death and muséum curators and restorers hâve since had to reassemble the work. Wilhelm Leibl eut up some of his own works during a crisis in his artistic development. The two paintings The Poachers and The Girl with the Carnation hâve come down to us in fragments. We can see quite clearly from them what were the reasons which led both to the destruction of the paintings and to the préservation of the fragments. With his painting of Three Women in Church (Hamburg, Kunsthalle), Leibl had reached a peak in the realistic repro¬ duction of détail, knit together by the dominant tone of that particular picture. In The Girl with the Carnation, which was painted at about the same time, he was trying to improve on this achievement. His declared aim was to combine technical perfection in painting with an unsurpassable portrayal of détail. The preliminary sketch of the painting is reminiscent of that of Jan van Eyck, whose The Man with the Carnation was much admired by Leibl. After the comparative failure at the Paris exhibition, Leibl perceived, in the course of long conversations with his friend Sperl, that the picture had no cohésion, for the détails broke up the over-all design of the painting, which was not sufficiently well planned. Leibl's conséquent action was characteristic. He sawed up the pic¬ ture into separate, extremely attractive, paintings, each of which he valued so highiy that he signed them. In somewhat différent circumstances he repeated the same opération shortly afterwards on the first version of the The Poachers. Around this time, after 1882-85, came the change to the style of an ageing artist striving after an impressionistic condensa¬ tion of the whole picture. Leibl thus fell in with the trends of the time without, however, again equalling his previous high achievement. The most fréquent form of dismemberment of works of art in the twentieth century has been the looting of works,

142

Albert Schug

next to which comes the straightforward theft of paintings. A simple muséum theft, which, despite the comparatively clear circumstances, was never exposed, on account of lack of interest, brought, for example, one of the most beautiful and well-preserved fragments of the Altdorf Kaiserbad frescos first into private hands and then to the muséum in Budapest. The looting of works of art which has always been a direct threat to the greatest masterpieces, has generally led not so much to the dismemberment of particular works, as to their removal from their original context and location. Moreover, in the nature of things, Iooters hâve always aimed at keeping the objects they are appropriating complète, wherever pos¬ sible, so that any damage which has occurred has generally resulted from the adverse chances of war. German art treas¬ ures in areas not belonging to the German State were specially coveted under the Nazi régime for reasons of racial pride, and aU means were used to bring together such art treasures for the collection at Linz on the Danube. Plenty of documentary material is now available on this subject. In the example given hère that of the painted panels of the Multscher altar-piece from Sterzing there was fortunately no lasting damage, as the paintings could be returned in good condition after the war.

Publications on the history of art and the provision of documentation on works of art in muséum catalogues and inventories hâve, in the présent century, done much to assist in the rediscovery of parts of important works which were thought to hâve been lost. In this way the Adélaïde panel of the Uttenheim altar-piece was identified, with the help of the Courtauld Institute in London, with the resuit that we now know more about an important work of the Pacher group, dating from the period when Uttenheim was in close contact with Pacher. With the discovery of new fragments and the application of new methods of investigation, the chances of being able to reconstruct works whose parts were thought to be lost are improved. Reconstruction in this context, means, in the first place, getting to know how the work looked in its original state and thereby leaming more about the conceptions of important artists. A complète reconstruction of the original form can only very seldom be achieved, however important it might be to hâve the opportunity of seeing the whole work for once in its original state at an exhibition. In most cases, the parts which went to make up the original composition hâve been lost. In the Spéculum altar-piece by Konrad Witz,

as

in Dùrer's Jabach altar-piece, the centre panel is missing;

in neither case is it supposed to hâve been a shrine. In the history of German art we are well accustomed to the disappearance of shrine statues or perhaps, more accurately, to ignorance of the fact that given statues were originally meant for altar shrines. As shrine statues were not usually produced by such highiy reputed artists as the painted panels, they were more often left at the mercy of the nineteenth century. But when the painted centre panel of an altar-piece is missing, we may suppose it to hâve been a major work of the artist con¬ cemed and may assume that it has been preserved. The centre panel is of spécial importance in those cases where it may be supposed to hâve given artistic cohérence to the altar. This seems to be the case with the Spéculum altar-piece by Konrad Witz. The formai élément seems to be less affected by this loss than the iconographie content. While we hâve an exact knowledge of the Old Testament scènes portrayed in the altar-piece, we do not know where the New Testament scènes from the life of Christ were drawn from. The références ofthe Old Testament scènes are so gênerai that the centre-pièce must either hâve been divided up into several différent compartments which would hâve been unsatisfactory from the point of view of form and would seem to be contradicted by the shape and size ofthe paintings and the composition ofthe outside surfaces when shut, which familiarity with old Dutch altars would suggest or alternatively must hâve introduced a new iconographie thème, as may hâve been the case in the Berlin Last Judgement and Rédemption. In this picture, of course, ail sorts of questions are still unanswered whether it was, in fact, painted by Witz, how it originally looked, and what connexion there was between it and the Saint Peter altar-piece in Geneva. Similarly with Durer's Jabach altar-piece, efforts at reconstitution hâve so far failed to produce any definite resuit. Hère too, doubts subsist about the connexion between the side-pieces and a particular centre panel, as well as about its origin and a long period in its history. The pictures in Frankfurt, Munich and Cologne which are now thought to be parts of a polyptych altar-piece hâve been known since about 1800, when the first account of them in a book entitled Deutsches Muséum constituting a sort of inventory of German art said so little about their origin that the connexion between the disrnembered panels could hardly be established. Moreover, the wings must already at that time hâve been so eut about that the original form ofthe Job scène

143

Disrnembered works of art

in the two panels in Frankfurt and Cologne could no longer be recognized. The growing interest of the late nineteenth century in the productions of the national artistic héritage led to an intensive analysis of Diirer's work. It is significant that ail this research was aimed at the collection of documentary material, problems of style, and iconographie connexions. Technical investigations into the physical facts were left aside. Only in the last few years, as a resuit of investigations con¬ ceming the wooden supports and, more particularly the lines along which cracks and fissures had developed, has the con¬ nexion between the panels been so clearly established as to prove that the Job scène was originally portrayed on two panels of an altar-piece. Moreover, since the effort at systematic cataloguing made in the 1960s (Munich, 1963; Cologne, 1969), reliable information is now available on the substances of the paintings and on their painted borders. Further research is being carried out on such points as tracing the course of ridges in the priming, from which it is hoped to discover the original form of the upper portions and thereby either confirm or reject the possibility ofa connexion with the Florentine Adoration of the Magi. Significantly, it is only in the last two years that art literature has revealed that the Florentine picture is painted on pine wood, not on lime wood, as was previously thought, and as is known to be the case for the wings of the Jabach altar-piece. This, of course, should not be taken as an argument against the possibility that the pièces originally belonged together, since enough examples hâve recently come to light of old altar-pieces in which the centre panel is made of différent wood from the wings, for which lime wood, being lighter in weight, was preferred. The fact that the problems conceming such an important work as the Jabach altar and the Florence The Adoration are still unsolved shows how important painstaking technical research could become, and the ways which hâve been found up to now of solving thèse problems make it clear that one of the most essential tasks of modem art studies must be to make an intensive survey of the objects in muséums and in public and private collections, using the most up-to-date methods, to describe them and to compare them in every respect with related or matching pièces. Careful documentation can do more than gênerai reports to advance the theoretical recon¬ stitution of disrnembered works of art, although their material reassembling is no longer possible, for the very reason which has led to the préservation of the pièces in our own time namely, that they hâve been handed over to public collec

German painting

tions. The discovery ofthe original links between works of art through comprehensive documentation and information should remain one of the essential activities for international co-operation.

144

German painting

The Uttenheim Lady Altar Artist

The Uttenheim Master. School, group, period Late Gothic, Pacher group.

Original location Uttenheim (Fédéral Republic of Germany). Holder Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Muséum. (Cat. No. 1403.)

Shape

Altar-piece with two side panels. Painting on back of centre panel.

Dimensions Centre panel 161.5 x 152.5 cm.

Paint layer Tempera on spruce with brocaded gold back¬ ground. Frame The frame of the centre panel has been restored.

Subject

Madonna with Child, to whom she is holding out an apple. She is being crowned by angels and on either side of her stand Saint Margaret and Saint Barbara. The figures are framed by a painted triple archway. On the reverse side of the centre panel. Christ as the Man of Sorrows. One side-panel, depicting Saint Martin and Saint Nicolas is in Adélaïde. It may be assumed that there were four groups of saints on the back of the side panels, as on a similar, but later, altar in the Ferdinandeum in Graz. The architecture and arrangement of the figures on the centre panel show close aiïinities with the Pacher group.

145

German painting

Distinctive features The panels that are now missing, i.e. the one showing Saint Andrew, Saint Sébastian and Saint Florian which was at the Muséum in Brunico, and the Saint Peter fragment which is at the Muséum in Bolzano, confirm that this was the original appearance of the altar. Previous History The circumstances in which the altar originated and was subsequently dismembered are un¬ known. Up to now, therefore, it has always been referred to as the panel by The Uttenheim Master (e.g. Stange, 1960), although it was already possible to deduce the original appear¬ ance of the altar approximately from the Bru¬ nico fragments, which were lost during the war. The Brunico panels were previously in private hands. The Adélaïde fragment was discovered in 1882 under the false bottom of an old wooden chest. In 1950 it was identified as a side panel of the Uttenheim altar-piece.

Whereabouts of fragments Gallery of South Australia (Adélaïde): Saint Martin and Saint Nicolas, side panel, tem¬ pera on wood, 76.5 cm x 68 cm. Bolzano Muséum (Italy): Saint Peter fragment, tempera on wood, 38 cm x 33 cm. The fragments of panels depicting Saint Andrew, Saint Sébastian, and Saint Florian which were in the Brunico Muséum hâve disappeared and are known only through photographs in the Frick Collection. Suggested reconstitutions The reverse side of the Brunico panels showed the Mount of Olives and the Crucifixion. This fact would suggest that the surfaces with the saints were probably on the inside ofthe altar a supposition borne out by the rich brocaded décoration of the background while the Pas¬ sion scènes may be assumed rather to hâve formed the outside surface of the side panels.

Bibliography Most récent publication: Klepac, Lou. 1970. The discovery of the St. Martin and St. Nicolas Panel. The Art Gallery of South Australia Bulletin, Vol. 31, No. 3, January. Other Works; Stange, A. 1950. Gotik in Tirol. Catalogue of the Tiroler Landesmuseum Fernandeum. p. 42. Innsbruck. (Exhibition of 24 June to 30 September 1950.) 1960. Deutsche Malerel des Gotik, X. p. 161-7. MUnchen/Beriin. Frey, Dagobert. 1953. Michael Pacher Studien. Wiener Jahrbuch fUr Kunstgeschichte, Vol. XV, p. 23-100.

Illustrations 1

2

Madonna with Child and Saints, Osterreichische Galerie, Vienna. Saint Peter, Bolzano Muséum. [Photo:

Pedrotti.]

Drafter: A. Schug.

146

German painting

The Spéculum altar-piece

c. 1435

Annunciation, 86.3 X69.3 cm; Synagogue, 86 x 80.5 cm; Saint Bartholomew, 99.5x69.8 cm; Slbbechal and Benaiah, 97.5 x 70 cm.

Artist Konrad Witz (c. 1400-47). School, group, period

Late Gothic.

Holder Kunstmuseum, Basel. (Cat. Nos. 640-647; 1468.)

Support Oak wood covered in canvas.

Paint layer Tempera painting, varnished.

Shape Separate panels from an altar-piece. The panels are of différent sizes.

Frame The original frames hâve not been preserved.

Dimensions Abraham before Melchlzedek, 84.5x68.5 cm; Queen of Sheba, 86x80 cm; Esther and Ahasuerus, 85.5x79.5 cm; Caesar and Antlpater, 86x70 cm; Abishai before David, 101.5 x 81.5 cm; Ecclesla, 86.2 x 80.5 cm; Angel of the

The main subject of the altar-piece is the Old Testament prophecies of the life and sufferings of Christ as recounted in the New Testament,

Subject

The Church

Saint Augustine Caesar and

Antipater

Esther and Ahasuerus

in connexion with the Spéculum humanae salvationis. Any future proposai for reconstructing the original must dépend on a correct understanding ofthe iconographie cohérence of the whole. This can only be discovered from the centre panel. If ail the pictures on the inner sides of the panels are to be related to a central picture, The Adoration of the Magi would be the most likely thème, as ail the panels can be interpreted as relating to the events of the Epiphany or to their significance in the life of Christ. It may also be that the central panel was divided into several parts or represented a basic concept of the story of the life of Christ, as is the case in the Berlin Last Judgement and Rédemption panel. This panel, if completed symmetrically, would also fit for the centre

panel.

An Angel

(?)

Mary (?)

The Synagogue

Saint Bartholomew

Central Shrine (?) Central Panel (?)

Solomon

Abraham

and the Queen of Sheba

and Melchizedek

King David and the Three Mighty Men

147

German painting

Previous history

As little is known of the original arrangement in the Monastery of Saint Léonard as of the circumstances which led to the dividing up and dismembering of the altar-piece. The separate panels, with the exception of the Dijon frag¬ ment, were ail split apart, dividing the back from the front, and passed into private hands. Between 1820 and 1890, most ofthe fragments found their way, as bequests from the owners, to the Basel Kunstmuseum. In 1928 the panels depicting The Angel of the Annunciation and The Synagogue were acquired by the muséum through donations.

Whereabouts of fragments Staatliche Museen (Berlin). Gemâldesammlung No. 1701: The Queen of Sheba before Solomon, oak wood 84.5 x 79 cm. The other fragment, also in Berlin, eut on the lefthand side and depicting the Last Judgement and Rédemption, in deal, measures 132 x 159 cm. Municipal Muséum (Dijon): Augustus and the Sybil on the inside, outside thought to depict Saint Augustine, 101.5x81 cm.

Suggested reconstitutions

Ail attempts at reconstitution so far suggested hâve been unsatisfactory because we do not know what the centre panel was. Apart from the invented central panel. Wendland's recon¬ stitution of 1924 may be regarded as the most convincing although the placing of Saint Bartholomew remains unsatisfactory from the point of view both of form and subject.

148

German painting

Bibliography

Garber, h. 1921. Konrad Witz. Basel. Wendland, h. 1924. Konrad Witz, Gemâldestudien. Basel.

Gantner, j. Ganz, p. K.

1942. Konrad Witz. Wien. 1947. Konrad Witz. Berne. Catalogue du Musée des Beaux-arts de Bâle. Part 1: L'art avant 1800. Basel. 1966.

149

German painting

Illustrations 1 Reconstitution of Konrad Witz's altarpiece, proposed by Wendland in 1924 (J. Gantner, Konrad Witz, Vienna, 1942). 2 The Church, Kunstmuseum, Basel. [Photo: Off'entliche Kunstsammlung, Basel, Cat.

No. 1468.] 3 The Angel of the Annunciation, Kimstmuseum, Basel. [Photo: Offentliche Kunst¬ sammlung, Basel, Cat. No. 1469.] 4 The Synagogue, Kunstmuseum, Basel. [Photo: OSentliche Kimstsammlung, Basel, Cat. No. 640.] 5 Saint Augustine, Dijon, Musée de la Ville. [Photo: Bulloz.] 6 Saint Bartholomew, Kunstmuseum, Basel. [Photo: Offentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel, Cat. No. 639.] 7 Sibbechai and Benaiah, Kunstmuseum, Basel. [Photo: Offentliche Kimstsammlung, Basel, Cat. No. 642.] 5 Abishai before David, Kunstmuseum,

Basel. [Photo: Offentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel, Cat. No. 641.] 9 Augustus and the Sybil, Dijon, Musée de la

12 Esther and Ahasuerus, Kunstmuseum, Ba¬ sel. [Photo: Offentliche Kimstsammlung,

Ville. 10 Abraham before Melchizedek, Kunstmu¬ seum, Basel. [Photo: Offentliche Kunst¬ sammlung, Basel, Cat. No. 645.] 11 The Queen of Sheba before Solomon, Staat¬ liche Museen, Berlin. [Photo: Schwartz, Cat. No. 1701 L]

13 Caesar and Antipater, Kunstmuseum, Basel,

Basel, Cat. No. 643.]

[Photo: Offentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel, Cat. No. 644.]

Drafter: A. Schug.

150

German painting

Last Judgement altar-piece from the parish church of Saint Laurenz in Cologne Artist

Frame

Stephan Lochner (c. 1400-51).

The old frames and piimacles hâve not been

School, group, period Late Gothic, Cologne School. Shape

Triptych, centre panel with two side panels painted on both sides. Dimensions Centre panel, 122 x 176 cm. Wings (each), 120 x 80 cm.

Paint layer Centre panel, oak. Side panels, walnut.

preserved.

Subject When the side panels were shut, the outside surfaces showed the 'four marshals' of the Cologne churches: Saint Anthony Abbot, Pope Cornélius, Saint Hubert and Saint Quirinus v/ith Saint Catherine and Saint Mary Magdalene and kneeling figures of donors. When open, the centre pièce showed the Last Judgement with Christ between Mary and John the Baptist above a scène of the punishment and reward of the resurrected dead. The inner sides of the wings showed the martyrdoms of the twelve apostles.

Distinctive features The 'four marshals' of the Cologne churches are popularly considered as 'deeply venerated court officiais standing close to Christ's throne' (H. Kauffmann). Previous history The date of the altar is not known with certainty, but is probably somewhere between 1441 and 1448, at the time ofthe restoration of the Church of Saint Lawrence. In 1803 when the church ceased to be used for religious purposes, the parts of the altar were sold. F. F. Wallraf acquired the centre panel, which passed from his collection to the Wallraf Richartz Muséum. Th. J. Tosetti bought the side panels and had them eut up without any

151

German painting

regard to the paintings on the reverse sides.

In 1812, M. Boisserée had thèse damaged reverse sides split off from the martyrdom panels. They then came into the possession of Ludwig II of Bavaria. Tosetti sold the martyr¬ dom panels to Frankfurt. Whereabouts of fragments Centre panel in the Wallraf Richartz Muséum in Cologne. The inner faces of the side panels are now correctly areanged in the Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut in Frankfurt. The reverse faces of the side panels hâve been repaired and reassembled in the Bavarian Staatsgemâldesammlung in Munich.

Suggested reconstitutions In 1936 the whole altar-piece was shown, as originally set up, in the Wallraf Richartz Mu¬ séum for the Lochner Exhibition.

Bibliography There is a comprehensive bibliography in the catalogue of the Alte Pinakothek, Munich: Salm, C. A. zu; GoLDBERG, G. (comps.) 1963. Katalog II. Altdeutsche Malerel. p. 116.

Munich. Dlustratlons 1 Saint Anthony Abbot, Pope Cornélius and Saint Mary Magdalene. Bayerische Staats-

2

3

gemâldesammlungen, Munich. [Cat. No. WAF 501.] Saint Hubert, Saint Quirinus and Saint Catherine. Bayerische Staatsgemâldesammlungen, Munich. [Cat. No. WAF 502.] The Last Judgement, Wallraf Richartz Mu¬ séum, Cologne. [Photo: Rheinisches Bildarchiv.]

Drafter: A. Schug.

152

German painting

Retable of the high altar at Sterzing Artist Hans Multscher (c. 1400-67). School, group, period

Late Gothic.

Holder Parish Church and Muséum, Vipiteno (Ster¬ zing), Austria. Shape

The whole altar shrine was originally about 4.20 m high and about 3.80 m wide. With the pinnacle, the altar was about 12 m high. The figures in the shrine are about 1.50 m high. The paintings on the wings are about 1 m high and 0.90 m wide. Paint layer The side panels are in wood with tempera

painting. The figures are in lime wood and still show some of the old paint. The parts of the pinnacle that hâve been preserved are in wood and partly gilded. Subject The altar in the parish church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The sculpture in the centrepièce shows the Virgin Mary surrounded by Saint Ursula, Saint Barbara, Saint Apollonia and Saint Catherine. In the pinnacle there was a Crucifixion group with Mary and John the Evangelist. Above that, probably John the Baptist. On the back of the altar there was probably a Déposition from the Cross. On either side, guarding the shrine, there stood Saint George and Saint Florian. The paintings on the side panels depict, on the inner surfaces, scènes from the life of the Virgin Mary Annunciation, Birth of Christ, Adoration of the Magi, Death of Mary and, on the outer surfaces, scènes from the Passion Mount of Olives, Scourging, Crown of Thorns, and Bearing of the Cross. The altar marks the beginning of a séries of late Gothic retable altars, culminating in Pacher's altar in the Wallfahrtskirche of Saint Wolfgang (1471-81).

Previous history In 1456, the Parish of Sterzing commissioned Multscher to produce the retable; the work was completed in 1459. After undergoing some changes, the altar was taken down in 1779 and replaced by an altar in gilded wood, in the style of the time. The old altar was divided into several parts in différent places. The longrevered statue of the Virgin was used for the new altar. Many of the figures were traced in Sterzing, in the last century and in the présent. Others came in one way or another into private hands and into German and Austrian collec¬ tions. The panels were transferred for a time to Germany (1940) and were brought back in 1948.

153

German painting

Whereabouts of fragments Privately owned in Basel: standing figure of John the Baptist, lime wood 1.50 m high.

Innsbruck,

Ferdinandeum,

on

loan

from

Schloss Ambras: Mary and John the Evan¬ gelist and two angels. Munich, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum: two angels with crown. Suggested reconstitutions

Attempts at reconstitution hâve naturally been based in the first place on the original form of the pinnacle, of which only a few fragments remain, apart from the figures. There hâve been any number of suggested reconstitutions, the latest of which, by M. Tripps in 1969, is the most convincing. The above description of the subject is based on his reconstitution.

Bibliography Tripps, M. 1969. Hans Multscher, Seine Ulmer Schaffenszeit 1427-1467. p. 267-8. Weissenhom. Illustrations 1 Angel Supporting the Crown on the Righthand Side, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich. 2 Angel Supporting the Crown on the Lefthand Side, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Mimich. 3 Saint Apollonia, Sterzing Church. [Photo: Thaler, Vipiteno.] 4 Saint Catherine, Sterzing Church. [Photo: Thaler, Vipiteno.] 5 Virgin with Child, Sterzing Church. [Photo: Thaler, Vipiteno.]

154

German painting

6 Saint Barbara, Sterzing Church. [Photo:

Thaler, Vipiteno.] Ursula, Sterzing Church. [Photo: Thaler, Vipiteno.] Angels Holding a Cloth, Sterzing Muséum. [Photo: Thaler, Vipiteno.] Saint George Guarding the Retable. Sterzing Muséum. [Photo: Thaler, Vipiteno.] Saint Florian Guarding the Retable, Sterzing Muséum. [Photo: Thaler, Vipiteno.] Christ Bearing the Cross, Sterzing Muséum, [Photo: E. Theil, Cat. No. MU/5.] The Scourging of Christ, Sterzing Muséum, [Photo: E. Theil, Cat. No. MU/7.]

7 Saint

8 9 10 11

12

155

German painting

13 The Crowning with Thorns and the Deriding

of Christ, Sterzing Town Hall. [Photo: Ali¬ nari.] 14 The Mount of Olives, Sterzing Muséum. [Photo: E, Theil.] 15 The Adoration of the Magi, Sterzing Mu¬ séum. [Photo: E. Theil.] 16 The Death of Mary, Sterzing Muséum. [Photo: Alinari.] 17 The Annunciation, [Photo: E. Theil.]

Sterzing

of Christ, Sterzing Muséum. [Photo: Alinari.]

18 The Birth

156

German painting

Altar-piece of Saint Mary Magdalene from the parish church at Munnerstadt

157

German painting

Artist

Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460-1531) and Veit Stoss. School, group, period

Late Gothic.

Locality Munnerstadt (Fédéral Republic of Germany). Shape

Carved altar with shrine and side panels in lime wood, originally unpainted, surmounted by high pinnacle. Reverse of side panels painted later. Figures show later painting. Dimensions

The whole altar with the pinnacle was originally approximately 12 m high by 5 m wide. The painted side panels (outer surfaces) measuring, with frames, 1.78 m in height (out¬ side) suggest that the shrine was about 382 cm in height. The figures in the shrine are more than life size (Elizabeth, 185 cm), those of the pinnacle a little under life size (John the Baptist, 145 cm). The panels in rehef on the side panels are 143.5 cm high. The figures in Milnnerstadt show the old painting by Veit Stoss in places, others were painted over later. The Berlin fragments are unpainted.

pK^^^4- ^

R^P^ tnF^/l^ fci:

>

Sjiifc

Subject The main thème ofthe altar-piece is the life and glorification of Mary Magdalene in the Ascent to Heaven. Thèse scènes are depicted in the altar shrine and in the relief work on the side panels. The glorification of Mary Magdalene is a favourite thème in German art. It was specified clearly and in détail in the contract. The scènes show The Feast in the House of Simon, Noll me Tangere, The Last Supper and Christ's Burial. The plinth above the altar table ('casket') contains the figures of the four

158

German painting

evangelists. The pmnacle contains a tabernacle enclosing the mercy seat, with Mary and John the Evangelist on either side. In another compartment above this stood the statue of John the Baptist. The reverses ofthe side panels were later decorated with scènes from the lives ofthe saints by Veit Stoss. Under the contract, which specified every iconographie détail, they were to be left undecorated.

Previous history The commission was given on 26 June 1490. In 1502, contrary to the original plan, the altar was painted by Veit Stoss. In 1613 it was repainted. In the eighteenth century, by order ofthe princely govemment ex certts causis, the Mary Magdalene of the central shrine was decreed unsuitable and replaced by a painting. As this painting was larger than the shrine, there were probably other altérations too. The nineteenth-century Gothic revival led to the removal of the then existing 'over-baroque' altar. Only a few figures were retained for the Neo-Gothic altar. The rest were reworked or thrown out.

159

German painting

Whereabouts of fragments Bayer. Nationalmuseum (Munich): Mary Mag¬ dalene with Six Angels (Cat. No. MA 4094), lime wood, 187 cm high. The Feast in the House of Simon. Staatliche Museen (Berlin): Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene (Cat. No. 2628). Basrelief in lime wood, 143.5 x 101.5 cm; Cat. No. 402-405, The Four Evangelists, wall statues, lime wood, 72-78 cm high. Now missing: Angel with Crown, the figure of Mary from the pinnacle group. Suggested reconstitutions

From the contract and a seventeenth-century description, the altar can be reconstituted with some accuracy, as J. Bier has done in: Tilmann Riemenschneider, Die friihen Werke, p. 11, Wurzburg, 1925. The above description is based on this reconstitution.

niustrations 1 Mary Magdalene with Six Angels, Bayeri¬ sches Nationalmuseum, Munich. [Photo: Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Cat. No. MA 4094.] 2 The Feast in the House of Simon, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, on loan from the Bollert Collection. [Photo: Gundermann. No. 4901.] 3 Saint John, Dahlem Staatliche Museen, Beriin. [Photo: Poss, No. 15-64534/12.] 4 Saint -Mark, Dahlem Staatliche Museen, Beriin. [Photo: Poss, No. 15-6434/10.] 5 Saint Luke, Dahlem Staatliche Museen, Beriin. [Photo: Poss, No. 15-64534/11.] 6 Saint Matthew, Dahlem Staatliche Museen, Berlin. [Photo: Steinkopf, No. 112.40211.] 7 Saint Elizabeth, Parish Church of Milnner¬ stadt. [Photo: Gundermann, No. 8147.] 5 Saint Killan, Parish Church of Munner¬ stadt. [Photo: Gundermann, No. 8257.]

Bibliography The most important literature was listed definitively in: Bildwerke der christlichen Epochen von der Spàtantike bis zum Klasslzlsmus. Aus den Bestànden der Skulpturenabteilung der Staatllchen Museen Berlln-Dahlem. p. 74.

Munich, 1966.

^^^H ^^<^js^^^iKr^^w^H

Sis h£t

u^.^'j^^^^H

^^^^^^^^^^9l

V^^^R '

^^^v jWJv 10

9 Christ Appearing to Mary Magdalene, Sculpture Collection, Dahlem Staatliche Museen, Berlin. [Photo: Gundermann, No. 4902.] 10 Death of Saint Mary Magdalene, Parish Church of MUnnerstadt. [Photo: Bayer¬ isches Landesamt fur Denkmalpflege.] 11 Communion of Saint Mary Magdalene, Parish Church of Munnerstadt. [Photo: Bayerisches Landesamt filr Denkmalpflege.] 12 Mercy Seat, with Saint John the Evangelist and Saint John the Baptist, from the pinna¬ cle of the altar-piece, and Saint Kilian and Saint Elizabeth from the main part of the altar-piece as it was in the nineteenth cen¬ tury before restoration to its former poly¬ chrome state, Parish Church of Milnner¬ stadt. [Photo: Staedtner, No. 31082.]

Drafter: A. Schug

160

German painting

High altar from the Dominikanerkirche, Frankfurt am Main Artist Hans Holbein the Elder (c. 1465-1524). School, group, period Renaissance.

Original location

Frankfurt am Main (Fédéral Republic of Germany).

Holder Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut (Cat. No. HM 6-20). Shape

Four-panelled altar-piece.

Genealogical Tree of

Christ

Présentation at the Temple

1

2

3

4

5

Entry into Jérusalem. 2. Christ Casts Out from the Temple the Money-changers. 3. The Last Supper. 4. Christ Washes His Disciples' Feet. 5. Christ Prays in the Garden of Gethsemane. 1.

Dimensions

The whole altar was originally 6.50 m wide. Side panels: approx. 1 66-1 68 cm x 1 50-1 52 cm. Predella panels: approx. 64-51 cm. Centre pa¬ nel of the predella: 64 cm x 64 cm. Paint layer Tempera, vamished. Support Deal. Frame The altar shrine is lost.

161

German painting

Subject The enormous four-panelled altar-piece, when shut, showed on the outside the genealogy of Christ and the Genealogical Tree ofthe Dominican Order. The first opening disclosed eight scènes of the Passion on four panels. Of the four panels depicting scènes from the life ofthe Virgin Mary, disclosed on the second opening, only the Présentation in the Temple and the Death ofthe Virgin remain. The subject ofthe centre shrine is unknown. In the pinnacle above the central shrine there was a Crucifixion. The five predella panels présent scènes from the life of Christ before the Passion, from the entry into Jérusalem to the Agony in the Garden.

Previous history In 1501 the altar was completed, to the order of Prior Johannes von Wilnau, in collaboration with Sigmund Holbein and Leonhard Beck. There is évidence that it was in use until 1683. In 1752, the wings were split off and used elsewhere. It would appear that about this period the pinnacle was taken down. In 1850, the fragments which are today in the Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut became part of the Martinengo Collection in Wurzburg, then in 1863 passed on to the Schâfer Collection in Darmstadt and thence to the Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut. The

^B^^^^H

f

y

i

^ilM^l

t*, « />> fj' 'S i/a

---*>> M-

*'4 '^ 1'\^iS*.f .

'

\^i«.

î(& jflOr6 \

'à y

M'/?

162

German painting

f^/<5% «

i f»--"^

1'4 '

1 J

>

r

predella panels came to Saint Leonhard's in Frankfurt, whence they were respectively bought and acquired on loan by the Kunst¬ institut. Whereabouts of fragments ZTie Présentation of Jésus in the Temple (Cat. No. 327), from inner face of two inside panels. Basel, Offentliche Kunstsammlung: Death of Mary (Cat. No. 301), from inner face of two inside panels. R. V. Hirsch Collection (Basel): Head of Angel

Kunsthalle (Hamburg):

of the Annunciation (fragment). Fiirstliche Liechtensteinsche Galerie (Vaduz): half-length painting of Mary (fragment). English private collection: Head of Mary with sheep and wall (fragment). AU the parts not in Frankfurt come from the inner faces of the two inside panels. The fact that they belong to the altar was established through art-history research around 1900. Suggested reconstitutions

)

1*^^

!»#*'

The original arrangement can be quite clearly reconstituted from the diagrams of Stange and Lieb (see Fig. 1). The scènes in the centre bave been lost and can only be deduced from_ the fragments and from iconographie cohérence.

163

German painting

164

German painting

Bibliography A bibliography ofthe most important literature is to be found in: Catalogue of Old Masters In the Hamburg Kunsthalle. p. 81. Hamburg, 1966. Further literature in: Lieb, N., Stange, A. 1960. Hans Holbein der Altère, p. 61. Munich. Dlustratlons 1 Reconstitution by Stange and Lieb of Hans Holbein the Elder's altar-piece, 1960. 2 Tree of Jesse, Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: U. Edelmann.] 3 Outer panel on the right: Genealogical Tree of the Dominlcan Order, Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: U. Edelmann.] 4 The Taking of Christ, Stâdelsches Kunst¬ institut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: U. Edelmann.] 5 Christ Before Pllate, Stâdelsches Kunst¬ institut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: U. Edelmann.] 6 The Scourging of Christ, Stâdelsches Kimstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: U. Edelmann.] 7 The Crowning with Thorns, Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: U. Edelmann.]

165

German painting

Homo, Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: U. Edelmann.]

8 Ecce

9 Christ Bearing

the

Cross,

Stâdelsches

Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: U. Edelmann.] 10 The Résurrection, Stâdelsches Kunstinsti¬ tut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: U. Edel¬ mann.] Présentation of Jésus in the Temple, Kunsthalle, Hamburg. [Photo: Ralph Kleinhempel.]

11 The

of Mary, Offentliche Kunst¬ sammlung, Basel. [Photo: Offentliche Kunstsanmilung. Cat. No. 301.] 13 Five Scènes from the Life of Christ (pre¬ della), Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut, Frank¬ furt am Main. [Photo: Mus. H.M. 17-20.] 12 The Death

Drafter: A. Schug.

166

German painting

Jabach altar-piece Artist

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528). School, group, period Renaissance.

Holders Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut (Frankfurt): Sufferings ofJob (Cat. No. 83). Wallraf Richartz Muséum (Cologne): Piper and Drummer (Cat. No. 369). Alte Pinakothek (Munich): Joseph and Joachlm, Simon and Lazarus (Cat. No. WAF 228/ 229). Shape

The original form is in dispute. It apparently consisted ofa centre panel with two side panels.

Piper and Drummer: semi-circular when closed, lime wood, 94 cm x 51.2 cm. Sufferlngs ofJob: top carved as shallow ogive, lime wood, 96 cm x 51 cm. Joseph and Joachlm, Simon and Lazarus: semicircular top, lime wood, 96 cm x 54 cm and 95 cm X 55 cm. The Cologne fragment has a 2 cm wide painted border, which has been preserved in spite ofthe semi-circular shaping. Frame

No original frame preserved.

Subject

The représentations of Job and the two musicians belong to a séries of représentations ofthe trials and consolation of Job. This scène is more often represented as a single picture. It is noteworthy that the dunghill and Job's wife's robe in the Frankfurt panel overlap on to the Cologne painting. The supposition that the représentation of Job was the inner panel of the altar-piece has been rejected as a resuit of technical investigations, since the grain of the wood in the Munich panels continues through into the Frankfurt and Cologne panels, on both the front and the back. The grouping of the four saints, and more particularly the présence of Lazarus, is unusual and difiîcult to account for. The explanation must dépend on the reconstitution.

167

German painting

Previous history There is no authentic record of the origin of the altar panels. They would seem to hâve come from the Schlosskirche (castle church) in Wittenberg, where the Florentine Adoration of the Magi is also said to hâve been. From the seventeenth century onwards the panels were in the private chapel of the Jabach family in Cologne. The inside panels of the wings which are now in Munich became part of the Boisse¬ rée Collection, and were then given to Munich. The Cologne panel was acquired by the collector Wallraf and the Frankfurt panel was bought, after changing hands many times, for the Stâdelsches Kunstinstitut.

Whereabouts of fragments The origin of the Florentine Adoration of the Magi (UflBzi, Florence, No. 1434), 100 cmx 114 cm, which Kauffmann took to be the centre panel of the altar, is doubtful. In 1793 it came by exchange from the Vienna Gallery to the Uffizi. The question whether this is the same Adoration by DUrer which was recorded in the seventeenth century for the Castello del Buon Consiglio in Trent, has not been settled. An Adoration is recorded for the Schlosskapelle in Wittenberg. Suggested reconstitutions Thanks to Salm's research, it may now be regarded as certain that the four abovementioned panels were the wings of an altarpiece. For the purposes of reconstitution, it must be supposed that there was a shallow, curved, upper section, It is improbable that the altar-piece had a central shrine, and there is no certainty that the Florence Adoration of the

Magi was the centre-pièce.

Bibliograpby HiLLER, I. ; Vev, h. 1969. Katalog der deutschen und niederlândischen Gemàlde bis 1550 (with

the exception of Cologne paintings in the Wallraf Richartz Muséum and in the Kunstgewerbemuseum of the City of Cologne), p. 52. Cologne.

Illustrations / Piper and Drummer, Wallraf Richartz Mu¬ séum, Cologne. [Photo: Rheinisches Bildarchiv.] 2 Job and His Wife, Stâdelsches Kunstinsti¬ tut, Frankfurt am Main. [Photo: Gabriele Busch-Nauck.] 3 Saint Joseph and Saint Joachlm, Alte Pina¬ kothek, Munich. [Photo: Bayerische Staatsgemâldesammlungen, Munich.] 4 Saint Simon arul Saint Lazarus, Alte Pina¬ kothek, Munich. [Photo: Bayerisches Staatsgemâldesammlungen, Munich.]

Drafter: A. Schug.

169

German painting

Previous history

known of the origin of the frescos. They hâve been ascribed to Altdorfer on grounds of style, with confirmation from the sketch in Florence. The date of produc¬ tion, around 1533, was deduced from com¬ parison with the work Lot and his Daughters, dated 1537. The frescos were discovered in 1887 after a fire in the Bishop's Palace. The surface ofthe fragments has been well preserved thanks to early over-painting. Twenty-two fragments were removed and housed in the Muséum of the Historical Society.

Nothing

is

Whereabouts of fragments The fragment, now in the Art Muséum in Buda¬ pest, showing a pair of lovers on a raised

platform (30 x 40 cm) was stolen from the Regensburg Muséum in 1900 and in 1901 was acquired by the Muséum in Budapest from a private owner in Regensburg. Suggested reconstitutions The original arrangement of the frescos on the wall is known from the preliminary sketch in the UfiBzi in Florence.

Bibliography Benesch, O. 1930. Albrecht Altdorfer. p. 53-4. Vieima. Baldass, L. V. 1941. Albrecht Altdorfer. Zilrich. RuHMER, E. 1966. Albrecht Altdorfer. Munich. Bibliogr.

Hlostrations / Fragment, Fine Arts Muséum, Budapest. [Photo: Archiv-Photo.] 2 Détail from the left half of the main fresco, Stâdtisches Muséum, Regensburg. [Photo: Bayerisches Staatsgemâldesammlungen.]

Drafter: A. Schug.

170

German painting

Maria Schnee altar from the Stiftskirche in Aschaffenburg Artist Mathis Gothard Neithardt GrUnewald (c. 1460-1527). School, group, period Renaissance.

Holders Stiftskirche (Aschaffenburg): frame. Church of Stuppach: centre panel, Madonna with Child. Augustinermuseum (Freiburg): Wings (Cat. No. 11 480). Shape

Altar-piece with two side panels. Dimensions Centre panel: 88.5 cm.

180

x150 cm. Wings: 176 x

Protective layer Resin vamish.

Paint layer Tempera. Support Pine wood. Frame The carved wooden frame inscribed with the donor's names and the artist's monogram is preserved in the CoUegiate Church at Aschaf¬ fenburg and bears the date 1519.

Subject

According to the inscription on the frame, the altar is dedicated to the Virgin of the Snow. The scène of The Miracle ofthe Snow depicted on the side panel refers to the founding of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, whose cuit was revived in Germany by one of the donors, Reitzmann. The centre panel refers to the 'Révélations' of Saint Bridget of Sweden (Book IV, Chap. 78) and represents the Virgin as the protectress ofthe threatened church. The Three Kings, as the patron saints ofthe church are represented in the Adoration on the side panel facing the Virgin ofthe Snow panel. It is not clear how the two panels depicting Saint Martin and Saint George fitted into the altarpiece. They go back to a sketch by Griinewald and are preserved in the Stiftskirche in Aschaf¬ fenburg. Thèse saints are also named in the deed of foundation of the Church. Previous history In 1517 the altar was donated by Canons Schantz and Reitzmaim for a chapel in the Stiftskirche in Aschaffenburg dedicated to The Virgin of the Snow, the Three Kings, Saint George and Saint Martin. After the seculariza¬ tion of the foundation, two pictures. Maria Elnsiedel and Maria Schnee, with the Three Kings on the back, became part ofthe collection of the Bavarian Centralgemâldegalerie. The Maria Elnsiedel, a painting of the same size as the Maria Schnee painting, now in the Schloss Schleissheim, is not by Griinewald. After several changes of ownership, The Virgin of the Snow was acquired by the Freiburg Mu¬ séum. The centre panel in Stuppach was pur¬ chased in 1809 in Mergentheim by the parish priest of Stuppach, so that it had already left the chapel by the beginning of the seculariza¬ tion. Its origin was at that time unknown. The fact that the différent parts belonged to the same altar-piece was recognized in 1907. According to an earlier tradition. Cardinal Albrecht made a gift of the altar-piece to Mer¬ gentheim as early as the sixteenth century, but this in any case might refer only to the centre panel.

171

German painting

Suggested reconstitutions H. A. Schmid's suggested reconstitution does not seem wholly satisfactory. A more récent proposed reconstitution (I. Krummer-Schroth) seems to offer a better solution

to the problems of composition and icono¬ graphy presented by the altar. According to this reconstitution, The Miracle of the Snow with the two saints should be placed on the outside. On the inside right, The Adoration of the Magi, and on the inside left, a Mater Misericordiae or the precursor of the Maria Elnsiedel panel now in Schloss Schleissheim. In any case, the reconstitution must take into account the possibility that the altar-piece may hâve been interfered with before it was com¬ pleted, directly after the pictures were painted. Bibliograpby Lange, K. 1908. Matthias GrUnewalds Stuppacher Madonna. Jahrb. d. Preuss. Kunst¬ sammlung, vol. XXIX. SCHMiD, H. A. 1911. Die Gemàlde und Zelchnungen von Matthias GrUnewald. 2. Tell Textbd. Strasbourg.

Krummer-Schroth, I. 1964. Zu GrUnewalds Aschaffenburger Maria Schnee Altar. Anzelger

des Germanlschen muséums, p. 32 et seq.

Natlonals-

Illustrations 1 Original frame of the altar-piece Stifts¬ kirche, Aschaffenburg. 2 The Miracle of the Snow, Augustinermu¬ seum, Freiburg-im-Breisgau. [Photo: Karl Alber, Freiburg-im-Breisgau.]

Drafter: A. Schug.

172

German painting

Portraits of Lady Mary and Sir Henry Guildford Artist Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543).

Paint layer Gum tempera.

School, group, period Renaissance.

Support On wood.

Holders

Subject The two pictures are clearly intended as com¬ panion pièces. This is emphasized particularly by the tendrils (?). The pillar seems to separate the two pic¬ tures, but it is used at the same time to balance the two figures, which differ considerably in bulk. Sir Henry Guildford is holding the staff of the Lord Chamberlain of the Royal House¬ hold and wears the chain of the Order of the Garter, with the medal of Saint George.

Windsor Castle: Sir Henry Guildford. Fine Art Muséum, St Louis (Mo.): Lady Guildford. Shape

Two portraits painted

as companion-pieces.

Dimensions

Lady Guildford: 80 x 65 cm. Sir Henry Guildford: 8 1 .4 x 66 cm.

Previous history The two portraits were painted in 1527 when Sir Henry Guildford received the Order of the Garter. They were kept at Lumley Castle, where they are entered in the inventory for 1590 as painted by Holbein himself. In 1647 both portraits were in the possession of Arundel, who had engravings made from them in that year by Wenzel Hollar. Vertue found the portrait of Sir Henry in London in 1732, and it was probably through Queen Caroline that it was bought for the Royal Collection. The companion pièce of Lady Mary was thought to hâve been lost until it was put up for auction at Sotheby's in London as a painting of the 'Flemish School*. Suggested reconstitutions

This is a pair of portraits intended to be hung together as companion-pieces. Bibliograpby

Ganz, P.

1936. Zwei Werke Holbeins d.J. aus der FrOhzeit des ersten englischen Aufenthaltes. Festschrift zur ErSffnung des Baseler

Kunstmuseums. . 1949. Hans Holbein. Die Gemàlde. p. 216.

London and Cologne, Phaidon. Illustrations 1 Portrait of Lady Guildford, City Art Mu¬ séum of Saint Louis, Missouri. [Photo: City Art Muséum.] 2 Portrait of Sir Henry Guildford, Zentralinstitut fUr Kunstgeschichte, Munich. [Pho¬ to: Anderson, Rome.]

Drafter: A. Schug.

173

German painting

Crucifixion group of the Augsburg Heiliggeistspital Artist GeorgPetel(1601- 34). School, group, period Baroque.

Holders Barfusserkirche (Augsburg): Crucifix. Episcopal Seminary (Dillingen): Saint Mary and Saint John. Shape

Sculptures in the round. Dimensions Crucifix: 162.5 cm high.

Saint Mary: 156 cm high. Saint John: 162 cm high. Protective layer The crucifix shows the remains of old painting. In 1962 the new paint applied to the figures of Saint Mary and Saint John, in 1910, was removed. Slight traces of two older applications of paint on the back ofthe figure of Saint Jolm.

Support AU the figures are in lime wood. Subject

Crucifixion with Saint Mary and Saint John as a crucifixion group, for the high altar. It is to be assumed that the figures stood out in front of the back wall of the choir, as in 1632 the Augsburg painter Caspar Strauss received 130 gulden for painting the wall behind the group (probably a scène of Jérusalem). Previous history The accounts of the Augsburg Heiliggeistspital contain an entry dated 10 December 1631, to the effect that Georg Petel had received 160 gulden for a crucifixion group to be placed 'up on the high altar'. The two accompanying figures were already missing in the nineteenth century. They were rediscovered in 1961 when an inventory was made of artistic works in the Episcopal Seminary, which had bought them in Augsburg in 1911 as works by an imknown artist.

Whereabouts of fragments Today the two accompanying figures are exhibited in the DiUingen Seminary with a modem copy of the Augsburg crucifix. Suggested reconstitutions

At the Georg Petel exhibition in the Bavarian National Muséum in Munich (3 July to 27 September 1964) the parts ofthe group were shown together. The painted background and the altar architecture hâve not been preserved. The figure of Saint John in the accompanying photograph is probably not in its correct posi¬ tion.

Bibliography The bibliography is listed in the foUowing catalogue (No. 55): MiJLLER, T.; SchXdler, A. 1964. Georg Petel 1601-1634. 3 July-27 September 1964. p. 35. Munich.

Illustration Crucifixion, arrangement adopted for the Georg Petel exhibition organized at the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich, in 1964. [Photo: Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich.]

Drafter: A. Schug.

174

German painting

Girl with carnation Artist

Subject

Suggested reconstitutions

Wilhelm Leibl (1844-1900).

Girl in festive local costume (Upper Bavaria) with a carnation in her right hand (according to Langer's reconstitution). The model is the same as the girl in Three Women in Church, Hamburg, Kunsthalle.

Langer's reconstitution is convincing. The other parts of the painting must be taken to be lost.

School, group, period Nineteenth century, Realism.

Holders Staatliche Kunsthalle (Karlsruhe): Cat. Nos. 225 and 226. Osterreichische Galerie (Vienna). Wallraf Richartz Muséum (Cologne): Cat. No. 1177.

Shape

Rectangular panel (eut into sections). Karlsruhe: right hand, 13 x 17.5 cm; left hand, 15.7x11.8 cm. Vienna: head, 28 x 26 cm. Cologne: bodice, 27 x 21.5 cm. Protective layer Vamish. Paint layer Oils on mahogany.

Previous history The picture was exhibited in Paris at the Georges Petit GaUery in 1883. It had little success and like the The Poachers of 1882 was sawn up by the artist himself so that only the détails, painted with the utmost naturalism, bave been preserved as valuable paintings. The picture was painted at a period of crisis in the artist's development, which led to the natu¬ ralism, marked by more strongly impressionistic concentration, of his later work.

Bibliography There is a fuU bibliography in: Andrée, R. (comp.) 1964. Katalog der Gemàlde des 19. Jahrhunderts im Wallraf Richartz Muséum, p. 69. Cologne. The history ofthe painting is discussed in détail in: Langer, A. 1961. Wilhelm Leibl. p. 65 et seq. Dresden. Illustrations 1 Fragment of the Bodice, Wallraf Richartz Muséum, Cologne. [Photo: Rheinisches BUdarchiv, No. 31 249.] 2 Left Hand, Staatliche Kunsthalle, Karls¬ ruhe. [Photo: StaaUiche Kunsthalle, Cat. No. 2259.] Right Hand, StaatUche Kunsthalle, Karls¬ ruhe. [Photo: Staatliche Kunsthalle, Cat.

No. 2260.] Fragment, Kunsthistorisches Muséum, Vienna. [Photo: Kunsthistorisches Mu¬ séum.]

Disrnembered works of art

Russian painting

Irina Danilova

In the case of Russian art, the problem of disrnembered works is a rather spécial one. Since ail muséums in the Soviet Union are nationalized, and since their collections are built up on the basis of an over-all plan, the task of reassembling the separate parts of any works which, prior to 1917, were housed in différent muséums or private collections, has presented no particular difficulties. We too hâve, however, our own spécifie problems relating, in the main, to old Russian paintings dating from the end of the fourteenth and the beginning of the fifteenth century onwards. It was at that period that there emerged, in the history of Russian icon painting, a spécial form of artistic production the iconostasis, a composite work of art consisting ofa large number of icons. Since each icon was painted on a separate board, which was then mounted in a gênerai frame (tableau), an iconostasis was easily disrnembered; and indeed, there are virtually none, in particular belonging to the period from the end ofthe fourteenth to the sixteenth century, which has survived in its original form. Most often, the process of dismemberment began a few score years after the iconos¬ tasis was originally composed: some individual icons were replaced by others, some fell into disrepair, and were repainted. Sometimes the whole of an iconostasis, or parts of it, were transferred to other churches, in which case they frequently had to be either enlarged or eut down in size to fit the dimensions of the new architectural setting. At the beginning ofthe twentieth century, when art collectors and artists began to be enthusiastic about old Russian painting, many of the icons belonging to a single iconostasis found their way into différent private collections, whence they were transferred, after the October Révolution, to différent muséums and différent towns. As early as the 1920s a start was made on the work of locating, identifying and reassembling thèse disrnembered com¬ positions, or at least parts of them; and over the past halfcentury many of them hâve been successfully reconstituted. One of the most interesting examples of this kind of reconstruction is that of the fourteenth-century Royal Door belonging, apparently, to the so-called school of Tver, in which specialists in the history of ancient Russian painting hâve, in récent years, been taking a particular interest. The Tver Royal Door is now displayed in the Tretyakov State Gallery.1 It consists of two panels, each measuring 112 x x 35 cm. On the left-hand panel is a full-length depiction of Saint John Chrysostom (No. 12002); on the right-hand panel,

Saint Basil the Great (No. 29560). The top part of both of thèse boards has been sawn off. At the bottom right of the right-hand panel, a pièce of the board has been eut out. The history of the reconstitution of this work is as follows: the panel painted with the figure of Saint John Chrysostom was in the collection of I. S. Ostroukhov. In 1914 it was identified by P. Muratov,2 and in 1929 was handed over to the Tretya¬ kov Gallery. The second panel, with the depiction of Saint Basil the Great, was in the State Gallery in Tver, whence it found its way to the Russian State Muséum in Leningrad. Then in 1925 it was identified by Professor M. Alpatov as the pair of the panel contained in the Tretyakov Gallery.3 As a resuit this icon was transferred, in 1932, to the Tretyakov Gallery. But this does not mean that this composition has been wholly reconstituted: the sawn-off top section is still missing, though the specialists hâve not lost hope of finding it. What was this top section like? According to Professor Alpatov's proposed reconstitution,4 it may be imagined by analogy with another door belonging to about the same period as the Tver door, originating from the village of Krivoy (Novgorod School, thirteenth century, Tretyakov Gal¬ lery, Nos. 12876, 12877).5 The top section of this door is of a simple, rounded shape and is decorated with a painting ofthe Annunciation, the usual subject depicted on this part of the door. Since the Tver door belongs to a slightly later period, it is possible that the décoration of the top section was rather more complex and imaginative as, for instance, in the case ofa similar door dating from the first half of the fifteenth century to be found in the Tretyakov Gallery (Nos. 28649-28650).6 In many cases it is difiîcult to assemble the various parts of a composite painting in the same muséum, owing to the fact that the experts are not absolutely certain that they do in fact belong together. The most outstanding example of this dilemma is provided by the group of five fifteenth-century icons from the 'occasional' row of an iconostasis belonging, apparently, to the Novgorod School.7 Ail thèse icons were sold simultaneously by one dealer in the town of Gorodets on the Volga in the opening years of the twentieth century. Two of them The Lamentation for Christ (91 x63 cm) and The Déposition (9 1x62 cm) were purchased by I. S. Os¬ troukhov and, in 1920, handed over to the Tretyakov Gallery (Nos. 12041 and 12040). The third the Descent into Hell (91 x60cm) found its way into the A. V. Morozov collec¬ tion, whence it was transferred to the State Historical Muséum in Moscow and subsequently, in 1930, likewise

176

Irina Danilova

handed over to the Tretyakov Gallery (No. 14316). But the last two icons ofthe séries The Last Supper and The Décapi¬ tation of John the Baptist which were purchased by V. N. Khanenko, were placed after the Révolution in the Muséum of Russian Art in Kiev, where they hâve remained to this day.8 Ail thèse icons are roughly the same size approxi¬ mately 90 x 60 cm ; and the fact that there is a variation of one or two centimeters is hère of no significance since, in the fifteenth century, the boards for the painting of icons were hewn out by axe with which it was impossible to keep very accurately to given dimensions, instead of being sawn. A factor which gives rise to much more serious doubts about the common origin of thèse icons is the actual character and quality of the painting. The Lamentation for Christ and The Déposition are undoubtedly the work of a first-class painter with a very distinctive style. The Last Supper is executed with less assurance, although it shows certain characteristics in common with those of the first two icons; it may well hâve been painted by pupils or assistants of the artist responsible for the first two. Whether the Descent into Hell and, more par¬ ticularly, The Décapitation of John the Baptist belong to the same séries of icons is far more questionable; and the experts hold varying views on this point. Anyway, thèse five icons, even if they do form part of the 'occasional' row of one and the same iconostasis, constitute only a small fragment of it, not giving a very clear impression of the whole. As for the other sections of this iconostasis, it is most unlikely that they will be discovered. A question far more complicated is that of the reconstitu¬ tion of iconostases which hâve survived almost in their entirety, but the various éléments of which are at présent Iocated in a number of différent muséums. The main problem is to reconstitute thèse iconostases in their original form and to décide on the place occupied by the various icons in the whole. Some twenty years ago, this was thought to présent no difficulty; in the past few years, however, the experts in ancient Russian art hâve again begun to manifest an interest in the problem of the composition of iconostases, a problem which the results of récent research show to be still far from solved.9 In the light ofthe new restoration work carried out, the new architectural measurements made and the latest research done on mediaeval texts, scholars hâve been forced to reconsider a number of questions, leading them, in some cases, to completely différent views on the reconstitution of thèse ensembles.

The most striking example of this process is provided by the history of the research done on the celebrated iconostasis painted by Rublev and his assistants for the Cathedral of the Assumption in Vladimir in 1408.10 This iconostasis has had a very dramatic fate. As early as the eighteenth century, appar¬ ently, at the end ofthe 1760s or beginning ofthe 1770s, when the interior of the cathedral was modernized in the baroque style, Rublev 's iconostasis, already by then extensively damaged, was removed and replaced by a new one. Rublev's iconostasis was sold to the village of Vassilievskoe but, since it was too large to fit into any one ofthe churches, it had to be split up and accommodated in two churches and one chapel. According to certain information, some of the icons of this iconostasis were also Iocated in the church of another village Marina Luka but it has not yet been possible to find thèse. The icons from the village of Vassilievskoe, on the other hand, were Iocated in 1919 by an expédition organized by the Central Restoration Workshops and, in 1922, taken to Moscow. Thereafter, some of them were handed over to the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, the rest to the Russian State Muséum in Leningrad. The cleaning of thèse icons was already begun in 1919, but has still not been completed entirely. It is a complicated process owing to the fact that certain of the icons were repainted in the eighteenth century and it transpired, in the course of cleaning, that the original painting had been very badly damaged even, in some cases, completely obliterated, and the boards painted entirely afresh. This painting, in that it dates from the eighteenth cen¬ tury, is in itself of historical interest today; so that the restorers often hesitate to remove it, since the board underneath may hâve nothing, or practically nothing, painted on it. Cleaning must, therefore, be preceded by extremely meticulous and laborious research using the most up-to-date means. The best preserved of the icons belonging to the Rublev iconostasis are those ofthe 'deisis' row, which are of an average height of 313 cm. Seven icons from this row The Saviour (No. 22961), The Virgin Mary (No. 22125), John the Baptist (No. 22960), the Apostle Andrew (No. 19731), Saint John the Evangelist (No. 19730), Saint John Chrysostom (No. 19727) and Saint Gregory of Nazianzus (No. 19725)11are in the Tretyakov Gallery. In 1957 the same gallery also cleaned the two icons which formed the panels ofthe Royal Door, one of thèse depicting the Archangel Gabriel (No. 19726), the other the Archangel Michael (No. 19732). Although the width of thèse two icons exceeds, by about 20 cm, that of the other

177

Disrnembered works of art

icons in this row (the width of the other icons in this row is about 106 cm, except for the central icon representing the Saviour, which is 220 cm wide), the experts think that they must originally hâve belonged to the 'deisis' row. The remaining icons from this row are kept in the Russian State Muséum in Leningrad, i.e. those representing the Apostle Paul (No. Drz. 2722), the Apostle Peter (No. Drz. 2134), Saint Nicholas (No. Drz. 2662) and Basil the Great (No. Drz. 2663). As regards the icons ofthe 'occasional' row, three of them 77ie Annunciation (No. 22951), The Assumption (No. 14249) and the Descent into Hell (No. 22953) hâve been cleaned, and are in the Tretyakov Gallery; the icons depicting The Epiphany (Drz. 2098) and The Présentation in the Temple (Drz. 2135) hâve likewise been cleaned and are in the Russian State Muséum in Leningrad. The remainder lie entirely hidden beneath eighteenth-century overpainting (Tretyakov Gallery). Two of the icons belonging to the Prophet's Séries hâve also survived: The Prophet Zechariah (Drz. 1701) and The Prophet Zephaniah (Drz. 2136). It was thought until recently that the 'deisis' row of the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption consisted of fifteen boards, and measured 17.34 m in length. If such was the case, it must hâve been placed in such a way as to extend across the central and two latéral apses of the five-naved cathedral, together with the columns separating them. According to this theory, the two outside apses would not be separated off from the latéral naves. Quite recently, however, Professor M. Ilyin put forward another theory: on the basis of the results of the latest restoration work, which revealed the existence of frescos dating from the period of Rublev on the west side of the east columns, Professor Ilyin argued convincingly that the icons ofthe 'deisis' row could hâve been Iocated only in the space between the columns of the apses, in such a way that the painting on thèse columns formed part of the composition of the iconostasis. This theory does not appear to be unlikely in view of the fact that a somewhat similar arrangement was to be found in the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Moscow, painted by Dionisii in 1481-82, where, apparently, the frescos on the stone wall behind the altar, which hâve survived to this day, likewise formed an intégral part of the composition of the iconostasis, painted on wooden boards and placed above the altar wall. According to Professor Ilyin 's theory, the 'deisis' séries in the Rublev iconostasis consisted not of fifteen boards, but of twenty-one, had an over-all width of 28.5 m, and extended

Russian painting

aU five apses. Professor Ilyin, in an article on the subject, gives précise figures for the dimensions of the icons, and suggests that the iconostasis consisted not of three rows, but of four: above the Prophets Séries, two icons of which hâve survived, there was, in his view, a séries of the Patriarchs, the icons of which hâve not yet been discovered. Thus the presumed height ofthe iconostasis would be about 10 m. The whole ensemble was erected at a height of about 5 m above floor level, so that the lower part of the apses was visible to the congrégation, and the top of the iconostasis, surmounted by a cross, was about 15 m above floor level. The iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Vladimir was a grandiose structure, with the resuit that the problem of reconstituting it, today, is particularly compli¬ cated. Not a single muséum possesses a hall large enough to accommodate Rublev's work in its original form; a spécial exhibition hall would hâve to be built for the purpose. The same problem arises in connexion with the reconsti¬ tution of certain other iconostases, including one painted by another outstanding old Russian Master, Dionisii, in 1500-02, for the Cathedral of the Nativity in the Theraponte Monas¬ tery.12 The 'deisis' séries from this iconostasis, which has sur¬ vived, is now Iocated in three différent muséums the Tre¬ tyakov Gallery in Moscow, the Russian Muséum in Lenin¬ grad and the Muséum of the Kirillo-Byelozersk Monastery in the town of Kirillov. In addition, two icons hâve survived from the 'local' séries, the very bottom tier of this iconostasis, likewise the work of Dionisii: the Descent into Hell, identified in 1966 by V. Laurina,13 and the recently cleaned Hodigitrija, only just identified by N. Pertsev.14 The cleaning of thèse last two icons is of the greatest possible interest, not only because they were painted by Dionisii but also because they belonged to that part of the iconostasis which, as a rule, underwent the greatest changes and, therefore, is exceptionally difficult to reconstitute. In the case of the Theraponte iconostasis, how¬ ever, the original position of the icons of the 'local' séries Iocated on either side of the Royal Door can be ascertained with a fair degree of probability thanks to the existence not only of old documents but also of a photograph showing the iconostasis as it was right up to the 1920s, when it was dismantled and transferred to other promises. Written docu¬ ments provide grounds for supposing that neither of thèse two icons had been moved from its position since the time of

right across

Dionisii. The history of the Theraponte iconostasis présents expert

178

Irina Danilova

art historians and museologists with yet another problem which, I consider, is of gênerai interest. In the 1920s, the Theraponte iconostasis was removed from the church for the cleaning of the icons, which had been overpainted at a later date. It is true that not ail the icons hâve yet been cleaned and, moreover, it has transpired that the original painting, in many cases, belongs to a later epoch. But even in idéal circumstances, supposing that it were possible to reconstitute the iconostasis completely, would there be any point in putting back such an ensemble into the interior of the Cathe¬ dral which has now become a muséum ? This would of course enable people seeing the iconostasis today to visualize what the interior looked like at the time of Dionisii; it would, on the other hand, obscure the effect of the Dionisii frescos which at présent, with the iconostasis removed, produce an overwhelming effect on the spectator precisely because they are completely intact, because they form an intégral part of the architecture and because, seen in the light of day, the colours are utterly transformed. x 5 We cannot help the fact that the aesthetic standards of today are not the same as those of the Middle Ages. Should historical accuracy prevail over considérations of aesthetic effect? Apart from this, there is the fact that the icons of an iconostasis, when assembled in a frame and placed in the interior of a church, also become visually less effective. An example of this is the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin, which has remained as a whole but the resuit is that the exquisite painting of Theophanes the Greek is barely discernible except through binocu'ars. The idéal solution would obviously be to décide to reconstitute iconostases, at least partially, with such gaps as are inévitable, for exhibition in art galleries, in premises specially designed for the purpose. An attempt in this direc¬ tion has been made in the Rublev Muséum in Moscow, where a seventeenth-century iconostasis is displayed in its entirety though it must be admitted that there can be no comparison between the size of this iconostasis and the grandiose one painted by Rublev.

Muratov, Drevnerusskaja Ikonopts' v Sobranii I. S. Ostrouhova [Ancient Russian Icon Paintings in the Collection of I. S. Ostroukhov], p. 12, 13, Illustr. on p. 12, Moscow, 1914. 3. O. Wulff, and M. Alpatov, Denkmàler der lconenmalerel in kunstgeschichtlicher Fotge [Monuments of Icon Painting and their Place in the History of Art], p. 90. Hellerau and Dresden, 1925. 4. M. Alpatov, N. Brunov, Altrussische Kunst [Ancient Russian Art], 2. P.

Plate 209, Augsburg, 1932. 5. Antonova and Mneva, op. cit. p. 84-5, Plate 40. 6. ibid. p. 114, Plate 67. 7. ibid. p. 154-8. 8. Kiev State Muséum of Russian Art, p. 9, Kiev, 1955.

M. Ilyin, 'Nekotorye Predpolozenija ob Arhitekture Russkih Ikonostasov no Rubeze XIV-XV Vekov' [Some Théories about the Architecture of Russian Iconostases at the End ofthe Fourteenth and Beginning of the Fifteenth Century], Kul'tura Drevnej Rusi [Ancient Russian Culture], Moscow, 1966; N. Majasova, 'K Istorii Ikonostasa BlagoveScenskogo Sobora Moskovskogo Kremlja' [The History of the Iconostasis in the Cathedral of the Annunciation in the Moscow Kremlin], Kul'tura Drevnej Rusi [Ancient Russian Culture], Moscow, 1966; G. Vzdornov, 'Blagoveï£enskij Sobor ili Pridel Vasilija Kesarijskogo?' [The Cathedral of the Annunciation or an Addition by Vasilij Kesarijskij ?], Sovetskaja Archeologija, No. 1, 1957; M. Ilyin, 'Ikonostas Uspenskogo Sobora vo Vladimire Andreja Rubleva' [The Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Vladimir, Painted by Andrei Rublev], L. Betin, 'Ob Arhitektumoj Kompozicii Drevnerusskih Vysokih Ikonostasov' [The Architectural Composition of the High Iconostases of Ancient Russia], L. Betin, 'Istoriceskie Osnovy Drevnerusskogo Vysokogo Iconostasa' [The Historical Bases of the High Iconostasis of Ancient Russia], aU in Drevnerusskoe Iskusstvo, Moscow, 1970. 10. Antonova and Mneva, op. cit., p. 267-76. 11. M. Ilyin, 'Ikonostas Uspenskogo Sobora vo Vladimire Andreja Rubleva* [The Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Vladimir, Painted by Andrei Rublev], Drevnerusskoe Iskusstvo, Mos¬ cow, 1970. 12. Antonova and Mneva, op. cit., p. 334-6. 13. V. Laurina, 'Vnov' OtkrytajaIkona"So5estvie vo Ad" izFerapontova Monastyrja i Moskovskaja Literatura Konca XV Veka' [The Newly Discovered Icon The 'Descent into Hell' from the Theraponte Monastery and Moscow Literature of the End of the Fifteenth Century], Trudy Otdela Drevnerusskoj Literatury, Instituta Mirovoj Literatury XXII [Transactions ofthe Department of Ancient Russian Literature, Institute of World Literature, XXII], Moscow and Lenin¬ grad, 1966. 14. N. Pertsev, 'O Novo-otkrytom Proizvedenii Dionisija' [On the Newly Discoverd Work of Dionisii], Drevnerusskoe Iskusstvo, Moscow, 1970. 15. I. Danilowa, Dionlssl, p. 86-91, Dresden, 1970; I. Danilova, Freskt Roïdestvenskogo Sobora Ferapontova Monastyrja [The Frescos of the Cathedral ofthe Nativity in the Theraponte Monastery], Moscow,

9.

1970.

NOTES 1. V. Antonova and N. Mneva, Katalog Drevnerusskoj 2ivopisi Gvsudarstvennogo Tretjakovskoj Gallerel [Catalogue of Ancient Russian Painting in the Tretyakov State GaUery], Vol. I, p. 233-5, Plates 138, 139, Moscow, 1963.

179

Russian painting

Royal door, Tver Artist Anonymous.

Paint layer

School, group, period School of Tver, fifteenth century.

Support Wood, fine fabric, priming.

Holder Tretyakov GaUery (Moscow) (Cat. Nos. (lefthand panel) 12002; (right-hand panel) 29560). Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 1 12 X 35 cm, each panel.

Protective layer Linseed oil.

Egg tempera.

Previous history The circumstances in which the work was dis¬ rnembered are not known. The left-hand panel comes from the private collection of I. S. Ostroukhov; it was acquired by the Tretyakov Gallery in 1929. The right-hand panel was in the Muséum of the History of Architecture in Tver; it was then transferred to the Russian Muséum in Leningrad, whence it was handed over to the Tretyakov GaUery in 1932.

Subject Suggested reconstitutions

Left-hand panel Saint John Chrysostom, standing, with a scroll in his hands; right-hand panel Saint Basil the Great, with scroll. The two figures are turned towards one another; the text inscribed on the scroUs deals with the eucharist.

A proposai for the reconstitution of the Royal Door has been made by Professor M. V. Alpa¬ tov, who is of the opinion that the top section ofthe doors, which has been lost, was decorated with a painting of the Annunciation.

Distinctive features Certain South Slav influences are discemible in the inscriptions.

WULFF, O.; Alpatov, M. 1925. Denkmàler der

Bibliography Ikonenmalerei in kunstgeschichtlicher Folge. p. 90. Hellerau and Dresden. Alpatov, M.; Brltnov, N. 1932. Altrussische Kunst, Plate 202. Augsburg. Antonova, V.; Mneva, N. 1963. Gosudarstvennaja Tret'jakovskaja Gallereja. Katalog Drevnerusskoj Zivopisl, tom Pervyj. p. 2334. Moscow.

Dlustratlons / Reconstitution of the royal door, Tver. 2 Saint John Chrysostom [on left] and Saint Basil the Great [on right], Tretyakov Gal¬ lery, Moscow. [Nos. 12002 and 29560.]

Drafter: I. Danilova.

180

Russian painting

Icons from the 'occasional' row of an iconostasis Artist Unknown.

Support Wooden board, fine fabric, priming.

School, group, period Novgorod School, fifteenth century.

Holder

Subject Usual iconographie composition for thèse subjects.

Tretyakov GaUery (Moscow) (Cat. No. 12040, Distinctive features Practically no gold has survived in the back¬ ground. The inscriptions on The Déposition and The Lamentation for Christ bave been restored.

12041, 14316).

Shape

Each icon is rectangular. Dimensions 91 X 62

cm;

91

x 63 cm;

Protective layer Linseed oil.

Paint layer Egg tempera.

91

x 60 cm.

Previous history Thèse icons were purchased at the beginning of the twentieth century from a merchant in the town market of Gorodets, on the Volga. The Déposition and The Lamentation for Christ were acquired by I. S. Ostroukhov and were

handed over, in 1929, to the Tretyakov GaUery. The Descent into Hell found its way into the coUection of A. V. Morozov and was handed over, first to the State Historical Muséum in Moscow and subsequently, in 1930, to the Tretyakov Gallery. Whereabouts of fragments Thèse icons, together with two icons from Kiev (cf. 'Icons from the "Occasional" Row of an Iconostasis', p. 181), belonged to the 'occasio¬ nal' row of an iconostasis. Since most of the icons of this iconostasis hâve been lost, it is di¬ fficult to reconstitute the gênerai composition of this séries. The experts disagree as to whether or not the icon depicting The Décapitation of John the Baptist belongs to this ensemble.

Bibliograpby GriSCenko, a. 1917. Voprosy 2tvop Isl vyp. 3. p. 155, 189. Moscow. Reau, L. 1921. L'Art Russe. Vol. 1, p. 185. Paris. Hackel, a. 1956. Ikonen. p. 16. Freiburg. Alpatov, M. 1958. Altrussische Ikonenmalerei, p. 25-6. Dresden. 1958. U.S.S.R. Early Russian Icons. p. 25. Greenwich, Conn., New York Graphie Society. (Unesco world art séries.)

Antonova, V.; Mneva, N. 1963. Gosudarstcennaja Tret'jakovskaja Gallereja. Katalog Drevnerusskoj Zlvopisi, tom Pervyj. p. 1548.

Moscow.

The Déposition, Tretyakov Gallery, Mos¬ cow. [No. 12040.] The Lamentation for Christ, Tretyakov Gal¬ lery, Moscow. [No. 12041.]

181

Russian painting

Icons from the 'occasional' row of an iconostasis Artist Unknown.

Protective layer Linseed oil.

School, group, period Novgorod School, fifteenth century.

Paint layer

Holder Muséum of Russian Art (Kiev). (Cat. No. 2.6, 2.7).

Support Wooden board, fine fabric, priming.

Shape

Both icons rectangular. Dimensions 90 cm X 63 cm; 91 cm X 64 cm.

Previous history Both thèse icons were purchased in the town market of Gorodets on the Volga, for the col¬ lection of V. N. Khanenko. After the October Révolution, they were handed over to the Mu¬ séum of Russian Art in Kiev. Part of the 'occasional' row of an iconostasis (cf. 'Icons from the "Occasional" Row of an Icono¬ stasis', p. 180).

Egg tempera.

Subject The Last Supper and The Décapitation of Saint John the Baptist. Usual iconographie compo¬ sition for thèse subjects.

Bibliography Kievskij Gosudarstvennyj Muzej Russkogo Iskusstva. Katalog. p. 9. Kiev, 1955. Antonova, V.; Mneva, N. 1963. Gosudarstvennaja Tret'jakovskaja Gallereja. Katalog Drevnerusskoj iivoplsi, tom Pervyj. p. 156. Moscow. 1958. U.S.S.R. Early Russian Icons. p. 25, Plates XIII, XIV. Greenwich, Conn., New York Graphie Society. (Unesco wo rid art séries.)

Illustrations / The Last Supper, Muséum of Russian Art, Kiev. [Cat. No. 6.] 2 The Décapitation of Saint John the Baptist, Muséum of Russian Art, Kiev. [Cat. No,7.]

Drafter: I. Danilova.

r

^

j m-

^^Bh^ t

x

^h ^BE!^

^j \

W

i

'p

<

182

Russian painting

Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir (I) Artist

Paint layer

Andrei Rublev and Daniel Chemy.

Egg tempera.

School, group, period Moscow School, fifteenth century, 1408.

Support Wooden board, fine fabric, priming.

Holder Tretyakov Gallery (Moscow) (Cat. Nos. 22961,

Subject

22125, 22960, 18731, 19740, 19725, 19727). Shape

AU icons rectangular. Dimensions The Savlour: 314 cmx 220 cm. AU the rest 313 cmx 105 cm, with slight variations.

Central icon: The Savlour Enthroned. On either side, the Virgin Mary, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Andrew the First-called, Saint John the Evangellst, Saint Gregory of Nazlanzus, Saint John Chrysostom. The figures are depicted halfface, in an attitude of expectation, turned towards the central figure of the Saviour, depicted full-face. Usual iconographie compo¬

sition.

Protective layer Linseed oil.

2a

.r\.

^

n _=

f V Hïï

_!

n

""D

rmrrnrf .ÏÏÏT

i::

J_J

1

c:>

1

^

c

'^

(

183

Russian painting

Distinctive features In ail thèse icons, the original painting is damaged in many places. Previous history Thèse icons form part ofthe iconostasis painted for the Cathedral of the Assumption in Vladi¬ mir. In the second half of the eighteenth cen¬ tury this iconostasis was dismantled and sold to the viUage of Vassilievskoe, where it was split up and accommodated in various différent churches. In 1922 most of thèse icons were taken to Moscow. Those named above were handed over to the Tretyakov Gallery.

Whereabouts of fragments Thèse icons, together with those in the Russian Muséum in Leningrad, formed the 'deisis' row of the iconostasis (cf. 'Iconostasis of the

Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir', p. 185-7).

Bibliography A great deal has been published on the subject. The main works are as follows:

Antonova, V.; Mneva, N. 1963. Gosudarstvennaja Tret'jakovskaja Gallereja. Katalog Drevnerusskoj Éivoptsi, tom Pervyj. p. 26672. Moscow. Lazarev, V. 1966. Andrei Rublev t Ego Skola. p. 29-31, 127-31. Moscow. Ilyin, M. 1970. Ikonostas Uspenskogo sobora vo Vladimire Andreja Rubleva. Drevneruss¬ koe Iskusstvo. Moscow.

niustrations / Reconstitution of the iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption. 2 (a) The Virgin Mary, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow [No. 22125]; (b) The Saviour, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow [No. 22961]; (c) Saint John the Baptist, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. [No. 22960.] 3 Saint Gregory of Nazlanzus and The Virgin Mary, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. [No. 19725.] 4 Saint Andrew, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. [No. 19731.]

Drafter: I. Danilova.

184

Russian painting

185

Russian painting

Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir (II) Artist Andrei Rublev and Daniel Cherny.

Paint layer

School, group, period

Support Wooden board, fine fabric, priming. (The icon of the Assumption is painted without fabric.)

Moscow School, 1408.

Holder Tretyakov Gallery (Cat. Nos. 22951, 22953, 14249).

Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 125 X 94cm; 124 X 94cm; 125 X 92cm.

Protective layer Linseed oil.

Egg tempera.

Subject The icons depict: The Annunciation, The Descent into Hell and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The iconographical composition is traditional.

Distinctive features Considérable détérioration of the paint layer. In places where the paint has gone, eighteenthcentury overpainting

remains.

Previous history See 'Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir', p. 182. Thèse icons, together with the two now in the Russian State Muséum in Leningrad, belonged to the 'occa¬ sional' row ofthe iconostasis. The remaining icons of this row bave not survived (cf. 'Icono¬ stasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir', p. 187).

Bibliography

Antonova, V.; Mneva, N.

1963. Gosudarstvennaja Tret'jakavoskaja Gallereja. Katalog

Drevnerusskoj Zlvopisi, tom. Pervyj. p. 26672. Moscow. Lazarev, V. 1966. Andrej Rublev i Ego Skola. p. 29-31, 127-31. Moscow. Ilyin, M. 1970. Ikonostas Uspenskogo sobora vo Vladimire Andreja Rubleva. Drevneruss¬ koe Iskusstvo. Moscow.

Illustrations 1

The Annunciation, Tretyakov Gallery, Mos¬ cow. [No. 22951.] The Descent into Hell, Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. [No. 22953.] The Assumption, Tretyakov GaUery, Mos¬ cow. [No. 12349.]

186

Russian painting

Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir (III) Artist Andrei Rublev and Daniel Cherny.

Support Wooden board, fine fabric, priming.

School, group, period Moscow School, 1408.

Subject

Holder Russian State Muséum (Leningrad) Nos. Drl 2314, Dr2. 27222). Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 313 X 105 cm, with slight variations.

Protective layer Linseed oil.

Paint layer Egg tempera.

(Cat.

The figures ofthe Apostle Peter and the Apostle Paul are depicted half-face, standing, turning towards the central icon of the Saviour enthroned. Traditional iconographie composi¬ tion.

Distinctive features The original painting has sufFered serious dam¬ age, particularly in the case of the icon depict¬ ing the Apostle Peter. Previous history See 'Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir', p. 182-3.

Whereabouts of fragments Thèse icons, together with those in the Tretya¬ kov Gallery in Moscow, constituted the 'deisis' row of an iconostasis (cf. p. 182).

Bibliography Lazarev, V. 1966. Andrej Rublev i Ego Skola. p. 29-31, 127-31. Moscow. Ilyin, M. 1970. Ikonostas Uspenskogo sobora vo Vladimire Andreja Rubleva. Drevne¬ russkoe Iskusstvo. Moscow.

Illustrations / Saint Peter, Russian Muséum, Leningrad. [No. 2314.] 2 Saint Paul, Russian Muséum, Leningrad. [No. 27222.]

Drafter: I. Danilova.

187

Russian painting

Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir (IV) Artists Andrei Rublev and Daniel Chemy. School, group, period Moscow School, 1408.

Holder

Support Wooden board, fine fabric, priming. Subject The Présentation in the Temple. Usual icono¬ graphie composition for this subject.

Distinctive features A great deal of the original painting has been lost.

Bibliograpby Lazarev, V. 1966. Andrej Rublev i Ego Skola. p. 29-31, 127-31. Moscow. Ilytn, m. 1970. Ikonostas Uspenskogo sobora vo Vladimire Andreja Rubleva. Drevneruss¬ koe Iskusstvo. Moscow.

Previous history See 'Iconostasis of the Cathedral of the Assumption, Vladimir', p. 182.

Illustration The Présentation in the Temple, Muséum, Leningrad. [No. 2135.]

Whereabouts of fragments This icon, together with those in the Tretyakov GaUery in Moscow and the one depicting the

Drafter: I. Danilova.

Russian State Muséum (Leningrad) (Cat. No.

Drl 2135). Shape

Rectangular. Dimensions 125X93 cm.

Protective layer Linseed oU.

Paint layer Egg tempera.

Baptism in the Russian State Muséum in Lenin¬ grad, belonged to the 'occasional' row of the iconostasis. (See also p. 177 and 185).

Russian

Disrnembered illuminated manuscripts

European art

Virgil Cândea

Illustrated manuscripts, by their very nature, are a spécial in the always tragic history of disrnembered works of art. The problems involved in their reconstitution are among the most difficult, and the results so far obtained are rather limited and in many cases unsatisfactory. Owing to the fragility of books it is particularly easy to take a manuscript apart, and the profits to be gained from the opération inevitably make it tempting to the uneducated or the dishonest. Most illuminated manuscripts contain a fairly large number of leaves which, with clever cutting, can become collector's items in their own right. The illustrated Gospel-books produced in the art schools of the various Christian churches were embellished with por¬ traits ofthe four evangelists and with highiy décorative scènes depicting the principal events in the history of Man's rédemp¬ tion (the Annunciation, the Résurrection, the Ascension, the Assumption) ail of them pictures of aesthetic value in them¬ selves. The polished calligraphy, the wealth of décoration, the variegated colours, the flamboyant gold, the anthropomorphic or zoomorphic initiais, historiated or enclosed by ornaments, and the floral or geometrical vignettes, the various means the artist used in his endeavour to make his talent a kind of prayer and his art an expression ofthe truth because of ail this each page is a work of art calculated to satisfy the craving or vanity of the collector. If the temptation to take manuscripts apart was for a long time a cause of their dis¬ memberment in Europe, where iconoclasm was but a passing phase, we can imagine how great the temptation was to dismember a manuscript of Islamic art. Because ofthe incompa¬ rable beauty of the calligraphy and the embellishments modes of expression enforced on the artist by Koranic doc¬ trine, which forbids any anthropomorphic représentation thèse manuscripts are indeed like chaplets, in which each gem, each precious stone, and therefore each page, is of a quality to satisfy the most refined aesthetic aspirations.1 Manuscripts illuminated by Persian miniaturists, who were not awed by the human face, hâve been pitilessly fragmented, to the delight of Western collectors, ever in search of Islamic works of art, and to the despair of specialists who would like to reconstitute a Shah nâmeh which has been taken apart and is now dis¬ persed in a hundred différent collections. The fragility and beauty of illustrated manuscripts and the fact that their leaves can be circulated separately thèse are but some ofthe causes of their vicissitudes. To list such works case and an extremely distressing one

In many cases complète inventories of entire works or fragments thereof are not yet available. Even if the public collections are some day provided with inven¬ tories they should hâve, there are still the private collections. As we know only too well, however, not ail collectors are prepared to make their treasures public or to provide infor¬ mation on the misadventures of those treasures. Fortunately the sagacity and dévotion of the specialists compensate for the lack of such inventories. For example, the eminent expert on French miniatures, Count Paul Durrieu, one day noticed the close similarity between an illumi¬ nated leaf in a sale and a famous work which he had already studied. Similarly, Erwin Panofsky, whose érudition and knowledge of mediaeval iconography need not be dwelt on hère, showed remarkable flair in immediately perceiving that an illuminated manuscript fragment reported at Baltimore was part of a work which had long been conserved at the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal. To perceive such similarities requires expert knowledge, ail the more so since in this art works are often only copies, the styles and methods of the members of a particular school are very similar, and artists are sometimes anonymous and frequently conceal their identity out of humility or respect for their masters. In other words, quickly recognizing an isolated miniature and associating it with another painted by the same artist and belonging to the same manuscript is no easy matter. It takes years of research for specialists in this field to attain such mastery of their subject. Fortunately there are well-known cases or cases that deserve to be well known which give us reason to hope, and to encourage Unesco in its efforts on behalf of the reconsti¬ tution of disrnembered works of art. The few examples of reconstitutions given below are highiy instructive in this respect. Their success is due to ail that is best in the human mind; érudition, willingness and enthusiasm. The four fragments of the last work produced in Charlemagne's Scriptorium the Lorsch Gospels were seen to¬ gether for the first time, after three centuries' journeying, at the international exhibition of Carolingian art at Aachen in 1965. Action was taken action based on intelligence, goodwill and generosity of spirit in which institutions in the Fédéral Republic of Germany, Italy, Romania and the United Kingdom participated; and as a resuit the work was reconstituted shortly afterwards in the only form which can is no easy matter.

189

Disrnembered illuminated manuscripts

be contemplated at présent: the publication in its entirety, in colour and in the original size, of this priceless codex, which was then eleven and a half centuries old. This was the Dos Lorscher Evangeliar édition, published in 1967 in Munich by Prestel Verlag, with a scholarly introduction by Wolfgang

Braunfels. The vicissitudes ofthe Lorsch manuscript take us through several centuries of European history. Written and painted around 810, the Gospels are one ofthe most beautiful works ever created in the art of the miniature. Their 235 parchment leaves, with their admirable calligraphy and embellishments, contained six miniatures representing the evangelists, Christ and the Transfiguration. Twelve other leaves contained a concordance of the four Gospels. The incipita, owing to their calligraphy and the alternation of colours (gold, red, etc.), are a magnificent combination of the solemn and the beauti¬ ful. One cannot help being moved by the mastery ofthe artist who rendered this suprême tribute to his God and his Emperor. About the year 820, the manuscript was presented to Lorsch Abbey, near Worms on the Rhine, whose Superior was then Adelung (804-37). After fulfilling their liturgical purpose, the Gospels remained in the library of the Abbey until 1559 as a testimony to the piety and proficiency of those who had gone before. In 1559 the Elector, Otto Heinrich, transferred the most important books and manuscripts from Lorsch to the Palatine Library in Heidelberg, but the Thirty Year's War changed the destiny of this library. In 1622 General Tilly occupied Heidelberg, and in the foUowing year Prince Maximilian of Bavaria handed the Palatine Library over to Pope Urban VIII, who naturally incorporated it in the Vatican Library. When was the manuscript disrnembered? The Lorsch monks repaired the binding in 1479, but it was later on that the manuscript was divided into two parts and that the ivory cover depicting Christ became the first cover of the second part. The dismemberment took place in Rome towards the end of the eighteenth century. Only Part II was left in the Vatican Library, probably without the ivory cover, which found its way into the collections of the Museo Sacro. The first part was bound once more, and its cover became an independent item. In 1785 this manuscript was in Vienna, in the possession of Cardinal Migazzi, who sold it in the same year to Cardinal Ignatius Batthyani, Bishop of Transylvania and a great lover of rare books. Cardinal Batthyani, being a

European art

humanist and book collector, assembled a library of books to give him pleasure in old âge, but did not live to enjoy them. The Alba Iulia institution perpétuâtes his name, and the Lorsch codex remains one of the finest items in the collec¬ tions of Romania.2 What became of the first cover of the manuscript, depict¬ ing the Virgin and Childl From 1623 to the eighteenth century it was probably in a private collection in Rome. We do not hear ofit again until 1853, when it turned up in the collection of Peter Leven in Cologne. It passed in tura through the collec¬ tions of Prince Soltikoff and Webb, and in 1866 was acquired by the Victoria and Albert Muséum, where it is still housed. The moral to be drawn from this long story is that illu¬ minated manuscripts were no longer protected once they ceased to fulfil their original purpose, which was either ritual or, as we shall see later, didactic.3 No one defended them until the scholars of modem times did so. Meanwhile they suffered every conceivable misfortune. The dismemberments occurred chiefly between the fifteenth century when a new spirit (aesthetic or mercantile, but in any case secular) super¬ seded the respect imposed by religion and the nineteenth century, when the value of illuminated manuscripts was dis¬ covered and a new brotherhood of scholars rose to their defence.

Yet the second example of the taking apart of a manu¬ script which we shall cite hère belongs to the nineteenth cen¬ tury. It is probably the most récent case of vandalism. We mention it hère because of the âge of the manuscript, a product ofthe end ofthe fourteenth century. The manuscript is a Carmélite Missal, of which ail we know is that it was written and painted for the White Friars of London between 1376 and 1391. It is impossible to tell just when it was taken apart. The first part is missing: it may hâve been destroyed or it may be in a private collection. It was the second part ofthe Missal which came to grief. At the beginning of the nineteenth cen¬ tury it was in the library ofa London lawyer, Philip Augustus Hanrott. Neither scientific nor religious considérations seem to hâve availed to préserve this volume, which was probably already dilapidated and bereft of its binding. This is appar¬ ently why the owner's children, Philip and May Hanrott, eut out aU the miniatures, historiated initiais and vignettes. A laborious and exhausting opération it must hâve been, for the reconstituted fragments alone number 1,588. This painstaking destruction continued from 1826 until 1833, and the magnificent fragments were carefully classified

190

VirgU Cândea

and pasted into five albums. When Philip Augustus Hanrott's books were sold in 1833 two albums were knocked down to W. Tite, who sold them in 1874 to a Mr Quaritch. The latter resold them to the British Muséum. A third album was purchased by J. Bohn and it is not known what happened to it. Two albums were left in the Hanrott library. In 1845 Henry Shaw consulted them in the course of research and copied a few initial letters into a book, mentioning that they came from 'a manuscript in the possession of Philip Hanrott Esquire'.4 The album seen by Shawwas sold in 1857 to a Mr Knight. It is now in Glasgow University Library. As for the fifth album, in view of the interest shown in their ancestor's collection, the Hanrotts donated it to the British Muséum in 1936.

It was Margaret Rickert of Chicago University who had aroused this interest. The two albums in the British Muséum had long attracted the attention of specialists, since, owing to their beauty, they had been shown in ail the exhibitions of manuscripts held in the British Muséum. Margaret Rickert was the first to realize that the fragments belonged to one and the same manuscript, and ventured to undertake its recon¬ stitution. As the Director evinced little enthusiasm at the prospect of another dismemberment, Margaret Rickert first worked with photocopies. The results convinced the Director, and when the fragments were unstuck, the original places of ail but half a dozen5 were found in the 212 pages of the manuscript. The patience and compétence involved in such a task are beyond ail praise. The position of the miniatures was often identified by means of the notes written on the back. Starting from thèse notes, one could reconstitute a line, and from that line reconstruct a page. Science, and above ail dévotion, can do no more for the reconstitution of a dis¬ rnembered work of art. The fate of the Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame, du Duc Jean de Berry was no less tragic. Written around 1380, some changes and embellishments being made by the artists of the Duke of Berry between 1404 and 1413, thèse Hours 'deserve to be ranked with the most splendid volumes ever made for the Duke of Berry.'6 In 1413 their owner gave them to the keeper of his jewels, Robinet d'Estampes, and the latter took the manuscript apart. The first part, which was illustrated by the Duke of Berry, was in the possession of the d'Estampes family until the beginning of the eighteenth century. In the next century it was in the collections of Count Victor de Saint Mauris and the Barons de Rothschild, and was finally

acquired by the Bibliothèque Nationale, in Paris.7 Robinet d'Estampes gave the second part of the manuscript to Wil¬ liam IV of Hainault-Bavaria, who had it embellished by various masters, including the van Eyck brothers, Jan and Hubert. Another owner added to the illustration around 1440-50. FoUowing a further dismemberment, the fragments of this second volume met différent fates. One part, which was in the collections of the dukes of Savoy and later in the Royal Library of Turin (now the National Library) became known as the Les Heures de Turin} Luckily Paul Durrieu had the idea of publishing a reproduction of it in 1902. Two years later this precious manuscript was destroyed in the fire which ravaged the Turin Library. However, four leaves which had been detached from this part were found in Rome about the middle of the nineteenth century, were later purchased by Jules Maciet, who found them in a Paris dealer's in 1896, and donated them to the Louvre. In the eighteenth century the last part of the second volume belonged first to the Counts of Agliè in Piedmont, and afterwards to the Counts Trivulzio of Milan. This was Les Heures de Milan,9 published in 1911 by Georges Hulin de Loo and acquired by the Museo Civico,

Turin, in

1935.

Les Antiquités Judaïques, by Flavius Josephus, were also written for the Duke of Berry, who was famed for his collec¬ tion of illuminated manuscripts. Only three miniatures of the magnificent codex had been completed when the Duke gave it to his grandson Jacques d'Armagnac, who entrusted the famous Jean Foucquet of Tours, painter to King Louis XI, with the embellishment of the rest. The manuscript had already been split into two parts, and on the death of Jacques d'Armagnac (1477) the first part came into the possession of Pierre de Beaujeu, the future Duke of Bourbon, and the second part disappeared. In 1522 the first part was confiscated and acquired for the King's library, along with other books belonging to the Constable of Bourbon. This part ofthe book can be traced in Fontainebleau, in Paris, and finally in the Bibliothèque Nationale. The study of Jean Foucquet's work has been considerably facilitated by this manuscript, because the artist's name is given at the end of Part I, which made it possible subsequently to identify anonymous works by the same painter.10 In 1903 the collector H. Yates Thompson discovered the second part oî Les Antiquités Judaïques at Sotheby's in Lon¬ don and purchased it. He announced this happy find to the specialists11 and, as twelve leaves ofthe manuscript had been

191

Disrnembered illuminated manuscripts

eut out, he appealed to librarians and collectors to look out for them. He had good news from Sir George F. Warner, who discovered ten of them in the Royal Library at Windsor. With the agreement of H. Yates Thompson, the volume thus reconstituted was donated to the French State by King Edward VII, who presented it personally to Président Fallières in 1906 the most generous action we know of in the history of disrnembered manuscripts. The whole of the precious manuscript, in which are to be found some of 'the most admirable miniatures ever produced at any time in any country'12 was thus restored to the collections of the Biblio¬ thèque Nationale, Paris. The apportionment of Jacques d'Armagnac's books in 1477 led to the dismemberment of another outstanding work by the Parisian miniaturist, Jacques de Besançon. This was the Miroir Historial, a translation by Jean de Vignacy of the famous Spéculum Humanae Salvationis, by Vincent de Beauvais. Written between 1459 and 1463, and embellished a few years later, the manuscript was bound in three volumes in 1477, when Pierre de Beaujeu took possession ofthe first two and Tanneguy Duchâtel of the last one. Volumes I and II had the same fate as the other books in the library ofthe Constable of Bourbon, and reached the Bibliothèque Nationale at the same time as the collections in the King's library. The last volume was discovered in England in 1855 by the Duke d'Aumale, who bought if for the Musée Condé at Chantilly. Its last owner, Lord Stuart of Rothesay, stated that he had obtained it in Switzerland, where it had been kept for a long time.13 The fate of the Livre d'Heures d'Etienne Chevalier is distressing to relate, but it is a typical case ofthe déprédations to which the most remarkable illuminated manuscripts hâve been subjected. This work by Jean Foucquet suffered at the hands of vandals because of its rare beauty. The manuscript was still intact towards the end of the seventeenth century, when Gaignières used it to copy two portraits. It was in the foUowing century that the miniatures were eut out and sold separately. For this purpose the words written in the centre of the miniatures (the opening words of prayers) were scratched out, painted over or covered with decorated fragments of the same manuscript. Six fragments, amounting to forty-five miniatures in ail, hâve been discovered, but the specialists hâve ascertained that there were fifteen others, now destroyed or lost.14 The first fragment and the largest, for it contained forty illuminated leaves was purchased in Basel in 1805 by Georges Brentano-Laroche of Frankfurt, and it was his

European art

descendant Louis Brentano who sold it in 1891 to the Duke d'Aumale for his collection at Chantilly. Another leaf, which belonged to the English poet Rogers in 1 833, was acquired for the collection of the Marquess of Breadalbane and was purchased in 1886 by the British Muséum. Georges Duplessis discovered one leaf in 1881 and purchased it for the Biblio¬ thèque Nationale, Paris. The other three leaves were dis¬ covered by Count Paul Durrieu. One was in the possession of Baron Feuillet de Conches's heirs, who sold it to the Louvre in 1889. The second was identified in the Louvre in 1891. The third was brought to the specialist's notice by the London booksellers, Maggs Brothers, in 1923,15 and was purchased by Viscount Bearsted. Two other leaves were sold at Sotheby's in 1946. They now belong to the Lehman and Widdenstein Collections. If the French collections now hâve the privilège of owning almost ail the fragments which hâve been dis¬ covered, it is thanks to the enthusiasm, knowledge and financial sacrifices of eminent connoisseurs in the art of the miniature such as Paul Durrieu, the Duke d'Aumale, Henri Martin and Georges Duplessis. A very beautiful Livres d'Heures written and painted in the fifteenth century in the workshop of the Dukes of Rohan was reconstituted by Erwin Panofsky, who discovered the missing part in a collection in the United States in 1939.16 The history of the manuscript can be traced to some extent from the seventeenth century, at which time it belonged to D. Matthieu Picquet. The pagination and the binding show that the book was divided into two volumes in the course of the foUowing century. The first volume passed in turn through the collections of the Marquis d'Argenson and the Count Artois before being finally placed in the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal. Volume II was one of the items in the John Boykett Jarman sale in London in 1864 and was purchased by a Mr Boone, who subsequently resold it. Panofsky dis¬ covered it in the Library of John and Alice Garret in Baltimore and identified it as the second part of the Paris manuscript. His wide knowledge and expérience enabled him to see at a glance the relationship between thèse two fragments which were so widely separated. No one could hâve guessed this relationship from the summary description of Volume II given by Seymour de Ricci and W. J. Wilson. The last example of a disrnembered illuminated manu¬ script brings us up to the closing phase of this art. The manu¬ script in question was the work of one of the last great painters in post-Byzantine art, the Romanian Radu Zugravul

192

VirgU Cândea

(second half of the eighteenth century). The 'zographoi' of Eastern Europe and the Near East did the first stage of their apprenticeship in a studio under the direction ofa master, but after that they had to copy the finest icons and frescos in the région. Radu Zugravul gathered his iconographical docu¬ mentation in the oldest churches of Wallachia, the royal Church of Saint Nicholas in Curtea de Arges and the Cozia Monastery Church, both of which date back to the fourteenth century. While copying thèse scènes and portraits he also reproduced them in the churches which he painted himself, thus building up a collection of models of marvellous delicacy and précision. After his death, at the beginning of the nine¬ teenth century, his disciples doubtless contended with each other for it. Some of the illustrated leaves were incorporated in another collection of models, The Sketch-book of Avramie Zugravul of Tîrgoviste, which was acquired by the Library of the Romanian Academy in Bucharest in 1918. What remained of Radu's sketch-book was discovered by the collector D. Pappazoglu. It was placed in the library of the historian and politician Mihail Kogâlniceanu, then was lost sight of for a few décades. Luckily it was identified in the collections of the same library in 1958, and the specialists were able to carry out various studies. When reconstructed, the manuscript pro¬ vided valuable information not only on the technique of the early painters, the art of Radu Zugravul and the end of postByzantine art in Romania, but also on missing frescos which the artist had seen before they were clumsily restored.17 Having given thèse examples of manuscripts taken apart and put together again in whole or in part, we must now draw the appropriate conclusions, which will help us in carrying out future reconstitutions. First of ail, full docu¬ mentation on thèse works is of course indispensable. This means that we must prépare directories of disrnembered illuminated manuscripts along the foUowing lines: Each directory would cover only one school. For instance: a directory of disrnembered manuscripts of the French school of the fifteenth century. It would be advisable for each directory to cover ail the frag¬ ments of manuscripts of the same school to be found in ail the collections in the world (this would mean that each would be an international directory). For this purpose arrangements might be made for international collabo¬ ration between libraries and muséums throughout the world, under Unesco's aegis. At the same time, grants might be made for research in private collections.

The préparation of each directory would be entrusted to a specialist who would work in liaison with the public collections and with scholars undertaking research in private collections, giving them information with a view to standardizing descriptions, and classifying the descrip¬ tions received. A reproduction if possible, in colour of each fragment would be published, and the same process would be used to obviate différences in the colours (e.g. Ektachrome). Spécial attention would be paid to the historical background

of each fragment.18 Descriptions of any fragments discovered would be accompanied by a list, as accurate as possible, of missing frag¬ ments. For instance, Henri Martin listed fifteen miniatures which were missing from the Très Belles Heures de NotreDame du Duc Jean de Berry,19 and a few years later one of thèse miniatures, representing Saint Michael, was dis¬ covered in London. Such directories would hâve the merit of hastening the reconstitution of disrnembered manuscripts; in many cases the fragments would turn up while the catalogue was being prepared. Furthermore, they would be excellent tools for research workers, librarians, museographers, antiquarians and collectors who hâve to deal with unlisted fragments which are still not permanently housed. The directories would also help in the tracking down of fragments which were reported a long time ago in public or private collections but which hâve since changed hands. Finally, they might give a list of the publications required in order to publish ail the fragments of an entire work which had been discovered, this being the most usual means of reconstituting disrnembered illuminated manuscripts. The material reconstitution ofa manuscript does not seem feasible, except in quite rare cases, namely: (a) when the frag¬ ments are in the same library; (b) when the fragments are in the same country and belong to collections coming under the same authority; (c) when arrangements can be made for two or more collections holding the fragments of one and the same work to purchase or exchange them; (d) finally, when overriding considérations might lead to generous gifts such as that made by King Edward VII to France (see above). In other cases, the best procédure is to publish the whole manuscript in colour, with good introductory studies. This is the current practice, and the Lorsch Gospels are an excellent example.

193

Disrnembered iUuminated manuscripts

Lastly, the display of the fragments in temporary inter¬ national exhibitions, as in the case of the Lorsch Gospels in 1965, should be encouraged. The sïght ofthe fragments ofa work more than 1,000 years old, brought together again after centuries of wandering, in the Hall in which the Holy Roman Emperors were crowned at Aachen must hâve moved ail those who were privileged to admire the vénérable Codex aureus. . . . To encourage this kind of action would seem to be completely in keeping with the spirit of international collaboration through science and culture which Unesco endeavours to promote.

NOTES

'It should not be forgotten that books, even when illuminated, must not be appreciated solely for their imagery; there is an art in lettering, as in lay-out' L. M. J. Délaissé, Scriptorium, Wol. 9, 1955, p. 164. 2. Further information conceming this manuscript, its place in Carolingian art, research thereon, etc., will be found in Das Lorscher Evangeliar. Einlettung von Wolfgang Braunfels. Munich, 1967. 3. Mention might also be made of the 'liturgical books whose end was hastened by daily use, which were taken apart to serve as covers for quit-rent books, recipe-books, etc.' Georges Despy, 'Note sur un Fragment de Psautier Insulaire du VIIIe Siècle Conservé aux Archives de l'État de Namur', Scriptorium, Vol. 9, 1955, p. 109. 4. Henry Shaw, Alphabets, Numerals and Devices of the Middle Ages, last plate, London, 1845. 5. Margaret Rickert, 'The Reconstruction of an English Carmélite Missal', Spéculum, Vol. 16, 1941, p. 101. 6. Paul Durrieu, Les Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame, du Duc Jean de Berry, p. 8, Paris, 1922. 7. Paul Durrieu, Les Heures de Turin, 2nd éd., Turin, 1967: cf. Foreword by Albert Chatelet. 8. Paul Durrieu, Les Heures de Turin, Paris, 1902. 9. Georges Hulin de Loo, Heures de Milan. Troisième Partie des Très 1.

Belles Heures de Notre-Dame Enluminées par les Peintres de Jean de France, Duc de Berry, et par Ceux du Duc Guillaume de Bavière, Comte de Hainaut et de Hollande, twenty-eight historiated leaves reproduced from the originals in the Trivulziana Library, Milan: Brussels-Paris, 1911. 10. Paul Durrieu, 'Les Antiquités Judaïques' et le Peintre Jean Foucquet, Paris, 1907-08. 1 1 . Henry Yates Thompson, 'The Romance ofa Book', Burlington Maga¬ zine, May, 1906, p. 80-4. 12. Durrieu, Les Antiquités Judaïques... op. cit., p. 50. 13. Paul Durrieu, Un Grand Enlumineur Parisien au XV Siècle. Jacques de Besançon et son uvre, p. 512, 73-4, Plate I, Paris, 1892. Another disrnembered Miroir Historial (first volume in Leyden, second volume in the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, MS. 5080, third and fourth volumes missing) is mentioned by Henri Martin in La Miniature Française du XIII' au XIV Siècle. Paris. 1923. p. 93.

European art

A list ofthe missing miniatures was drawn up by Henri Martin; cf. Paul Durrieu, Livre d'Heures Peint par Jean Foucquet pour Maître Etienne Chevalier. Le Quarante-cinquième Feuillet de ce Manuscrit Retrouvé en Angleterre, p. 30-1, Paris, 1923. 15. ibid. For the circumstances under which the other discoveries were made, see: F. A. Gruyer, Chantilly Les Quarante Foucquet, Paris, 1897; Georges Lafenestre, Jehan Foucquet, Paris, 1905. 16. Erwin Panofsky, 'Réintégration of a Book of Hours Executed in the Workshop of the Maître des Grandes Heures de Rohan' in Wilhelm R. W. Koehler (éd.), Mediaeval Studies in Memory of A. Kingsley Porter, Vol. II, p. 479-91, Cambridge, 1939. 17. Teodora Voinescu, 'Les Modèles Traditionnels et l'Observation de la Réalité dans la Peinture Valaque du XVIII' Siècle; le Cahier des Modèles de Radu le Zugrav', Revue Romaine d'Histoire de l'Art, No. 4, 1967, p. 59-66. 18. Such indications as to the origin of the fragments and, possibly, their former owners, can be given by owners, Iibrarians or museographers. Much laborious research is required to discover the com¬ plète history ofa manuscript, as may be seen from the studies quoted above. However, the specialists rightly recommend that as soon as a fragment is discovered care be taken to note any factor which might help in ascertaining its origin or date. "The desirability of archivists carefully noting the date and origin ofthe archive documents in which such fragments were discovered cannot be overstressed.' Georges Despy, in Scriptorium, Vol. 2, p. 109. 19. Research workers always try to identify the subjects of missing miniatures when they hâve the bulk of the work. For instance, Paul Durrieu indicated how one might find the two leaves missing from the Antiquités Judaïques (cf. his 1907 éd., p. 37 and No. 3) or the leaves stolen from the Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame, du Duc Jean de Berry (Turin fragment), in the latter case by foUowing up an annotation on f. 38: 'Nel 1725, al mese d'agosto, hanno rubato une mignatura in mezzo a questi due fogli.' (cf. Les Heures de Turin, p. 14.) 14.

194

European art

The Lorsch Gospels Artist Anonymous. School, group, period Scriptorium of the Court of Charlemagne; beginning ofthe ninth century (c. 810).

Holders (a) Batthyaneum Library, Alba Iulia (Roma-

nia). (b) Bibliotheca Apostolica Vaticana, Città del Vaticano (Cat. No. cod. Pal. 50). (c) Victoria and Albert Muséum London (United Kingdom) (Cat. No. 138-1866). (d) Museo Sacro, Città del Vaticano. Shape

Large bound volume at présent comprising four fragments: (a) Part I; (b) Part II; (c) first

cover; (d) second cover. Dimensions (a) 37 cmx 27.1 cm; (b) 37.4 cmx 27.1 cm; (c) 37 cm X 26.5 cm; (d) 38.2 cm x 28.2 cm

Pagination (a) 111 leaves + (b) 124 leaves = 235 leaves.

Support Parchment. Technique

Polychrome painting on gold ground.

Binding Covers each consisting of five carved ivory tablets. As a resuit of dismemberment, the two covers were separated and replaced by modem bindings in the eighteenth century. Iconographie description The text is illustrated by six large miniatures representing Christ, the Ascension and the four Evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The pages are bordered by two ornamented columns. The twelve pages of the canons contain the concordance ofthe Gospels, written in between five decorated columns. Titles, incipita and explicita are richly embellished. The first cover depicts the Virgin and Child, Christ in a médaillon supported by two angels, the Nativity and the Annunciation. The

second depicts Christ standing, the Cross borne by two angels, Herod and the Magi and the Adoration of the Magi.

Distinctive features Renowned for the delicacy and wealth of its ornamentation, this was the last work pro¬ duced in Charlemagne's Scriptorium at Aachen. Previous history Donated to Lorsch Abbey, near Worms on the Rhine, about 820, when Adelung was the Father Superior, the manuscript was trans¬ ferred to the Palatine Library in Heidelberg by the Elector, Otto Heinrich, around 1559. In the course of the Thirty Years' War, General Tilly occupied Heidelberg (1622) and the following year Prince Maximilian of Bavaria gave

195

European art

the Palatine Library to Pope Urban VIII for

Bibliograpby

Dlustratlons

incorporation in the Vatican Library. The dis¬ memberment took place after 1479, when the manuscript was re-bound at Lorsch, and before the beginning of the eighteenth century, when it was already divided into two parts, which were in différent libraries in Rome. Towards the end of the eighteenth century Part II was in the Vatican Library, whUe Part I, which had also been bound, was in the pos¬ session of Cardinal Migazzi, in Vienna, who sold it in 1785 to Cardinal Ignatius Batthyani, Bishop of Transylvania, and the latter kept it in his Alba Iulia Library. As for the ivory covers, the first seems to hâve remained in a private library in Rome from 1623 to the eighteenth century. In 1853 it belonged to the Peter Leven Collection in Cologne, after that it was in the library of Prince Soltikoif, then in the Webb CoUection in London and, finally, in 1866, in the Victoria and Albert Muséum. The second cover remained in the Museo Sacro, in the Vatican.

Menzel, k. et al. 1889. Die Trierer Ada-Hand-

First Ivory Cover, Victoria and Albert Mu¬ séum, London. [Photo: Rob. Braimmilller, Munich.] 2 Canon of Concordance of the Gospels, Batthyaneum Library, Alba Iulia. [Photo:

Suggested reconstitutions

Fragment (b) was mentioned in 1889 in a study on the school of Charlemagne's court. Frag¬ ment (a) was mentioned in 1910 by R, Szentivanyi. The work was reconstituted for the first time in 1965, for the international exhibi¬ tion ofthe Carolingian art at Aachen. A repro¬ duction of the whole manuscript was published in 1967 by Prestel Verlag, Munich, with the co-operation of the four coUections which conserve the fragments and ofthe Volkswagenwerke.

schrift. Leipzig. SzENiTVANYl, Robert. 1910. In Kôzmiivelôdes, No. 30. Brasov. . 1912. Der Codex aureus von Lorsch, jezt in Gyulafehérvâr. Studien und Mitteilungen zur Geschichte des Benediktinerordens. N.F., vol. 2, p. 131-51. LoNGHURST, M. H.; MoREV, C. R. 1928. Covers of the Lorsch Gospels. Spéculum, vol. 3, p. 64-74. 1967. Das Lorscher Evangeliar, Einleitung von Wolfgang Braunfels. Munich, Prestel Verlag.

1

3 4

Batthyaneum.] Saint Matthew, Batthyaneum Library, Alba Iulia. [Photo: Batthyaneum.] Saint John, Vatican Library. [Photo: Rob. BraunmUUer, Munich, Cod. Pal. 50, fol. 67'.]

Drafter: Virgil Cândea.

196

European art

Carmélite Missal Artists English master and Dutch master, both ano¬ nymous.

School, group, period English School, end of the fourteenth century (probably before 1398.)

Holders British Muséum, London (Add. MSS. 29704 + 29705 + 44892). University Library, Glasgow (MS.BD 19h.9, No. 1875). Shape

Volume reconstructed by the putting together of 1,500 fragments which had been eut out and collected in five scrap-books, two of which are lost.

(Add. MSS. 29704 and 29705). He sold them in 1874 to a Mr Quaritch, who resold them to the British Muséum. A third scrap-book was pur¬ chased by J. Bohn in 1 833. This is the one which is now lost. A fourth scrap-book was sold by the family in 1 857 to a Mr Knight. A few letters from this volume, at présent in Glasgow Uni¬ versity Library, were pubUshed in 1845, when it still belonged to the Hanrott family. The last scrap-book was sold to the British Muséum by the Hanrott family in 1936. Suggested reconstitutions The work carried out between 1936 and 1939 by Margaret Rickert of the University of Chicago made it possible to put the fragments back in place and reconstmct most of the Missal. This task, which included the identification of 1,588 fragments in a total of 212 leaves should be regarded as a model of the way in which a dismembered work of art should be reconstituted.

Mention should also be made of the understanding and détermination ofthe Director and Principal Librarian ofthe British Muséum, who lent his support in an extremely délicate opér¬ ation. Bibliography Rickert, Margaret. The Reconstmction of an English CarmeUte Missal. Spéculum, vol. 1 6, p. 92-102. . 1952. The Reconstructed Carmélite Mis¬ sal.

Illustration A page of the manuscript reconstructed by Miss Margaret Rickert: A Miracle Worked by Saint Nicholas, British Muséum. [Photo: British Muséum, Add. MSS. 29704 + 29705 + 44892, fol. 164'.] Drafter: Virgil Cândea.

Dimensions Original manuscript measured 63.9 x 42.5 cm. (Reconstituted: 71 x 54 cm.)

Pagination

A very large part of the volume has been reconstructed (212 leaves).

Support Parchment and paper.

mnôbi«Q)

nAuiipft

Technique

Coloured pen drawings on gold ground. Binding Lost. The reconstructed manuscript is bound in three volumes. Fragment Add. ms. 44892 (41 leaves, 1,091 fragments, 20.5x27 cm) has a green morocco binding.

Saisi It

Iconographie description Episodes from the New Testament (Last Sup¬ per, Nativity of the Virgin, and so on), liturgical scènes, portraits of saints (including ICing Edmund of East AngUa and Saint Louis), Car¬ mélites, and so on.

UtOïft

Distinctive features The miniatures are in three styles one English, one probably English, and one foreign. This third style, which is very close to the 'new style' of the English miniature of the first half of the fourteenth century, gives the Carmélite Missal spécial importance, for it may explain the innovations which were made in the art of the miniature at the end of the fourteenth cen¬ tury. Furthermore, the manuscript is regarded as 'a unique Missal text, iUuminated in a man¬ ner which has not been surpassed in any other manuscript of the period, English or continen¬ tal' (M. Rickert, op. cit., p. 102). Previous history The Missal was written and illustrated before 1398 for the White Friars of London. It is not known under what circumstances the manu¬ script was divided in two and the first part lost. At the beginning of the nineteenth century the second part, the last leaves of which were probably missing, was in the library of PhiUp Augustus Hanrott, a London lawyer and collector. Between 1826 and 1833 his descendants, Philip and May, eut out ail the miniatures, initiais, historiated letters and omaments and pasted them in five scrap-books. When Philip Augustus Hanrott's books were sold in 1833, W. Tite purchased two of the scrap-books

>gi!totnr

\

\aatmt(a pSan (DM

'^ K'^jJ^'*-

:Jiei.jjaFi^^ir^gtas.'^-v--*'

-i^vai

197

European art

Les Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame, du Duc Jean de Berry Artists Masters of the Duke of Berry and others, including Jan van Eyck. School, group, period Flemish School, first half of the fifteenth cen¬

tury (miniatures); c. 1380 (text). Holders

A. Bibliothèque Nationale (Paris), NouveUes Acquisitions Latines 3093.

Bi. Biblioteca Nazionale (Turin), ras. K IV 29 (destroyed).

B2-3. Louvre, (Paris). Bj. Museo Civico (Turin), ms. 117. Form Volume divided into seven fragments (A, Bi, B2-3, Be). Some leaves hâve not been found. Bi was destroyed. Dimensions

The original manuscript must hâve comprised about 325 leaves (92 of which were illustrated). Présent pagination: 31 iUustrated leaves (A) + 92 leaves (Bi)+4 leaves (Bj- 3) +28 illustrated leaves (Be).

Support Parchment Technique

Coloured drawings. Binding Lost. Replaced by bindings of a later period: red morocco with coats of arms, beginning of the eighteenth century (A) and red morocco binding, end of the eighteenth or beginning of the nineteenth century (B,). Iconographie description About 280 paintings Oarge miniatures, histo¬ riated initiais, borders at the bottom ofthe text, rich ornamentation around the pages, consist¬ ing of sprigs of hoUy in gold and in colour). The iconography is that usually found in Books of Hours: épisodes from the Bible, parables, important feasts, apostles, saints.

Distinctive features The work is one of the last manuscripts of great value produced by Jean de Berry's miniaturists and at the same time the epitome of the fifteenth-century Flemish miniature. Thèse Hours 'deserve to be ranked with the most splendid volumes ever made for the Duke of Berry' P. Durrieu, Les Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame, du Duc Jean de Berry, p. 8, Paris, 1922.

Previous history

Written around 1380, some changes and embellishments being made by the masters of the Duke of Berry between 1404 and 1413, the manuscript was given by the Duke to the keeper of his jewels. Robinet d'Estampes, in 1413. The new ovvTier separated the finished part, which was Ulustrated, from the rest and made of it a first part, which he gave to his son, Robert II d'Estampes (the efiîgy of a lady of Beauvillier, probably the wife of Robert II, is to be seen on one of the pages). The flrst part (A) remained in the family until the beginning of the eighteenth century; in 1707 it belonged to Philippe-Charles d'Estampes (the binding bears the arms of the latter's wife, JeanneMarie du Plessis-Chatillon). Other owners were Count Victor de Saint-Mauris, Baron Adolphe

198

European art

de Rothschild (around 1849) and Baron Mau¬ rice de Rothschild. U disappeared during the First World War, but is now in the Biblio¬ thèque Nationale. Robinet d'Estampes gave the second part of the manuscript (B) to Wil¬ liam IV of Hainault-Bavaria. The latter had the embellishment of the volume continued between 1415 and 1430, by artists who added fifteen pictures, fifty small miniatures and a Calendar written in a hand imitating that ofthe Duke of Berry's scribes. Another owner a lord of Brabant completed the illustration around 1440-50. Jan van Eyck's contribution dates back to the years 1419-24. Part (B) was subsequently divided into two, and some leaves were lost. Part (Bj) became part of the coUections ofthe Duke of Savoy. In 1720 King Victor Amadeus donated it to the Royal Library of Turin (now the Bibliotheca Nazio¬ nale), where the manuscript was known as Les Heures de Turin. It was bumt in the fire which destroyed the library on 25 January 1904,

and only a few charred fragments remained. However, Paul Durrieu had published a repro¬ duction of the whole book two years earlier. Around the middle of the nineteenth century the painter Schnetz, Director of the Académie de France at the Villa Médicis, and Mon¬ seigneur de Falloux, who also lived in Rome, told the Paris publisher Curmer ofthe existence of four leaves which had been detached from the manuscripts (B2_s). The latter pubUshed a reproduction of them in his édition of Foucquet's works (Paris, 1866). In 1896 Jules Maciet discovered the leaves in a Paris dealer's, purchased them and donated them to the Louvre. The last section of Part B (that is, (Bs)) belonged in the eighteenth century first to the Counts of Agliè of Piedmont, then to the Counts Trivulzio of Milan, who probably pur¬ chased it in 1768. This is the part known as Les Heures de Milan; it was sold to the Museo Civico, Turin, in 1935.

Suggested reconstitutioiis

The fragments were studied by Paul Durrieu and Georges Hulin de Loo. The former put forward an ingenious hypothesis for the recon¬ stitution of the whole work, but publication of ail the fragments has not yet been undertaken. Bibliography Curmer, Louis. 1866. L' de Jehan Foucquet. Vol. I-II. Paris. DiTRRiEU, P. 1902. Les Heures de Turin. Paris. (A second édition, with a Foreword by Albert Chatelet, was published in Turin in 1967). . 1910. Les Très Belles Heures de NotreDame, du Duc Jean de Berry. Revue Archéologique, vol. 2, p. 30-51, 246-79. . 1911. Les Aventures des Deux Splendides Livres d'Heures ayant Appartenu au Duc Jean de Berry. Revue de VArt Ancien et Moderne, vol. 30, p. 91-103. Hulin de Loo, Georges. 1911. Heures de Milan. Troisième Partie des Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame Enluminées par les Peintres de Jean de France, Duc de Berry, et par Ceux du Duc Guillaume de Bavière, Comte de Hainaut et de Hollande. Vingt-huit Feuillets

Historiés Reproduits d'Après les Originaux de la Bibliothèque Trivulziane de Milan. Brussels and Paris. Durrieu, P. 1922. Les Très Belles Heures de Notre-Dame, du Duc Jean de Berry. Paris.

Illustrations / The Présentation, Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. [Photo: Bibliothèque Nationale, Nou¬ velles Acquisitions lat. 3093, fol. 56.] 2 Christ Teachlng His Apostles the Paternoster. Fol. 60' ofthe fragment held by the Biblioteca Nazionale, Turin, and destroyed in the 1904 fire. [Reproduced in P. Durrieu, Les Heures de Turin, PI. XXXVIII, Paris, 3

1902.] The Birth of Saint John the Baptist, minia¬ ture by Jan van Eyck and his assistants, Museo Civico, Turin. [Photo: Museo Civi¬ co, Turin, ms. 47.]

Drafter: Virgil Cândea.

200 European art

Antiquités Judaïques de Flavius Josèphe Artist

Duke of Berry's illuminator; later Jean Foucquet and probably Jean Poyet. School, group, period French School, early fifteenth century to about 1470-75.

Holder Bibliothèque^Nationale (Paris), ms. fr. 247 (I); NouveUes Acquisitions Françaises. 21013 (II). Shape

Volume divided into two parts. Dimensions

40.5x29 cm (Part I); 37.5x27 cm (Part II). Pagination 311 leaves

(I)+298 (II). Two leaves missing.

Support Parchment. Technique

Coloured drawings. Binding

Original binding lost. Présent binding Icmoncoloured morocco with the arms of Louis XV (Part I) and red morocco, eighteenth century (Part ID. Iconographie description Marriage of Adam and Eve; history of Joseph, son of Jacob; the Hebrews in the désert; the Hebrews fighting the Canaanites and the Rébel¬ lion and Punishment of Korah, Dathan and Abiram; the capture of Jéricho; the defeat of the Sons of EU and the transfer of the Ark of the Covenant to the town of Azotus; David's despair on hearing of the death of Saul; the building of the Temple at Jérusalem; Shalmaneser leading the ten tribes of Israël into captivity; the capture of Jérusalem by Nebuzaradan; the clemency of Cyrus; the stmggle ofthe Maccabees (Jonathan and Simon) against Bacchides; Pompey in the Temple in Jérusa¬ lem; Herod's entry into Jérusalem; ten biblical épisodes.

Distinctive features 'One has only to look at his work in Josephus' manuscript, to discem in this illuminator an artist of the first rank. . . . The picture illustrating the Clemency of Cyrus in particular is one of the most admirable miniatures ever executed at any time in any country.' P. Durrieu, Les Antiquités Judaïques, op. cit., p. 50. The note at the end of Part I indicating the name of the artist is of great importance in the study of Jean Foucquet's work, for it has led to the identification of other works by this artist.

Previous history From 1403 to 1413 the manuscript belonged to John, Duke of Berry, for whom it had been written and embellished (at that time it com¬ prised only the first three miniatures). The Duke gave it to his grandson Jacques d'Ar¬ magnac, Duke of Nemours, who had the other twelve large miniatures executed by Jean Foucquet of Tours, painter to King Louis XI. At this stage the manuscript had already been divided into two parts. D'Armagnac died in 1477 and Part I came into the possession of Pierre de Beaujeu, the future Duke of Bourbon, who bequeathed it to his daughter Suzanne, wife of Chartes, Constable of Bourbon (1503). In 1522 it was confiscated and placed in the

202

European art

Miroir Historial de Vincent

de Beauvais

Artist Jacques de Besançon.

Support Parchment.

School, group, period French School, second half of fifteenth century.

Coloured drawings.

Holders Bibliothèque Nationale (Paris), mss. fr. 50, 51 (Parts I and II). Musée Condé (Chantilly), ms. 722 (1196) (Part III). Shape

Manuscript divided into Parts I, II and III. Pagination 484 leaves (III).

tt^cvu

Technique

Binding The binding of Parts I-Il was changed so that the marks left by the first owner could be removed. Part III still has its original binding of crimson velvet with blocked designs, large gilded copper studs, omamental corners and clasps. Coat of arms of the Duke of Nemours. Iconographie description The three parts contain 506 miniatures (I, 21 1 ; II, 1 85 ; III, 110) with a variety of subjects taken from sacred history, including épisodes from the Bible, portraits of saints, épisodes from their lives, scènes from the life of the Virgin.

Distinctive features 'AU thèse miniatures were painted by Jacques de Besançon and some of them rank with his best work.' P. Durrieu, Un Grand Enlumineur Parisien au XV' Siècle, Jacques de Besançon et son Oeuvre, p. 73, Paris, 1892. Previous history

The manuscript was written by Gilles Gracien between 1459 and 1463 for Jacques d'Ar¬ magnac, Duke of Nemours. It was illuminated

203

European art

some years later by Jacques de Besançon. In 1477, on the death of the Duke, Parts I and II were taken by Pierre de Beaujeu, the future Duke of Bourbon, who replaced Jacques d'Armagnac's coat of arms and motto by his ovm. Thèse two parts probably went the same way as Pierre de Bourbon's other books (cf. Les Antiquités Judaïques..., 1907-08), and were placed in the Bibliothèque Nationale along with the collections from the King's library. The thirdpart was acquired by Tanneguy Duchâtel in 1477. After that time we hâve no trace of it until 1855, when the Duke d'Aumale dis¬ covered it in England and purchased it from Lord Stuart of Rothesay, who said that he had acquired it in Switzerland, where it had been kept for a long time.

Suggested reconstitutions

Dlustratlons

Publication of the whole manuscript (the three parts) in a scientific édition.

/

Bibliography Durrieu, P. 1892. Un grand enlumineur parisien au XV siècle, Jacques de Besançon et son p. 51-2, 73-4, Plate I. Paris. 1900. Chantilly, Cabinet des Livres Manuscrits, Part I, Introduction, VIII, note and p. 75-7. Paris. P. 1907-08. Les 'Antiquités ju¬ daïques' et le peintre Jean Foucquet. p. 17, 20. Paris.

fn^f -*«» ft
K WKlut

ytintt {téttuttnt-

J

3

Durrieu,

m. f

2

Salome Presenttng the Head of Saint John the Baptist to Herod, BiMiothèque Natio¬ nale, Paris. [Photo: Bibliothèque Nationale, ms. fr. 50, fol. 222.] The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine, Biblio¬ thèque Nationale, Paris. [Photo: Biblio¬ thèque Nationale, ms. fr. 51, fol. 97.] The Coronation of Lothair. Musée Condé, ChantiUy. [Photo: Giraudon, ms. 722/1196, fol. 245.]

hfm-tom\

n Jttfititt-'M >i»j (iM/ir>i(t^K\Vit(n'nw*ii(i* lfi>«>tcifam
:f,HHt HMltrtntfilirtiiaifii

|t fi\fciu mritt ltmi/WtUcnJfrw,Ç|!^^^^T^î?S?rïTfcTtfTtoi\hirii'm

Drafter: VirgU Cândea.

204

European art

Livre d'Heures d'Etienne Chevalier Artist Jean Foucquet.

School, group, period French School, second half of the fifteenth century.

Holders (a) Musée Condé (Chantilly), MS. 71. (b) British Muséum (London), Addit. MS. 37421. (c) BiMiothèque Nationale (Paris), NouveUes

Acquisitions, lat. 1416. (d) Louvre (Paris). (e) Louvre (Paris), Coll. Sauvegeot. (f) Upton House (Banbury), Collection of Viscount Bearsted. (g) Wildenstem Foundation Inc. (New York), (h) Lehman Collection.

Form Disrnembered volume of which 45 leaves re¬ main in 6 fragments (a)-(f). Dimensions

Not known with certainty, for only the minia¬ tures hâve been conserved: (0, 20.3 x 14.2 cm; (g), 20.2 x 14.6 cm; (h), 19.6 x 14.5 cm. Pagination

Not known with certainty, for the leaves which had no miniatures on them were probably destroyed. The manuscript consisted of about 60 illuminated leaves, of which 15 hâve stiU to be found. Présent pagination: (a) 40 leaves, + (b) l, + (c) I, + (d) l, + (e) l, + (f) l, + (g) l. + (h) 1 = 47 leaves.

Support Parchment.

Techniques

Coloured drawings.

Biruling Missing. The leaves at the Musée Condé bave been framed. Iconographie description The iconography usually found in Books of Hours: Life ofthe Virgin; the Passion of Christ, Saint Paul; Saint James the Little; Saint Andrew; Saint Peter; Saint John the Evan¬ gelist; Saint Catherine; Saint Nicholas; Saint Hilary; Saint Thomas Aquinas; épisodes from the lives ofthe saints; important feasts. Previous history This manuscript, painted some time between 1452 and 1460 for Etienne Chevalier, a highranking officiai and statesman of the fifteenth century, remained in the latter's famUy untU 1630, the year in which Nicolas Chevalier, Baron of Crissé died. The scholar Gaignières (d. 1715) saw the manuscript in its original form. Some time after 1715 the miniatures were eut out and sold as independent works. For this purpose the words in the centre of the miniatures (the opening words of prayers) were scratched out, painted over or covered with embeUished fragments from the same manu¬ script. Fragment (a) was purchased in Basel in 1805 by Georges Brentano-Laroche of Frank¬ furt. His descendant Louis Brentano sold it in

205

European art

1891 to the Duke d'Aumale for the Musée Condé, Chantilly. Fragment (b) belonged to the English poet Rogers at the beginning ofthe nineteenth century. Passavant saw it in this coUection in 1833. It subsequently became part of the coUection of the Marquess of Breadalbane. It was purchased by the British Muséum at the BaiUie Hamilton sale in 1886. Fragment (c) was discovered in 1881 by Georges Duples¬ sis and purchased for the BiMiothèque Natio¬ nale, Paris, with the help of the Duke de la Trémoille. Fragment (d) was purchased in 1889 from the heirs of Baron Feuillet de Conches by Paul Durrieu, who donated it to the Louvre in 1891 (Sauvageot Bequest). In 1923 the London booksellers Maggs Brothers brought fragment (f) to the notice of Paul Durrieu, who published a reproduction of it in Paris. This leaf is at présent in Viscount Bearsted's collection. Two other leaves were sold at Sotheby's in 1946 and are at présent in the Lehman and Wildenstein Collections.

Suggested methods of reconstitution Henri Martin made a list of the miniatures in the original manuscript in their original order, and identified the fifteen or so which bave yet to be found.

Bibliography Waagen, 1837-39. Kunstwerke und Kiinstler In England und Paris. Vol. I, p. 514; vol. III, p. 371-2. Beriin. (Attribution of the frag¬ ments to Jean Foucquet.) Curmer, Louis. 1866. L'auvre de Jehan Foucquet. Vol. I-II. Paris. Duplessis, G. 1881. In: Bulletin de la Société des Antiquaires de France, p. 79. (Frag¬ ment (c).) Durrieu, P. 1891. Un quarante-quatrième fragment des Heures de maître Etienne Chevalier retrouvé au Musée du Louvre. Bulletin des musées, November. (Frag¬ ment (e).) Gruyer, F. A. 1897. Chantilly, les quarante Foucquet. Paris.

Leprieur, p. 1897. Revue de Part ancien et moderne. Vol. 2, p. 29. (Fragment (b).) Lafenestre, Georges. 1905. Jehan Foucquet. Paris.

Durrieu, P.

1923. Livre d'heures peint par Jean Foucquet pour maître Etienne Cheva¬ lier. Le quarante-cinquième feuillet de ce

manuscrit retrouvé en Angleterre. Paris.

Dlustrations / The Coronation of the Virgin, miniature by Jean Foucquet, fragment in the Musée Condé, ChantiUy. [Photo: Giraudon, ms. 71, fol. 13.]

2

3

David at Prayer, miniature by Jean Fouc¬ quet, fragment in the British Muséum. [Photo: British Muséum, ms. Add. 37421.] The Family of the Virgin, fragment in the Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris. [Photo: Bi¬ bliothèque Nationale, Nouvelles Acquisi¬ tions Françaises, 1416.]

Drafter: Virgil Cândea.

206

European art

Livre d'Heures du Maître des Grandes Heures de Rohan missing from the Hours of the Holy Spirit, another from the Fifteen Joys of the Virgin and the last part of the Spécial Orisons.

Workshop ofthe Dukes of Rohan.

Support Parchment.

School, group, period French School, fifteenth century.

Illuminated drawings (colours and gold).

Artist

Technique

Holders (a) BiMiothèque de l'Arsenal (Paris) ms. 647. (b) Library of John and Alice Garret (Balti¬ more, Md) ms. Census 48,

Binding

Shape

Iconographie description Calendar; épisodes from the Gospels; épisodes from the life of the Virgin; the Passion of Christ; iconography usually found in Books of Hours. In ail, some twenty-four illuminated leaves. The part corresponding to Saint Luke is missing from the Calendar. One leaf is

Volume divided into two parts, (a) and (b). Dimensions

(a) 22 X 16.4 cm; (b) 21.5 x 16 cm. Pagination

(a) 121 leaves + (b) 105 leaves = 226 leaves.

Original binding missing. Replaced by (a), an eighteenth-century binding; and (b), a nineteenth-century binding.

Distinctive features Work reintegrated by one of the most eminent specialists in mediaeval art and iconography, Erwin Panofsky. Previous liistory The history of the manuscript can be traced in part from the seventeenth century onwards. In 1688 it belonged to D. Matthieu Picquet. Judging from the pagination and the binding, the book was divided into two volumes in the eighteenth century. The Marquess of Argenson purchased the first volume for £72 and sold it to the Count of Artois in 1785. This volume was subsequently placed in the Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal. The second volume turned up at the John Boykett Jarman sale in London on 13 June 1864 and was purchased by a Mr Boone, who had it re-bound. This is the part which now belongs to the Garret Collection.

Suggested reconstitutions In 1939 Erwin Panofsky discovered that the two volumes belonged to the same manuscript, found out how the whole manuscript had been arranged and drew attention to the lacunae. To reconstitute it, a scientific édition would hâve to be published, in which the manuscript would be reproduced in its entirety.

j

;;"

j-

*\

y

-H

Bibliography Martin, H. 1885. Catalogue général des manu¬ scrits des bibliothèques publiques de France. I: Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, p. 487. Paris. Ricci, Seymour de; Wilson, W. J. 1935. Census of mediaeval and renaissance manuscripts in the U.S. and Canada. Vol. 1, no. 48, p. 873. Panofsky, Erwin. 1939. Réintégration of Book of Hours executed in the Workshop of the Maître des Grandes Heures de Rohan. In: WUhelm R. W. Koehler (éd.), Mediaeval studies in memory of A. Kingsley Porter. Vol. II, p. 479-91. Cambridge.

Illustration Adoration ofthe Christ Child, Bibliothèque de l'Arsenal, Paris. [Photo: Bibliothèque Natio¬ nale, ms. 647, fol. 41.]

Drafter: Virgil Cândea.

L*. V-'

1É' lïji

fi

207

European art

Painter' S Guide by Radu Zugravul Artist Radu Zugravul (i.e. 'the painter'), son of Mihai. School, group, period Romanian school, second half ofthe eighteenth century (c. 1758-1802).

Holder

Library ofthe Academy ofthe Socialist Repub¬ lic of Romania (Bucharest), Manuscript Sec¬ tion, (a) ms. rom. 5307 and (b) ms. rom. 4602. Shape

Sketch-book (a) from which a number of leaves bave been detached and included in another sketch-book (b). Dimensions 15x22 cm.

Pagination (a) 53 ff + an unspecifled number of leaves bound in (b). Support Heavy yellowish white paper and lighter ruled and filigreed white paper towards the end ofthe sketch-book. Technique Pen and pencil drawings (sepia and black ink)

coloured with water colours (vegetable sub¬ stances).

Biruling Missing.

Iconographie description One or two models on the same leaf, not in any particular order, representing saints and scènes from the lives of the saints, épisodes from the Bible, liturgical thèmes, portraits of donors, the Zodiac, the Last Judgement, oecumenical councils.

Distinctive features The models are copied from frescos in fourteenth-century Romanian buildings. The painter's mastery and accuracy enable us to reconstitute the frescos which hâve been destroyed and, above aU, facilitate the study of the technique eraployed by the old 'zographoi' of post-Byzantine Christian art. The sketchbook, which is the last masterpiece of Roma¬ nian mediaeval painting, also contains studies

and paintings from life which show the new trends towards profane art in south-east Europe at the time. Previous history

Radu Zugravul ('the painter'), son of the 'zugrav' Mihai, got together his iconographie documentation by copying the décoration of the oldest buildings in his native Wallachia the royal Church of Saint Nicholas in Curtea de Arges and the Cozia Monastery church, both dating back to the fourteenth century and engravings from books printed in Romania in the seventeenth century. The same models as those in the sketch-book are found in the churches painted by Radu at Gura Vàii and Brâdet in Wallachia between 1758 and 1761. Some of the leaves were detached from the

209

European art

Dlustrations 1 Virgin and Child, Library of the Romanian Academy. [Photo: I. Hozoc, ms. rom. 5307, p. 20.] 2 Virgin and Child, Library of the Romanian Academy. [Photo: I. Hozoc, ms. rom. 5307, p. 20.] 3 The Holy Trinity, Library of the Romanian Academy. [Photo: I. Hozoc, ms. rom. 5307, p. 38.] 4 The Forty Martyrs, the Archangels Mlchael and Gabriel and Saint Ephraim the Syrian, Library ofthe Romanian Academy. [Photo: I. Hozoc, ms. rom. 5307, p. 42.]

5 Saint John the Baptist, Library of the Ro¬ manian Academy. [Photo: I. Hozoc, ms. rom. 4602, p. 79.] 6 Saints Serglus and Bacchus and the Hermlts Peter, Mark and Macarlus, Library of the Romanian Academy. [Photo: I. Hozoc, ms. rom. 4602, p. 117.]

Drafter: Virgil Cândea.

Disrnembered tombs

French sculpture

Pierre Quarré

On the occasion of the Ninth General Assembly of ICOM, the Fine Arts Muséum of Dijon is holding an exhibition on the thème of 'Mourners' in Mediaeval European Art. In France and the other Western European countries, from the thirteenth century onwards, many tombs were decorated with high reliefs, either on their sides or on the walls ofthe funerary niche in which they were placed, representing the ceremony of absolution or members of the bereaved family, who were shown under a séries of arcatures. In France, most of thèse tombs were either destroyed or mutilated at the time ofthe Révolution; and the only way of visualizing what they originally looked like is to consult seventeenth- or eighteenth-century drawings of them, in par¬ ticular those by Roger de Gaignières. At Dijon, orders were given, in 1793, to destroy the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy, which had been transferred from the Carthusian monastery at Champmol to the church of Saint Benignus; but, as the 'mourners' escaped destruction, it was possible, in 1827, to reconstitute thèse tombs in the muséum, though some ten statuettes were missing. The tombs which, iconographically speaking, bore the closest resemblance to the tomb of Duke Philippe le Hardi were the tomb of his brother Duke Jean de Berry and that of Charles de Bourbon and Agnès de Bourgogne. Ail the arca¬ tures on this last tomb, which is still in the abbey church at Souvigny, hâve been mutilated, and only one of the 'mour¬ ners' carved by Jacques Morel is still in its place. Ail that remains ofthe tomb of Jean de Berry, which is in the crypt of Bourges cathedral, is the damaged recumbent figure; the statuettes hâve been dispersed. We think that for the duration of the exhibition, we can assemble, round the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy, the marble and alabaster statuettes of 'mourners' from the tomb of Jean de Berry, and reconstitute the disrnembered tomb of Pierre de Bauffremont, the Chamberlain of Philippe le Bon, with its reliefs of 'mourners' carved out of Tournai stone, which was formerly in the church of Saint Benignus in Dijon.

THE TOMBS OF PHILIPPE LE HARDI PEUR, DUKES OF BURGUNDY

In

AND JEAN SANS

1385 Philippe le Hardi, brother to King Charles V, who had taken possession of Burgundy in 1364 as apanaged duke, founded the Carthusian monastery at Champmol where, as

211

Disrnembered tombs

clearly indicated in his will dated 1386, he wished to be buried. That same year artisans and stone-cutters, including Claus de Haine from Tournai and Philippe van Eram, were working, under the supervision of Jean de Marville, on the alabaster structures that were to go round the base, and fashioning a séries of niches, rectangular ones alternating with small triangular ones, deep enough to take the figures in the funeral cortège. Claus Sluter, a native of Haarlem in the Netherlands, who, before being summoned to Dijon in 1385, had been on the register of stone-cutters in Brussels, succeeded Jean de Mar¬ ville, in 1389, as sculptor to the Duke. He left the tomb half finished in order to work on the statues on the portai of the Carthusian monastery and the ducal oratory, the décoration of the Castle of Germolles and the 'Well of Moses', with its prophets and angles and the figures in the Calvary which stood in the middle of the large cloister. It is clear from the contract signed by the new duke, Jean sans Peur, and his sculptor that only two statuettes, or the models for them, had been carved, when Philippe le Hardi died, in 1404. Claus Sluter, who had already retired to the Monastery of Saint-Étienne in Dijon, and was to die in January 1406, was responsible for the design of thèse 'mour¬ ners' clad in heavy mourning cloaks, and hoods bowed down by grief or expressing their sorrow by véhément gestures. But most of the work of executing the statues fell to Claus de Werve, his nephew and successor, who completed the tomb in 1410. It was he who carved the recumbent figure with its feet resting on a lion and the kneeling angels holding the helmet.1 Round the base there were forty-one statuettes; the two small altar-boys bearing candlesticks, at the head of the funeral cortège, occupied only one place. The other statuettes were from 39 to 41 cm high, except for that of the figure sprinkling holy water, which measured only 35 cm. Although the représentation of 'mourners' had been tra¬ ditional in Burgundy since the thirteenth century, this was the first time that the bereaved and the clerics preceding them were depicted in the round. In the alabaster niches in which they were placed separately or in pairs there was no need for them to be shown facing the viewer or moving forward with unnatural regularity on the contrary, this arrangement meant that a variety of gestures and attitudes could be depicted. Jean sans Peur decided to hâve a tomb in the choir of the

French sculpture

Carthusian monastery at Champmol resembling that of his father. Claus de Werve was commissioned to build this tomb, but aU he did was to look for suitable materials and, no doubt, to make a 'portrait' ofthe recumbent figures ofthe Duke and ofthe Duchess, Marguerite de Bavière. He died in 1439; and it was not until 1443 that Philippe le Bon signed a contract with Jean de la Huerta, from Daroca in Aragon, for the carving of his father's grave, which was to be 'as good as or better than' that of Duke Philippe le Hardi. The alabaster arcatures, which were more intricately worked, were designed to take the same number of 'mourners' as the tomb of Phi¬ lippe le Hardi, i.e. forty-one statuettes in aU. Due to the difnculty of carving the recumbent figures out of Salins ala¬ baster, and also to the Duke's failure to carry out one of the clauses of the contract, Jean de la Huerta who was in any case an unreliable character left Dijon for good in 1457, without completing the sculptures of the 'mourners'. To finish off the work, Philippe le Bon, on the ad vice of his sister, Agnès de Bourgogne, enlisted the services of Antoine le Moiturier of Avignon, nephew to Jacques Morel who had built the tomb of Duke Charles de Bourbon and his duchess, on the model of the tomb of Philippe le Hardi, in the abbey church of Souvigny. Both the recumbent figures and the mourners were completed by 1470.2 The 'mourners' on this tomb, though ail based on the same models, are in two différent styles. Certain of the statu¬ ettes, of indiffèrent quality, were the work of studio hands, perhaps Guillaume Amy and Jehannin Costeke, who copied the 'mourners' slavishly from the tomb of Philippe le Hardi, whereas Jean de la Huerta and Antoine le Moiturier were much freer in the exécution of their work. In 1791, after the seizure ofthe Carthusian monastery, it was sold to Emmanuel Crétet3 as national property, and the tombs of Philippe le Hardi and Jean sans Peur were trans¬ ferred, in 1792, to the Church of Saint Benignus, while the alabaster figures of the mourners, which had been 'Ieadplugged' were removed from the black marble slabs. At this time, as stated by the sculptor Attiret in his report, ail the statuettes were there.4 The Conseil Général of the commune of Dijon, after receiving a request from the provisional administrators of the workshop of Saint Benignus, decided that the tombs ofthe former dukes of Burgundy should be destroyed,5 but requested, none the less, that the 'little statues of Car¬ thusian friars' the 'mourners' should be preserved and put in some suitable place. By 1794, however, only seventy

212 Pierre Quarré

statuettes remained in the abbey. This is the figure given in the 'inventory of the remains of the tombs of the ci-devant dukes, removed at the time when thèse monuments were destroyed'; they included a pair of altar-boys. Thèse statu¬ ettes, which appear in the first catalogue of the Dijon Muséum, were exhibited to the public in the year VII, in the

'Statuary Hall'. By 1818, when the Conseil Général of the Côte d'Or granted the funds necessary for the reconstitution of the tombs, the two statuettes of altar-boys had disappeared; but the architect Claude Saintpère, who was engaged on the restoration work under the supervision of the curator, Charles-Balthazar Févret of Saint-Mémin, had bought back from M. de Saint-Thomas, a Lyons art-lover, two statuettes which the latter had received from Louis-Bénigne Baudot, an archaeologist living in Dijon who wrote an account of the revolutionary events that took place there. The tombs were reconstituted in the 'Guard Room', the great hall of the former ducal mansion, which was part of the muséum. When this hall was thrown open to the public in 1827, there were eighty statuettes grouped round the two tombs, i.e. ten more than the restorers had in hand. They had put the existing 'mourners' back into the alabaster niches, without bothering about which belonged to which ofthe two tombs, and without référence to the material incomplète, it is true which they might hâve consulted. In order to fill the empty spaces, they had added to the genuine 'mourners'6 ten statuettes carved by the sculptors Joseph Moreau and Victor Couchery, who had taken part in the reconstitution of the tombs. Thèse 'mourners' are now exhibited in the Dijon Muséum as examples of romantic imagery, except for one which was presented to Percy Moore Turner in 1945. The curator ofthe Muséum, Févret de Saint-Mémin, is shown wearing the same costume as the mourners, with a rosary in his hand; whiist the sculptor, Marion de Semur, is portrayed in working garb, and the architect, Claude Saintpère, in town attire. When Victor Hugo visited the muséum in 1839, he was greatly surprised to see this frock-coated 'mourner'. One of the 'mourners' had been wrongly thought to be blowing his nose with his fingers, so the restorer had repre¬ sented one of the new statuettes as a 'mourner' picking his ears!

In

1932, under the supervision

of Lt-Colonel Andrieu,7

the figures in the funeral cortège were sorted out and the statuettes allocated to the two tombs in accordance with the

old drawings of them. In 1945, when the 'mourners' which had been evacuated, during the war, to Châteauneuf were returned, further changes were made8 on the basis of recently acquired eighteenth-century drawings; at the same time, we removed a fake 'mourner', put back two statuettes which had been eliminated by mistake in 1932 and also the four original statuettes which had recently been found. The National Muséums Administration had authorized the transfer to Dijon of two statuettes which were in the Cluny Muséum the last 'mourner' (No. 40) belonging to the tomb of Philippe le Hardi and a statuette (No. 68) from the tomb of Jean sans Peur.9 One of thèse 'mourners', which had been seized by a second-hand dealer by the name of Bartholomey in 1793 had found its way into the Niel Collection and the other into the Duke of Hamilton's collection. Also, one ofthe pairs of altar-boys was returned to its place at the end of the cortège round the tomb of Jean sans Peur, one of thèse statuettes having been donated by Percy Moore Turner, the other coming from the Sculpture Department of the Louvre. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, three 'mour¬ ners' from the tomb of Philippe le Hardi (Nos. 18, 35, 38) and one from the tomb of Jean sans Peur (No. 67) were in the possession of Mr Hocquart, a Dijon coUector who had bought them from a second-hand dealer; they then passed first into the Edouard de Broissia Collection and thence into the Schickler Collection; in 1939, they were acquired by Mr Clarence Mackay, who donated them to the Cleveland Muséum of Art.10 The 'mourner' which L. B. Baudot handed over to his nephew Perret-Carnot is still in the possession of the latter's family. The figure sprinkling holy water on the tomb of Jean sans Peur has not yet been found; Richard de Vesvrotte left it to his son, and we hâve lost aU trace of it since the middle of the nineteenth century. The two altar-boys that followed the figure sprinkling holy water, which were on the tomb of Philippe le Hardi, were doubtless smashed in 1792, when thèse fragile little figures were detached from the tomb.

TOMB OF DUKE JEAN DE BERRY

Jean de Berry originally wished to hâve his tomb erected in the choir of Bourges cathedral, but later chose as his burial place Sainte Chapelle in Bourges, which he commissioned Guy and Drouet de Dammartin to built alongside the ducal

213

Disrnembered tombs

mansion (1393-1405). The work of building the tomb was entrusted to Jean de Cambrai, the duke's valet and sculptor, who had worked with André Beauneveu at Mehun-sur-Yèvre. Like Philippe le Hardi, Jean de Berry, who died in 1416, did not live to see his tomb completed.11 An extract from the accounts of 'King René' shows that the recumbent figure was carved by Jean de Cambrai, who died in 1438; he was also, no doubt, responsible for the design of the arcatures around the tomb and for some of the statuettes of 'mourners'.12 In 1450, Charles VII being desirous of having his greatuncle's tomb completed, Etienne Bobillet and Paul Mosselman were commissioned to carve the 'mourners'. 'King René' knew thèse sculptors from having seen them at work at Bourges in 1453 and in 1459, after the death of Jacques Morel, he decided to employ them to complète his own tomb in the cathedral at Angers, since he considered them 'the best workmen in thèse parts'. The tomb, which was 3.10 m long, 1.90 m wide and 1.85 m high, was surrounded by forty 'mourners' about 40 cm high, resting on alternating round and triangular plinths with 'tabernacles' above them. Thus each statuette stood alone, in accordance with a tradition which, apparently, required that certain figures must be represented full-face; however, as there were no pillars, thèse figures were not halfhidden, as were a third of the 'mourners' on the tombs of the Dukes of Burgundy.13 Owing to the démolition of the Sainte Chapelle in Bourges, the tomb ofthe Duke of Berry was transferred to the crypt of the cathedral in 1756. The recumbent figure on its black marble slab is still there, with a bear at his feet; it shows the traces of the damage done by the revolutionaries, who removed the marble arcatures and the 'mourners' from the tomb. Ail that is now displayed in the house of Jacques Coeur are ten of the statuettes, a few fragments of the alabaster arcatures and part ofthe canopy, the back of which is carved, like those of the tomb of Louis II of Bourbon and Anne of Auvergne, which belongs to the Bourges Muséum. In 1894 Paul Gauchery made an attempt to reconstitute the arcatures where the 'mourners' had been, as they originally were, and made a model from his drawing. Pierre Pradel, after doing research on the problem, succeeded in identifying twenty-six statuettes which were left out of the forty which existed in 1747.14 In this connexion, he

French sculpture

drew attention to the différences of design between the vari¬ ous 'mourners'. Those carved in marble are represented virtually full-face, with a calm attitude and restrained ges¬ tures, and the folds of their draperies are parallel. They are the work of Jean de Cambrai. The others, which are carved in alabaster, are represented in freer and more varied atti¬ tudes, their draperies are not as stiff, and the folds are irregular. They were executed about fifty years later, by Bobillet and Mosselman, no doubt with the help of studio hands. The best of them show the influence of the work of Sluter; one ofthe sculptors had certainly seen the 'mourners' fashioned by Claus de Werve and Jean de la Huerta at Dijon. The présent location of the 26 'mourners' is as follows: 10 in the muséums in Bourges; 1 in the Louvre; 1 in the Rodin Muséum, having been acquired by the sculptor in 1917 after being in the Mercier, Romagnesi and Molinier Collections; 2 in the Metropolitan Muséum of Art in New York, after being in the Gassot de Fus Collection and then in the Pierpont Morgan Collection; 2 in the Hermitage Muséum in Leningrad (they had been in the Basilevsky Collection); 4 in the Denys Cochin Collection; 4 in the Mar¬ quis de Vogue Collection; 1 in the Fritz Lugt Collection. The decapitated 'mourner' which was at one time in the Molinier Collection has not yet been found. When the dispersed 'mourners' and those from the muséums of Bourges, which the curator, Jean Favière, intends to send to the exhibition at Dijon, are brought together again, it may be that other statuettes from the tomb of Jean de Berry will come to light. In any case, the exhibition of thèse statu¬ ettes side by side with the 'mourners' of the Dukes of Bur¬ gundy will throw light on the spécifie character of the Berry statues and also on the extent of the Burgundian influence.

TOMB OF PIERRE DE BAUFFREMONT

Just as the Dukes of Burgundy desired their tombs to be placed in the choir of the church of the Carthusian monas¬ tery at Champmol, Pierre de Bauffremont,13 lordofCharny and Molinot, knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Counsellor and Chamberlain of Philippe le Bon, decided, in 1443, to hâve his tomb built in the choir ofthe abbey church of Saint Benignus in Dijon. In his will, dated 1453, he expressed the wish to be buried in a chapel he had just founded in this church. Instead of having the tomb on

214

Pierre Quarré

which he was to be represented by the side of his first wife, Anne of Saulx executed at Dijon, he gave the commission to one of the workshops in Tournai which, since the thir¬ teenth century, had supplied funerary monuments for people in the Netherlands and neighbouring countries. The walls of the tomb, instead of being surrounded by statuettes, were to be formed of slabs of black Tournai stone, with 'mourners' in high relief carved out of the stone slab, under arches eut into the stone, with trefoiled moulding, the bottom being sloping and the spandrels decorated with leaves or rosettes. AU the figures stood in the same position, full-face; they were garbed in mourning cloaks, open down the side, and wore hoods hiding their faces and covering their shoulders. Both their attitudes and their draperies were stiff, and there was little variety in their movements they ail had their hands under their cloak or else were holding a rosary or a prayer-book. Thèse reliefs, which were brought to Dijon in the middle of the fifteenth century, show no trace of Burgundian influence. Since Pierre de Bauffremont was not buried at Dijon, the tomb was never erected in Saint Benignus, and the funerary effigies were doubtless never executed. The two slabs with six mourners on them, which were designed to form the sides of the tomb, and the two with four mourners for the ends were placed in the chapel in the south side aisle. The reliefs of the 'mourners' had been detached before the Révolution. In 1789, one of the long slabs was in the chapter-house; the other, together with one ofthe end slabs, was in the chapel in the crypt. The relief in the chapter-house was purchased in Dijon in 1801 for the sum of one louis by Joseph Boyelleau, mayor of Châlon, who offered it to Alexandre Lenoir for the Muséum of French Monuments, in the belief that it came from one ofthe tombs ofthe Dukes of Burgundy.16 Since this offer was not accepted, the slab was sent to the church of Notre-Dame in Dijon, where it was used as an altar frontal in the chapel of Saint Joseph. In 1883 the two right-hand arches were eut off, to be used to decorate the sides of the altar in the chapel containing the baptismal font. The long slab, together with the short one, which had been in the crypt were purchased, at the time of the destruction of the rotunda of Saint Benignus, by Chartraire de Montigny, Mayor of Dijon, and transferred to the hermitage of SainteAntibe, on the road to Larrey, which belonged to him. When he died, the long slab was acquired by Claude Saintpère, the architect and the restorer of the tombs of the Dukes of Bur

gundy, who was particularly interested in the 'mourners'. He had it taken to his country house at L'Etang- Vergy, and when, in 1854, he was commissioned to build a church in this village, he used this slab with the six mourners as an altar frontal. He did not eut it, but added three small white stone columns, which produced an unfortunate effect. One of the shorter slabs had been similarly re-used as an altar frontal in the chapel of the castle of Melin, near Nolay. This was the slab with four 'mourners' which was acquired in Nancy, in 1951, by the Fine Arts Muséum of Dijon.17 The fourth wall of the tomb was still missing. We succeeded in identifying it in 1955, thanks to informa¬ tion kindly supplied by Philippe Verdier. It had been in the storeroom ofthe Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore since 1949. There was known to be a grey stone bas-relief in the wall of a garden in Daix, near Dijon. After being purchased by Mr Champy, an antique dealer, about 1910, transferred to Saint Apollinaire and then sold by Mr Champy's successor, Mr Decailly, in 1933, this slab found its way into the Brummer Collection, which was sold to various buyers in New York

in 1949. We obtained permission from the Historical Monuments Department to dismantle the altars of Notre Dame in Dijon and L'Étang- Vergy in order to be able to reconstitute the tomb of Pierre de Bauffremont in the Dijon Muséum. Let us hope that the Walters Art Gallery will consent to lend the fourth slab, so that this reconstitution of the sarcophagus with the twenty mourners may be complète.

NOTES 1.

L. Courajod and F. Marcou, Musée de Sculpture Comparée, Annotated Catalogue, XlV-XVth Century, p. 88-100, Paris, 1892; C. Monget, La Chartreuse de Dijon..., MontreuU-sur-Mer, 1898-1905; H. Drouot, 'L'Atelier de Dijon et l'Exécution du Tombeau de Philippe le Hardi', Revue Belge d'Architecture et d'Histoire de l'Art, Vol. II, 1932; G. Troescher, Claus Sluter und die Burgundische Plastik um die Wende des XIV Jhdts., p. 108-13, 131-42, Freiburg-im-

Breisgau, 1932; H. David, 'Claus Sluter, Tombeau Ducal', Bull. Monumental, 1934; H. David, Claus Sluter, Paris, 1951 ; A. Liebreich, Claus Sluter, Brussels, 1936. 2. H. Chabeuf, 'Jean de la Huerta, Antoine le Moiturier et le Tombeau de Jean sans Peur', Mém. de l'Acad. de Dijon, p. 141-271, 1890-91 ; Monget, op. cit., Vol. II, 1901 ; Leibreich, op. cit.; G. Troescher, Die Burgundische Plastik des Ausgehenden Mittelalters und ïhre Wirkungen aufdie Europâische Kunst, Frankfurt, 1940; David, op. cit.

215 Disrnembered tombs French sculpture

3. cf. P. Quarré, 'Emmanuel Crétet, Comte de Champmol', Mém. de l'Acad. de Dijon, Vol. CXVII, p. 123-9. 4. But the little alabaster angels, with their gilded copper wings, which had been on the upper part of the arcatures, had aU disappeared. 5. AU that remains of the recumbent figures are the hands, a pièce of one of Philippe le Hardi's feet and the heads of Jean sans Peur and

Marguerite de Bavière; but the six kneeling angels (which had lost their gilded copper wings) and the three Uons were put back when the tombs were reconstituted. 6. cf. C. Oursel, 'Les Pleurants Disparus des Tombeaux des Ducs de Bourgogne', Bull. Archéol. du Comité des Travaux Historiques et Scientifiques, 1909, p. 14-17; H. Drouot, 'Notes sur Quelques Pleu¬ rants des Tombeaux des Ducs*, La Revue de Bourgogne, 1914, p. 211-16. 7. Les Pleurants aux Tombeaux des Ducs de Bourgogne', La Revue de Bourgogne, 1914, p. 95-141; D. Roggen, Les Pleurants de Sluter à Dijon, Antwerp, 1936. 8. cf. P. Quarré, 'Les Pleurants des Tombeaux des Ducs de Bourgogne, Mutations et Réintégrations', Bull, de la Soc. Nat. des Antiquaires de France, 1948. 9. F. de Montrémy, 'Les Pleurants du Musée de Cluny', Musées de France, 1913, p. 38-9. 10. cf. H. Drouot, 'Les Pleurants Bourguignons de la Collection du Baron de Schickler', Mém. de la Com. des Antiquités de la Côte-d'Or,

Vol. XVI, 1912-13, p. CLXXIII; W. M. MiUiken, 'Two Pleurants from the Tombs ofthe Dukes of Burgundy', The Bulletin ofthe Cleve¬ land Muséum of Art, p. 1 19-21. Mr. Sherman E. Lee, Director of the Cleveland Muséum of Art, was kind enough to bring the mouldings of thèse pleurants to Dijon himself in 1959, as we requested. We are profoundly grateful to him for doing so. 11. A. de Champeaux and Paul Gauchery, Les Travaux d'Art Exécutés par Jean de France, Duc de Berry, Paris, 1894; P. Gauchery, 'Le Palais du Duc Jean et la Sainte-Chapelle de Bourges', Mémoires de la Société des Antiquaires du Centre, 1919-20, p. 37-77; and his Renseignements Complémentaires sur la Vie et les Travaux de Jean de France, Duc de Berry, d'après des Documents Nouveaux, 1921, p. 195 211. 12.

cf. A. Lecoy de la Marche, Extraits des Comptes du Roi René, Paris,

56-7. 'Nouveaux Documents sur le Tombeau de Jean de Berry, Frère de Charles V, Fondation Eugène Piot, Monuments et Mémoires, Vol. II, 1957, p. 141-57. 14. Paul Gauchery had reported the existence ofeighteen; G. Troecher had added the two mourners in the former Basilevsky Collection: cf. Die Burgundische Plastik des Ausgehenden Mittelalters und ihre Wirkungen auf die europàtsche Kunst, p. 74-8, Figs. 363 to 384, Frank¬ furt, 1940. The author's identification of two other mourners was not accepted by Mr Pradel. 15. cf. P. Quarré, 'Le Tombeau de Pierre de Bauffremont, Chambellan de Philippe le Bon', Bulletin Monumental, p. 103-15, 1955. 16. 'Inventaire Général des Richesses d'Art de la France', Archives du Musée des Monuments Français, Vol. I, No. 18, p. 14. 17. Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon, Catalogue of Sculptures, No. 29, 1960. 1873, p.

13.

216

French scidpture

Tomb of Philippe le Hardi Artists Claus Sluter and Claus de Werve. School, group, period Burgimdy, beginning of fifteenth century.

Holder Fine Arts Muséum (Dijon) (Cat. No. 9). Shape

Quadrangular. Dimensions Length 360 cm, width 254 cm, height 243 cm.

Iconographie description Round the tomb were 41 statuettes of 'mour¬ ners'. Persons forming the funeral cortège: clergy preceded by choirboys (9 statuettes), Carthusian friars (2 statuettes), members ofthe Duke's family and an oflBcial of his 'household' (30 statuettes).

Distinctive features The 'mourners' are clad in long mourning cloaks and are wearing hoods.

Previous history Begun in 1386, completed in 1410 and placed in the choir of the church of the Carthusian monastery at Champmol; transferred in 1792 to the Church of Saint Benignus, where seven of the 'mourners' disappeared. Reconstituted in 1827 at the Dijon Muséum, with substitute statuettes carved by Joseph Moreau. First modification in 1932. Re-arranged in 1945, with missing pièces added. Whereabouts of fragments Dijon Muséum: 35 mourners. Cleveland Muséum: 3 mourners. Private collection: 1 fragment. One pair of choirboys missing. Suggested reconstitutions

The two missing choirboys could be reconsti¬ tuted on the model of the two on the tomb of Jean sans Peur, which were an imitation of those on the tomb of Philippe le Hardi. Bibliography

Druot, h. 1932. L'atelier de Dijon et l'exécu¬ tion du tombeau de Philippe le Hardi. Revue belge d'arch. et d'Histoire de VArt. Troecher, g. 1932. Claus Sluter... Freiburgim-Breisgau. LiEBREiCH, A. 1936. Claus Sluter. Brussels. Quarré, P. 1948. Les pleurants des tombeaux des ducs de Bourgogne, mutations et réin¬ tégration. Bull, de la Soc. Nat. des Anti¬ quaires de France. David, H. 1951. Claus Sluter. Paris.

niustrations 1 Reconstituted in 1827 in the Guard Room ofthe Dijon Muscum; the 'mourners' were rearranged in 1932, 1945 and 1959. [Photo: Rémy.] 2 In the eighteenth century at the Carthusian Monastery at Champmol. Drawing by J. P. Gilguin, Bibliothèque Nationale. This was the évidence used for the reconstitution of the funeral cortège in its original order, in 1932. [Photo: Rémy.] 3 End ofthe left part, mourner No. 38, Cleve¬ land Muséum of Art; mourner No. 40, on loan from the Musée de Cluny. [Photo: Rémy.]

Drafter: P. Quarré.

218

French sculpture

Tomb of Jean sans Peur and Marguerite de Bavière Artists Jean de la Huerta and Antoine le Moiturier.

School, group, period

Burgundy, middle of fifteenth century.

Holder Fine Arts Muséum (Dijon) (Cat. No. 18).

Iconographie description Two statues of recumbent figures, their feet resting on two lions; and two pairs of angels bearing the Duke's helmet and the coat of arms of the Duchess. Round the tomb are alabaster arcatures framing forty-one statuettes of mourners, similar to those round the tomb of PhiUppe le Hardi.

Shape

Quadrangular. Dimensions

Length 376 cm; width 262 cm; height 246 cm.

Previous history Begun in 1443, completed in 1470 and placed in the choir of the church of the Carthusian monastery at Champmol; transferred in 1792 to the Church of Saint Benignus, where three of the mourners disappeared. Reconstituted in 1 827 with substitute statuettes carved by Joseph

Moreau. First modification in 1932, re¬ arranged in 1945, with missing pièces added. Whereabouts of fragments Dijon Muséum: 39 mourners. Cleveland Muséum: 1 mourner. One mourner missing. Suggested reconstitutions

The figure sprinkling holy water, which is mis¬ sing, could be reconstituted from the one on the tomb of Philippe le Hardi, which served as the model for it. Bibliography Chabeuf, h. 1890-91. Jean de la Herta, An¬ toine le Moiturier et le tombeau de Jean sans Peur. Mém. de l'Acad. de Dijon. Andrieu, Lt-Col. 1914. Les pleurants au tom¬ beau des ducs de Bourgogne. La revue de Bourgogne, p. 95-141. . 1933. Les tombeaux des ducs de Bour¬ gogne au Musée de Dijon. Bull, monumen¬ tal, p. 171-93. LiEBREiCH, A. 1936. Claus Sluter. Brussels. Troecher, G. 1940. Die burgundische Plastik des Ausgehenden Mittelalters und Ihre Wirkungen aufdie europaïsche Kunst. Frankfurt. Quarré, P. 1947. Le couple d'enfants de choeur du tombeau de Jean sans Peur. Bull, monumental, p. 27-39. David, H. 1951. Claus Sluter. Paris.

Illustrations / Reconstituted in 1827 in the Guard Room ofthe Dijon Muséum; the 'mourners' were rearranged in 1932, 1943 and 1959. [Photo: Rémy.] 2 In the eighteenth century, at the Carthusian Monastery, Champmol. Drawing by Johannes Lesage, Dijon Muséum. This was the évidence used for the reconstitution of the funeral cortège in its original order, in 1932 and 1945. [Photo: Rémy.] 3 Comer where the feet of Marguerite de Bavière lie, showing mourner No. 67, east from the Cleveland Muséum of Art; and mourner No. 68, on loan from the Musée de Cluny. [Photo: Rémy.] Drafter: P. Quarré.

220

French sculpture

Tomb of Duke Jean de Berry Artists Jean de Cambrai, Etienne BobiUet and Paul Mossehnan.

School, group, period

Franco-Flemish art, fifteenth century.

Holder Berry Muséum (Bourges). Shape

Quadrangular. Dimensions

Length 210 cm; width 190 cm; height 185 cm.

Iconographie description Recumbent figure (marble) on black marble slab. Round the base: statuettes of 'mourners' (marble and alabaster) in alabaster niches. Previous history Transferred from the Sainte Chapelle in Bourges to the crypt of the cathedral in 1756 and dispersed at the time of the révolution. Whereabouts of fragments Berry Muséum (Bourges): 10. Louvre (Paris): 1. Rodin Muséum. (Paris) 1. Private collections in France: 9.

MetropoUtan Muséum of Art (New York): 2. Hermitage Muséum (Leningrad): 2.

iîT

Suggested reconstitutions

According to Paul Gauchery's drawing and the model for reconstitution produced by the muséums of Bourges. Bibliography Champeaux, a. de; Gauchery, Paul. 1894. Les travaux d'art exécutés par Jean de France, duc de Berry. Paris. Gauchery, P. 1919-20. Mémoires de la Société des Antiquaires du Centre, p. 37-77. Troecher, G. 1940. Die burgundische Plastik... Frankfurt. Pradel, Pierre. 1957. Nouveaux documents sur le duc Jean de Berry, frère de Charles V. Fondation Eugène Plot, monuments et mé¬ moires. Vol. II.

rr-^^rs:

^

Ht^a«|

iTi^irte

Ulustrations

Drawing for the reconstitution of one of the sides, by Paul Gauchery. [Photo: Rémy.]

Drafter: P. Quané.

221

French sculpture

Tomb of Pierre de Bauffremont Artist Workshops in Tournai. School, group, period Middle of fifteenth century.

Holder Fine Arts Muséum (Dijon). (Cat. No. 3967). Shape

Quadrangular. Dimensions Slabs 224 cm long, 140 cm wide, 140 cm high.

Iconographie description Walls of tomb consisting of four slabs of Tour¬ nai stone. Twenty 'mourners' are represented in high relief beneath arches with trefoiled

moulding.

Previous history The dispersai ofthe four sides dates from 1792. Whereabouts of fragments Notre-Dame de Dijon: 1 side in 3 parts. L'Etang-Vergy (Côte d'Or): 1 side. Fine Arts Muséum (Dijon): 1 end. Walters Art Gallery (Baltimore): 1 end.

Bibliography

Quarré, P. 1955. Le tombeau de Pierre de Bauffremont, chambellan du Duc Philippe le Bon. Bulletin monumental, p. 104-15. Illustration Side of the tomb of Pierre de BauSremont, used as altar frontal in the church at l'ÉtangVergy, Côte d'Or. [Photo: Rémy.]

Suggested reconstitutions

With mouldings similar to those on the tomb of Jean de Haubourdin and his wife at AiUy sur Noyé (Somme).

Drafter: P. Quarré.

Conclusion

The various chapters of this illustrated inventory présent the reader with a disconcerting picture of the disfigurements inflicted on European painting during the course of its glorious history. Irréparable damage has been suffered by masterpieces of every period in most European countries, and it is now in the interest of thèse countries to organize collectively and individually the protection of their cultural héritage. Today, people in almost ail parts ofthe world are realizing their moral obligations towards works of art; and this, together with the strengthening of national législation, will undeniably help to prevent a return to irregular practices which impair the integrity of créative works of recognized public interest. Further, the adoption by the General Confér¬ ence of Unesco at it sixteenth session (Paris, 14 November 1970) of the Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property marks a distinct advance in the international community's efforts to guarantee every nation the possession of works that are représentative of its genius or that hâve been created within its territory. The cultural property with which the new international instrument is concemed includes éléments of artistic or his¬ torical monuments or archaeological sites which hâve been disrnembered (Article 1, sub-paragraph (d)). The States Parties, recognizing that international co-operation is one of the most effective means of protecting such property against the various dangers that resuit from the illicit practices which threaten it, undertake to oppose such practices by removing their causes, putting a stop to current practices, and helping to make the necessary réparations (Article 2, Paragraphs 1 and 2). Of course, such réparation is out ofthe question when the constituent parts of a disrnembered work hâve disappeared or hâve been irremediably dispersed. Also, we should take no action, as Mr Thuillier explains, in cases where an isolated work has been transplanted and has managed to survive, has taken on a new Iease of life, and, as it were, has acquired the nationality ofthe muséum in which it is housed and has been preserved for a long time. On the other hand, reconstitution should be considered in cases where the fragments of a work taken separately hâve lost much of their historical, artistic and aesthetic value, whereas, if they were brought together, they would be a source of great joy to ail people of sensitivity in our day. In the view of Mrs Danilova, even if there are a number of gaps,

which is inévitable, it is for the museologists to work out solutions that will make a partial reconstitution acceptable and feasible. It is in the interest of the institutions that are in the care of the museologists that they should undertake the reconstitution of disrnembered works if it is of considérable cultural importance. Within the framework of an international policy for the exchange of original objects between muséums in différent countries, thèse establishments should render such services to one another as to ensure that disrnembered works recover their full power of expression. Article 15 ofthe Convention states that nothing shall prevent States Parties thereto from concluding spécial arrangements among themselves or from continuing to implement agreements already concluded regarding the restitution of cultural property removed, whatever the reason, from its territory of origin, before the entry into force of the Convention. The Party in favour of which a work was reconstituted should in principle give in return something of scientific or artistic value equal to that of the fragments that were not in its possession. Two Parties participating in such an opération might possess fragments belong¬ ing to two or more disrnembered works, in which case there could be an amicable arrangement as to the task to be carried out. Each State would thus hâve the privilège, thanks to carefully calculated compensation, of reconstituting for its benefit one or more works. The essential thing would be to see that such negotiations were not carried on in an intransigent spirit of insistence on one's rights. Discussions between specialists should be held with a view to the conclusion of arrangements, which could be facilitated if interested international organizations were to take action to assist them. Such agreements, while ensuring that the interests of the parties concemed were respected, might provide for various valid solutions for the reconstitution of works of art exhi¬ bitions, long-term loans, alteraating possession of a work of art for a given period, or the permanent taking over ofa work of art. Naturally Unesco would hâve to continue the work that it has begun in favour of disrnembered works, in particular by drawing attention to ail the facts relating to the problem and, if need be, by sending experts to Member States, at their request, to assist them in preparing national inventories and to advise them about their projects for the reconstitution of groups that hâve been broken up.