U N L O C K I N G P A I N T I N G S A GUIDE TO HISTORIC ART
IN MEMORY OF
G I L E S WAT E R F I E L D (1949 –20 16)
H E L E N H I L LYA R D & J E N N I F E R S C O T T
U N L O C K I N G P A I N T I N G S A GUIDE TO HISTORIC ART
IN MEMORY OF
G I L E S WAT E R F I E L D (1949 –20 16)
H E L E N H I L LYA R D & J E N N I F E R S C O T T
I N T RODUC T ION 7
L OV E L OS S 19
R E A L I T Y I M AGI NAT ION 49
YOU T H M AT U R I T Y 79
SE E I NG BE I NG S E E N 109
S T I L L N E S S AC T ION 139
T R A DI T ION I N NOVAT ION 169
I N T RODUC T ION 7
L OV E L OS S 19
R E A L I T Y I M AGI NAT ION 49
YOU T H M AT U R I T Y 79
SE E I NG BE I NG S E E N 109
S T I L L N E S S AC T ION 139
T R A DI T ION I N NOVAT ION 169
INTRODUC TION
H OW T O U N L O C K A PA I N T I N G
O
n 28 November 1829, John Constable saw a painting by the Dutch seventeenth-century artist Jacob van Ruisdael. Constable could not shake the emotions it evoked. He wrote in a letter to his closest friend, John Fisher: ‘I have seen an affecting picture this morning by Ruisdael. It haunts my mind and clings to my heart – and has stood between me & you while I am now talking to you.’ The following summer, in July 1830, Constable came to Dulwich Picture Gallery and selected a painting by Ruisdael – Landscape with Windmills near Haarlem – to be studied and copied by artists at the Royal Academy, London. Ruisdael’s painting was nearly 200 years old, but Constable felt an immediate connection with it and wanted to channel its influence into contemporary art. He created his own version of the painting, capturing the clouds and the dramatic silhouette of the windmill sails against a darkening sky.
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INTRODUC TION
H OW T O U N L O C K A PA I N T I N G
O
n 28 November 1829, John Constable saw a painting by the Dutch seventeenth-century artist Jacob van Ruisdael. Constable could not shake the emotions it evoked. He wrote in a letter to his closest friend, John Fisher: ‘I have seen an affecting picture this morning by Ruisdael. It haunts my mind and clings to my heart – and has stood between me & you while I am now talking to you.’ The following summer, in July 1830, Constable came to Dulwich Picture Gallery and selected a painting by Ruisdael – Landscape with Windmills near Haarlem – to be studied and copied by artists at the Royal Academy, London. Ruisdael’s painting was nearly 200 years old, but Constable felt an immediate connection with it and wanted to channel its influence into contemporary art. He created his own version of the painting, capturing the clouds and the dramatic silhouette of the windmill sails against a darkening sky.
7
INTRODUC TION
U NLOC KIN G
Joshua Reynolds, Margaret Morris (later Desenfans), 1757, oil on canvas, 74.5 x 61 cm. Private Collection
Paul Sandby, Francis Bourgeois and Noel Desenfans, c.1805, watercolour on paper, 14.3 x 15.3cm, DPG645
PAINTING S
Desenfans and Bourgeois, together with Margaret Desenfans (née Morris), decided to create an art gallery for the ‘inspection of the publick’. They united the homeless pictures with an early English art collection from Dulwich College that had previously belonged to the Elizabethan theatre owner Edward Alleyn. With this idea, the gallery’s founders changed the face of the art world in England. Where paintings previously had been objects for rich people to enjoy in private houses, Dulwich Picture Gallery was for everyone. The architect John Soane was commissioned to design the gallery. When Dulwich first opened its doors in 1817, visitors encountered a single-storey building with skylights channelling natural light down onto the artworks to show them to best effect. Soane devised the building around the paintings; he knew the
Exterior (above) and interior (overleaf) of Dulwich Picture Gallery 13
12
INTRODUC TION
U NLOC KIN G
Joshua Reynolds, Margaret Morris (later Desenfans), 1757, oil on canvas, 74.5 x 61 cm. Private Collection
Paul Sandby, Francis Bourgeois and Noel Desenfans, c.1805, watercolour on paper, 14.3 x 15.3cm, DPG645
PAINTING S
Desenfans and Bourgeois, together with Margaret Desenfans (née Morris), decided to create an art gallery for the ‘inspection of the publick’. They united the homeless pictures with an early English art collection from Dulwich College that had previously belonged to the Elizabethan theatre owner Edward Alleyn. With this idea, the gallery’s founders changed the face of the art world in England. Where paintings previously had been objects for rich people to enjoy in private houses, Dulwich Picture Gallery was for everyone. The architect John Soane was commissioned to design the gallery. When Dulwich first opened its doors in 1817, visitors encountered a single-storey building with skylights channelling natural light down onto the artworks to show them to best effect. Soane devised the building around the paintings; he knew the
Exterior (above) and interior (overleaf) of Dulwich Picture Gallery 13
12
LOVE
V
LOS S
enus, the goddess of love, kneels next to the body of her mortal lover, Adonis. She had told him to be careful when he went out hunting. ‘Warnings, however, are never heeded by courage.’ Adonis was attacked by a wild boar and died. The sadness of this scene is communicated in the subtle details: Venus cradling Adonis’s head in her hands; the lament of the little winged god, Cupid, in the background; one dog heartlessly lapping at Adonis’s blood; the other dog looking forlornly towards his former master; Venus’s three friends desperately trying to help her while coming to terms with their own shock and grief. The story unfolds against an inky blue-black sky, echoing the mood of the painting. The subject of Venus Mourning Adonis comes from Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid, written in 8 CE. The poem tells of the creation of the world and society through the actions of mythological characters, many of whom undergo physical changes as part of the lessons they learn. We can tell from this painting’s small scale, the thin application of paint and its composition, that this is a preparatory oil sketch for a finished painting, which is now in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. In the original poem, Venus mixes her tears and Adonis’s blood to make a flower, the anemone. Its beautiful blooms are fragile, a fitting memorial to Venus’s lost love. Peter Paul Rubens’s simple sketch captures both a sense of fleeting happiness and overwhelming sorrow, reminding us of the preciousness of life, love and art.
30
LOVE
V
LOS S
enus, the goddess of love, kneels next to the body of her mortal lover, Adonis. She had told him to be careful when he went out hunting. ‘Warnings, however, are never heeded by courage.’ Adonis was attacked by a wild boar and died. The sadness of this scene is communicated in the subtle details: Venus cradling Adonis’s head in her hands; the lament of the little winged god, Cupid, in the background; one dog heartlessly lapping at Adonis’s blood; the other dog looking forlornly towards his former master; Venus’s three friends desperately trying to help her while coming to terms with their own shock and grief. The story unfolds against an inky blue-black sky, echoing the mood of the painting. The subject of Venus Mourning Adonis comes from Metamorphoses by the Roman poet Ovid, written in 8 CE. The poem tells of the creation of the world and society through the actions of mythological characters, many of whom undergo physical changes as part of the lessons they learn. We can tell from this painting’s small scale, the thin application of paint and its composition, that this is a preparatory oil sketch for a finished painting, which is now in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem. In the original poem, Venus mixes her tears and Adonis’s blood to make a flower, the anemone. Its beautiful blooms are fragile, a fitting memorial to Venus’s lost love. Peter Paul Rubens’s simple sketch captures both a sense of fleeting happiness and overwhelming sorrow, reminding us of the preciousness of life, love and art.
30
RE ALIT Y
J
IMAG INATION
an van Huysum was the most famous Dutch still-life painter of the eighteenth century. His depictions of luxuriant flowers in classical vases were greatly admired by collectors who bought his works for huge sums, even during the artist’s lifetime. In some cases, his paintings sold for as much as 3,000 guilders, almost the price of a contemporary house. Van Huysum painted his bouquets with almost unparalleled attention to detail. We are able to view the delicate veins of each leaf, the minute water droplets balanced on flower petals, tiny insects, and even a small bird’s nest at the bottom right of the picture. Here, the artist sets the flowers against a dark-black background, enhancing the colours of the flowers and giving them even greater prominence. This was a painting that would undoubtedly reveal something new with each viewing. For example, at first glance it is easy to miss the small figure of a naked cherub, which appears to emerge from the darkness at the bottom of the bouquet but is actually part of the vase design. Flower paintings can be considered a type of ‘vanitas’ picture, a term used to describe artworks intended to remind the viewer of death and the passing of time. Such images were created to prompt their owners to live a good, moral life, and to prepare themselves for heaven. Even though we are presented with beautiful flowers in full bloom, an eighteenth-century viewer would have been conscious that all these stems would eventually rot and decay.
68
RE ALIT Y
J
IMAG INATION
an van Huysum was the most famous Dutch still-life painter of the eighteenth century. His depictions of luxuriant flowers in classical vases were greatly admired by collectors who bought his works for huge sums, even during the artist’s lifetime. In some cases, his paintings sold for as much as 3,000 guilders, almost the price of a contemporary house. Van Huysum painted his bouquets with almost unparalleled attention to detail. We are able to view the delicate veins of each leaf, the minute water droplets balanced on flower petals, tiny insects, and even a small bird’s nest at the bottom right of the picture. Here, the artist sets the flowers against a dark-black background, enhancing the colours of the flowers and giving them even greater prominence. This was a painting that would undoubtedly reveal something new with each viewing. For example, at first glance it is easy to miss the small figure of a naked cherub, which appears to emerge from the darkness at the bottom of the bouquet but is actually part of the vase design. Flower paintings can be considered a type of ‘vanitas’ picture, a term used to describe artworks intended to remind the viewer of death and the passing of time. Such images were created to prompt their owners to live a good, moral life, and to prepare themselves for heaven. Even though we are presented with beautiful flowers in full bloom, an eighteenth-century viewer would have been conscious that all these stems would eventually rot and decay.
68
S E E IN G
BEING SEEN
Paolo Veronese Saint Jerome and a Donor (Girolamo Petrobelli) c.1563 (1528–1588)
oil on canvas, 224.5 x 120cm DPG270
Commissioning an artwork for a church or religious building was an act of piety but it was also a gesture that would be witnessed by others, a signifier of godliness but also wealth and status.
118
S E E IN G
BEING SEEN
Paolo Veronese Saint Jerome and a Donor (Girolamo Petrobelli) c.1563 (1528–1588)
oil on canvas, 224.5 x 120cm DPG270
Commissioning an artwork for a church or religious building was an act of piety but it was also a gesture that would be witnessed by others, a signifier of godliness but also wealth and status.
118
STILLNE S S
T
ACTION
eniers’s painting takes us to the outskirts of a Flemish town; the faint outline of the town’s tall buildings and churches can be seen at the upper right of the canvas. This is a relaxed, peaceful place, far away from the hubbub and noise of the urban streets. The snow, which covers the ground and buildings alike, adds to this idyllic landscape. We see various figures in conversation and at play, including ice skaters in the middle distance. Teniers includes a darker scene, however, at the bottom left of the picture, which grounds us back in reality. A pig lies on the floor and a man holds it down with the weight of his body, at the same time sharpening his knife. He is preparing to slaughter the animal, presumably so it can be cooked for a feast. Next to him, a woman holds a pan with a long handle, to catch the animal’s blood once its throat has been cut, ensuring that nothing goes to waste. Teniers was known as a painter of everyday life, and rural life in particular. Although the middle-class audience for this painting would have been more accustomed to witnessing the killing of animals for food than we are today, it is unlikely they would have done this themselves, instead employing cooks and servants, or buying their meat from a butcher. Even within the context of its time, the violence of this scene would likely have been a shock, and certainly unexpected when contrasted with the serenity of the landscape. This mismatch undoubtedly adds a layer of complexity to what would otherwise be a beautiful, albeit simple, image. These contrasts in the subject matter are echoed in the palette Teniers uses. The brilliant white of the snow rubs against the earthy browns and reds of the buildings and figures. Teniers painted very few winter scenes, and this painting is a rare example. Teniers was inspired by Pieter Bruegel, a Flemish artist who had popularised this type of landscape in the sixteenth century, and who had a huge influence on subsequent generations of artists.
158
STILLNE S S
T
ACTION
eniers’s painting takes us to the outskirts of a Flemish town; the faint outline of the town’s tall buildings and churches can be seen at the upper right of the canvas. This is a relaxed, peaceful place, far away from the hubbub and noise of the urban streets. The snow, which covers the ground and buildings alike, adds to this idyllic landscape. We see various figures in conversation and at play, including ice skaters in the middle distance. Teniers includes a darker scene, however, at the bottom left of the picture, which grounds us back in reality. A pig lies on the floor and a man holds it down with the weight of his body, at the same time sharpening his knife. He is preparing to slaughter the animal, presumably so it can be cooked for a feast. Next to him, a woman holds a pan with a long handle, to catch the animal’s blood once its throat has been cut, ensuring that nothing goes to waste. Teniers was known as a painter of everyday life, and rural life in particular. Although the middle-class audience for this painting would have been more accustomed to witnessing the killing of animals for food than we are today, it is unlikely they would have done this themselves, instead employing cooks and servants, or buying their meat from a butcher. Even within the context of its time, the violence of this scene would likely have been a shock, and certainly unexpected when contrasted with the serenity of the landscape. This mismatch undoubtedly adds a layer of complexity to what would otherwise be a beautiful, albeit simple, image. These contrasts in the subject matter are echoed in the palette Teniers uses. The brilliant white of the snow rubs against the earthy browns and reds of the buildings and figures. Teniers painted very few winter scenes, and this painting is a rare example. Teniers was inspired by Pieter Bruegel, a Flemish artist who had popularised this type of landscape in the sixteenth century, and who had a huge influence on subsequent generations of artists.
158
TR ADITION
A
IN NOVATION
young man stares dreamily out of the painting. He is wrapped in a heavy robe, an outfit that mimics those worn by the philosophers and scholars of antiquity. It has been suggested that the man depicted is Bartholomew Beale, the artist’s son, who later became a physician. Mary Beale was among the most esteemed and productive portraitists in seventeenth-century Britain, and experimentation was the foundation upon which she built her successful business. Beale was her family’s main breadwinner, with her husband Charles acting as her studio manager. Charles also worked as a colour-maker, manufacturing and selling pigments, and his experiments with colour formed the core of Beale’s palette. He discovered ways to quicken the drying time of paint, something which became highly important in a bustling studio where Beale painted six days a week. When business was slower, Beale trialled painting on cheaper materials such as sacking, bed ticking and onion bags. The Dulwich portrait is painted on a more expensive, finerweave canvas, suggesting it was made during a period when business was better. In her busy studio, Beale experimented with ‘fast painting’. Though this figure’s face is precisely painted, the drapery is formed of quick, broad brushstrokes. This quick painting technique allowed Beale to produce more paintings, while also replicating the painting style of the previous generation of master painters, including the Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck, whom Beale particularly admired.
192
TR ADITION
A
IN NOVATION
young man stares dreamily out of the painting. He is wrapped in a heavy robe, an outfit that mimics those worn by the philosophers and scholars of antiquity. It has been suggested that the man depicted is Bartholomew Beale, the artist’s son, who later became a physician. Mary Beale was among the most esteemed and productive portraitists in seventeenth-century Britain, and experimentation was the foundation upon which she built her successful business. Beale was her family’s main breadwinner, with her husband Charles acting as her studio manager. Charles also worked as a colour-maker, manufacturing and selling pigments, and his experiments with colour formed the core of Beale’s palette. He discovered ways to quicken the drying time of paint, something which became highly important in a bustling studio where Beale painted six days a week. When business was slower, Beale trialled painting on cheaper materials such as sacking, bed ticking and onion bags. The Dulwich portrait is painted on a more expensive, finerweave canvas, suggesting it was made during a period when business was better. In her busy studio, Beale experimented with ‘fast painting’. Though this figure’s face is precisely painted, the drapery is formed of quick, broad brushstrokes. This quick painting technique allowed Beale to produce more paintings, while also replicating the painting style of the previous generation of master painters, including the Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck, whom Beale particularly admired.
192