Eyckian Portraits of Englishmen (?)

Came across the portrait of 15thC Lancastrian diplomat Edward Grimston by Petrus Christus (dated 1446) yesterday at the National.... I'd never noticed this before! It's actually the property of the Earl of Verulam, Grimston's distant ancestor, but has been on loan to the NG since 1927.

I haven't rooted around much on the identification of its sitter, or provenance - Lorne Campbell's catalogue refers the reader in a note to articles by A.W.Franks and G.Scharf in vol.40 (1866) of Archaeologica - but what is unmistakable are the Lancastrian links the sitter is fondling. Whatever is known, its seems a firm enough identification... the ODNB entry for Grimston makes much of the fact that this is the earliest recorded portrait of a non-royal Englishman, barring the (debatable) case of Cardinal Henry Beaufort by van Eyck that is in Vienna.

Having just read up on that (Hunter, 1993, Art Bulletin), it seems that attribution is far from accepted: general opinion still seems to hold that this is a portrait by the Papal nuncio Cardinal Nicolo Albergati, whereas the writer doubts whether the sitter is Albergati based on his appearance, or indeed a cardinal at all on the basis of his costume... which of course also rules out Beaufort. Once again, we have a 15thC Northern work that lacks a consensus of opinion!

Obviously, there is reams of literature of Beaufort, one of the chief powers in the land throughout the reins of Henry IV, Henry VI, the infancy of Henry VI and that king's "Dual Monarchy" of England and France. As one of the wealthiest of all prelates, he was and is seen as as precursor to Cardinal Wolsey.

As for Grimston, there is understandably less to go on, but he does merit a page or so in the ODNB. I'll have to see if I can obtain that 1866 issue of Archaeologica.....

V&A Italian Cast Courts (2)

Also, something I didn't expect to see in the Italian Cast Court is a copy of Cardinal Wolsey's arms from Hampton Court. These were made in terracotta in Florence, possibly by a Lorenzo Giuntini in 1525 and installed by the Cardinal at his home in the Clock Court. They were covered over - but never removed - by Henry VIII after his requisition of the palace, and subsequently found during a 19th century restoration.

For more on the re-discovery, need to download the Gentleman's Magazine vol 24 from 1830-something.

Henry's arms are the ones presumably still there... I'm ashamed to say I can't remember! Need to look under the astronomical clock next time I'm there.

V&A Cast Courts - Italian Room open again

Good news in that the Italian Room at the V&A is open once more after having had a spruce-up. Could prove to be a great substitute resource if I choose to focus on a classic example of Renaissance sculpture/architectural sculpture.

Many of "the classics" are there, to wit:

• Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise
• Michelangelo's David & Medici Mausoleum sculptures (Lorenzo di Piero, Duke of Urbino & Giuliano di Lorenzo, Duke of Nemours, by 1534)
• Donatello's David / Cavalcanti Annunciation / Duomo Cantoria (arranged for comparison adjacent to that of Luca della Robbia)
• Mino di Fiesole's Bust of Piero the Gouty

Carlo Marsuppini's Santa Croce tomb by Desiderio da Settignano (1453-60) really caught my eye.

It is a visually jaw-dropping source of humanist iconographic and decorative imagery, and the cast is beautifully done. It is placed adjacent to the Santa Maria del Popolo tomb of Cardinal Ascanio Sforza by Andrea Sansovino (1505-9) which to my mind is a prime example of the influence of Nero's recently rediscovered Golden House in its grotesque work. Third in line, and not to be overlooked is the (far smaller) tomb of Tuscan lawyer/lecturer Filippo Decio (d.1534) from Campo Santo by the Pisan Stagio Stagi, demonstrating how this style filtered down and developed over the next generation.

A project comparing and contrasting these would be great fun; alternatively, the Sforza (and Decio) tombs could be used as a control for the Layer Marney sarcophagi and canopies mentioned a while back. I can see these replicas whenever I want FOC and in a quiet, brightly-lit environment with the National Art Library on-site. Would still more than justify a trip to Florence and/or Rome though!

Seilern Altarpiece - too cheeky to use a TMA as a "springboard"?

Having buried myself firmly in the literature on the Courtauld's Seilern altarpiece, I'm half-tempted to add this to the long list....... I just wonder if this is a bit of a piss-take given that 500 words of my first TMA is on its making?

Surely this depends on the marker - and something is telling me that the ECA is marked independently of one's tutor. So surely there's not a problem here, but best to check with Sue.

1 issue may actually be that the piece is dated too early - one element of the never-ending argument about this piece is its precise dating, which ranges from the early-1410s to well into the 1420s. I suppose there is sufficient support for a later dating for me to argue it qualifies!

In its favour, it's wonderfully accessible and there's a mountain of literature available, much of which is very recent. Recent bibliography as follows, from memory:

In 1996 (I think) Susan Foister and Susie Nash put together a selection of essays on Campin/Flemalle, with one focusing on this A/P

In 2002 Felix Thurlemann tried (and, I gather, failed) to end the arguing in his monograph on Campin

and the big one... Awaiting publication is Susie Nash's full-length book/monograph specifically on the Seilern A/P!! There seems to have been a hold-up here, it was due out last year. I contacted the publishers, they are none the wiser and are going to ask Susie what's going on. I like the fact that an internationally-known art historian is being badgered on my behalf.

I also note Susie is due to talk on the work at a Campin/van der Weyden symposium in Berlin on Friday 14 May. In September she is talking at Leuven on "Some new information on the construction of the Seilern Triptych...". (It must be these new discoveries that has forced her to put back publication, most interesting!)

Layer Marney

Yesterday visited the Church with Italian-influenced terracotta & marble monuments to Lord Henry (d.1523) and his son John (d.1525) Marney. Pevsner described them as "Renaissance with a Gothic hangover". You can see what he means... not least in that the canopy over Lord Henry looks like its about to collapse! With steel-reinforcing rods being completely unknown to Tudor masons, whacking this bulky canopy on top of such a shallow arch took quite a bit of nerve I'd say!

Church is a delightful pre-reformation Tudor re-creation, the tombs show heavy Italian influence, and there's even a c.1520 wall-painting - where St Christopher is clearly meant to remind the viewer of Henry VIII (huge calves!) - which you don't see often. Could make an interesting project along lines of "The Tudor renovation/ornamentation of Layer Marney church (1520s) with particular reference to the tombs of Lord Henry and John Marney - a piece of Italy in Essex?".

Obviously I'd be going out on a limb here and a big issue would be a lack of literature specific to these monuments. With parish church fixtures, unless they are portable and have been exhibited, or the patron involved has been biographied, its pot-luck as to whether anyone has taken an interest. The former doesn't apply here, and the Marneys do not appear to have warranted their own place in the Tudor sun. Lord Henry is mentioned by David Starkey on pp.269-75, 349, 360 of his Henry: Virtuous Prince.... e.g "[Upon the accession of Henry VIII]... Henry Marney... was made vice-chamberlain and captain of the guard... ,chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, steward of the duchy of Cornwall etc..... It was an extraordinary accumulation of positions, which immediately turned Marney into one of the richest office-holders under the crown" (p.269-70). I think these Marney characters, lergley lost to the popular consciousness, would be much better known if our Tudor heritage wasn't (understandably enough) skewed towards the 1530s, Anne Boleyn, the Reformation etc.

Anyway, I will root around journal articles and church guides and see if anything comes up. Oh yes, the Layer Marney info. sheet suggests that a John Guldon of Hereford produced the effigy (if not the terracotta tomb chest/canopy). Something to follow up.....

Part II - National Portrait Gallery Curator Talk

Attended Dr Tarnya Cooper's lunchtime talk at the Museum of London on Foreign Artists in London 1500-1620. Lots of good facts, sources, opinions and emphases (can you pluralise emphasis?).

In particular she reminded me that the NPG Henry VII portrait was made for Maximilian I as part of the proposal of marriage to his daughter Margaret of Savoy. Probably made in the Netherlands based on a drawing taken over here. This would neatly fit all three themes, and satisfy my general interest in portraiture of the late-medieval English monarchy. Shame we don;t know who painted it!! As Tarnya made clear it's a minefield adducing attributions in this period... not something I want to get embroiled in during a project of this level.

Still, it's a portrait I've always liked, and a painting I can go see absolutely anytime.

One last thing, kind of related - the portraits of English Kings in the Dulwich collection are a non-starter - as I thought, they were commissioned by Edward Alleyn in 1618-20, as opposed to being an acquired Renaissance collection. Ah well, if I do the Albertinelli Creation, then I can always study the Van Aelst they have at DPG for comparison purposes.

Part I: Courtauld Visit

Looked at the Albertinelli Creation painting again this morning, and compared it to Cranach's upstairs. I can see this making a good project if it can satisfy the thematic requirements. (NB / pic attached is only the right-hand side, Google can't find me a full-length .jpg!)

For "making" and "viewing" I don't think this should be too hard. "Making" could cover techniques such as: use of sfumato, shell-gold on angels wings and robes, aerial perspective in the landscape background... and much more. Regarding "viewing" I would point out that this was intended for a domestic setting (a named Florentine family is specified in the label), and would go on to investigate if and how this may have affected the pictorial language, especially the serpent's "eve-mask" (must find the name for this, a student giving a talk on this piece a few weeks back mentioned there is something in the Jewish texts...).

This leaves "locating". Unlike other project ideas, I don't see a screamingly obvious cross-cultural starting point on which to hang this section of the essay. Albertinelli was a Florentine, painting for Florentines, in what appears to me to be a style that, for sure, had its roots in Netherlandish art (the deep and naturalistic landscape, the oil medium, the attention to minute detail), but by the picture's date (1515, from memory) was surely more universal. A more direct and contemporary influence would surely be, his fellow Florentine(!), Leonardo.

My other reservation is of course that Albertinelli is not shall we say from the absolute top-rank of Italian renaissance artists and as such has not been studied internationally in the way that, say, his partner Fra Bartolommeo has been. As such, most of the literature is in Italian. Will I end up just half-inching a raft of quotes that really relate to Fra B? Tutor's advice would be good here.

One last thing - the label reminded me that there are (or were), as you would expect, two sister panels to this one... as this one depicts days 5 and 6 of the Genesis creation, they must cover days 1 to 4. I wonder where they are??? Will find by time of next post.

One last thing - on this my third viewing, I like the painting, and the viewing environment, even more! Dead quiet in Gallery 1 of the Courtauld, painting is perfectly positioned and lit... there's even a comfy bench betwixt it and the Seilern altarpiece, so I can make fatuous comparisons from time to time!