Previous Posts: articles 2023
Is this Manet's copy of a Velázquez?
April 24 2020
Picture: The Provenance Research Blog
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Here's an interesting blog investigating whether the above picture is in fact Manet's copy of Velázquez's portrait of Philip IV of Spain, now in the National Gallery, London. The picture bears an alluring inscription on the back attributing the picture to Manet and placing it at The Arts Club in Mayfair. As any picture researcher knows, inscriptions can be either very useful or send you on many a wild goose chase. Although the blog shows that their research was inconclusive, the piece provides a engaging insight into the due diligence required to look into such cases.
The blog is relatively new, and seemingly supported by art historians Dr Tom Flynn and Angelina Giovani.
'Art History at Bedtime'
April 24 2020
Picture: BG
Posted by Bendor Grosvenor
There's not much a self-isolating art historian can do to help the world at the moment, but I think there is one tiny sliver of humanity I might be able to help right now; those of you who are both art history lovers and struggling to get to sleep in these anxious times. My new podcast series, Art History at Bedtime, is designed to get you nodding off to sleep in just minutes, while learning all about art history.
The idea grew out of my bedtime story voice, which I have developed over the years of trying to get the Deputy Editor off to sleep. It's soothing and soporific. So what I've done is read a series of art historical texts, and make them into podcasts. They're all free, and available on the usual podcast platforms; Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud and so on. I'm starting with Giorgio Vasari's Lives of the Artists. Already recorded are Cimabue, Giotto, Leonardo, Fra Filippo Lippi, Giorgione, and Botticelli.
If you enjoy them, please consider making a donation to Art History Link Up, the UK charity which helps state school children study art history. They're carrying on all their classes online during the pandemic. Since we went live with the podcasts earlier this week, I'm pleased to say that kind listeners have already donated more than £3,000.
Fontainebleau cancels Autumn Exhibition
April 24 2020
Picture: Wikipedia Commons
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
La Tribune de L'Art has reported on the sad news that the Château de Fontainebleau has cancelled their upcoming exhibition on the Art of the Celebrations of the Valois Court (due to open in September 2020). This exhibition was set to be a very big affair, with many dispersed works being sourced and reunited from major museums across the world (including this marvellous tapestry from the Uffizi in Florence).
Although the coronavirus has played its part, the large deficit incurred due to closures has also been blamed for causing the cancellation.
As our current crisis continues, it seems very likely that many important future exhibitions might be called off. This tragic on many levels, including the vast amount of time these spectacles take to prepare. Exactly when will museum-goers feel safe enough to pack into rooms again to enjoy these cultural marvels I wonder?
Quiz: Find the Original
April 24 2020
Picture: The Saleroom
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Because the weekend is nearly here, I have caved in and found another tricky copy for readers to find. This picture 'Attributed to Benjamin Robert Haydon' is coming up for sale at Roseberys and is a copy of a known painting. Can you find the original? No tips this time either.
No prizes, just for fun.
Update - Congratulations again to Andrew Quick who spotted that this picture is a copy of John Opie's Self Portrait (1801-2) in the collection of the Royal Academy.
How to steal a Van Gogh
April 24 2020
Video: via The Guardian
Posted by Bendor Grosvenor
The Singer Laren Museum in the Netherlands has released a video of the theft of a painting by Van Gogh. The painting, The Parsonage Garden at Nuenen in Spring 1884, was stolen on 30th March. You can see in the video that the thief just walks out with the painting under his arm.
When I wrote about the theft in the Sunday Times, shortly after it happened, I speculated that all the thief had required was a hammer, and a getaway car. It turns out I was wrong - all he needed was a hammer and a scooter.
With a succession of these thefts at smaller museums now (such as that at Dulwich Picture Gallery and the ChristChurch Picture Gallery in Oxford) it seems museum security needs rethinking. All the alarm systems in the world are pointless if your basic defenses are so weak. Too many museums rely on the police coming to their aid, and have dispensed with on-site security staff. But if small paintings can be whisked away in seconds, on motorbikes, it's unrealistic to always expect the police to arrive at a museum in time.
Introducing a New Art Critic
April 23 2020
Picture: via. Twitter @Barbiereports
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
This is Art Activist Barbie, a new and increasingly influential art critic who has been causing quite a stir in the press and on social media recently. Her role is reporting predominantly on gender representation, inequalities and injustices in art galleries and museums. Her twitter profile, which has close to 13,000 followers, is filled with very eye catching and witty tableaus featuring Barbie Dolls visiting galleries with miniature placards (as pictured).
The project is run by Sarah Williamson, a senior lecturer at the School of Education and Professional Development at the University of Huddersfield. Her interesting project is detailed in full on the University's website.
As the project's page reveals;
Art galleries and museums are seen by many as trusted, authoritative and influential places and the ArtActivistBarbie project researches the potential of these places as spaces for action to educate for social justice and promote change.
...
The feminist, activist use of Barbie dolls in these spaces may be viewed as a form of ‘culture jamming’, which can give agency through creative subversion and give voice via a form of radical ventriloquism.
Open Courtauld Hour
April 23 2020
Picture: The Courtauld Institute of Art
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Courtauld Institute of Art in London are the latest institution to announce a very interesting programme of online events. 'Open Courtauld Hour' will run ever every Thursday Evening from 30 April - 21 May featuring talks from experts and detailed examinations of specific works of art. The themes for each session are as follows; 'Art in Isolation', 'Art and Wellbeing', 'The Future of Art History' and 'Women Artists'.
These sessions are free but you will be requird to register online with Eventbrite.
George IV: Art & Spectacle - Virtual Tour
April 23 2020
Picture: The Royal Collection
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Royal Collection Trust have released a full virtual tour of their recent exhibition George IV: Art & Spectacle. The online platform allows you to walk through the exhibition in 3D.
In related news, I was recently alerted to this virtual reality experience the Louvre was offering last autumn. 'Beyond the Glass' afforded visitors the chance to get up close and personal with masterpieces such as the Mona Lisa without having to barge past security barriers and tourists.
Quiz: Find the Original
April 23 2020
Picture: Frick Digital Photoarchive
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Here's another fun copy of an old master portrait in miniature format this time. This picture is found on the Frick Digital Photoarchive, a very useful resource for picture researchers. It is catalogued as 'British School' portrait of Edward VI. Can you find the original? No tips this time.
No prizes, just for fun. (The last in this mini-series, until I find some other copies).
Update - Congratulations to David Taylor, who spotted that this miniature is in fact a version of Arnold Bronckhorst's portrait of King James VI and I as a boy (c.1574) in the collection of the National Galleries of Scotland. The entry in the Frick Photoarchive, which claims the miniature was erroneously thought to be c.1500, must have been made long before the portrait was reidentified by its present owners the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. The museum's high-resolution image of the work is outstanding.
Furloughed Museum Staff Wage Top-Ups Blocked
April 22 2020
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Guardian have reported that The Treasury is seeking to block museum and art galleries from topping up salaries of staff who have been furloughed under the government's coronavirus job retention scheme.
As regular readers of AHN will know, many jobs at top galleries are rather poorly paid in comparative terms. For many, receiving purely the 80% government backed portion of their wages will mean that their earnings will slide under the London living wage, for example.
Comments from any staff who might be affected are welcome (all treated anonymously of course).
Sotheby's Mid-Season Sale
April 22 2020
Picture: English School, Piazza, Covent Garden, c. 1649 via Sotheby's
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Sotheby's have recently posted their mid-season Old Master Paintings sale. Their online sales have been producing some very encouraging results in the past few years. Lots of fine pictures to peruse, including an intriguing set of full length portraits from the Earl of Clarendon's collection.
Quiz: Find the Original
April 22 2020
Picture: The Saleroom
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Following on from yesterday's challenge, here is another copy of a famous picture that was exhibited at the Royal Academy in the nineteenth century. It's coming up for sale in New Orleans catalogued as 'Attributed to Alfred W Thompson'. Can you find the original? A little tip - it's on display in a London Museum.
No prizes, just for fun.
Update - Congratulations to reader Bob Hawkins, who spotted that the above picture is in fact a copy of Edwin Landseer's Doubtful Crumbs at the Wallace Collection. Here is a fine video discussing the collection's other Landseer The Arab Tent. This painting cost Sir Richard Wallace £6,300 making it one of the most expensive paintings acquired by the museum's founders. In comparison, Frans Hals's Laughing Cavalier was bought for a mere £2,040 in 1865.
Panel Project Uploads 78 New Images
April 22 2020
Picture: JVDPPP
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Jordaens Van Dyck Panel Paintings Project (JVDPPP) have uploaded a further 78 panels to their online database. This brings their online collection to a total of 250 panels.
As you'll see, the project also considers copies and works by 'Followers of' and 'Circle Of' - which is very interesting. Getting to know what makes a copy a copy, and how they were made, is an important part of being able to judge pictures. There is also a beautiful selection of works by the copyist and imitator Remigius van Leemput (1607-1675), whom I know the project are taking a special interest in for some exciting future study.
Oliver Millar Journals Indexed Online
April 21 2020
Picture: Paul Mellon Centre via. Lucy Anne Dickens
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The Paul Mellon Centre for the Studies in British Art have been busy cataloguing the archive of the late Sir Oliver Millar (1923-2007), expert on seventeenth century paintings and former Surveyor of the Queen's Pictures.
Part of their collection is the vast amount of journals noting all the key visits Millar made to collections around the world. This archive will be of great interest to art historians, especially scholars of the likes of Van Dyck. They have uploaded the index of his journals and notebooks online, but you'll have to book yourself in to consult the documents in person when the centre reopens.
Artherstory: Giovanna Garzoni and Artemisia Gentileschi
April 21 2020
Picture: Artherstory
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Here is an interesting blog written on two women painters of seventeenth century Italy; Giovanna Garzoni and Artemisia Gentileschi. The piece was written by Dr Mary D Garrad of for the blog site Artherstory, a fine project that specifically showcases the works of female old masters.
The comparison between their self portraits is fascinating (pictured). I must admit that I had never seen Garzoni's painting before, which shows her playing the role of Apollo (Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome). The six thick strings make it look like a viol to me, rather than a plucked string instrument.
Holburne Museum sets £50k Target for Survival
April 21 2020
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The BBC have reported that the Holburne Museum in Bath is looking to raise £50,000 to help keep the museum runnning. This is largely due to the loss of funds due to the current epidemic crisis. They are hoping to raise the amount by a Crowdfunding campaign.
The museums director Chris Stephens said;
The Holburne receives no public funding whatsoever so, when we closed we lost all our income other than donations.
Frustratingly, and fortunately, our current exhibition - Grayson Perry: The Pre-Therapy Years - is the most popular show we have ever had.
So we had some cash in the bank, but only enough to last a few weeks. The crowdfunding is a way of raising emergency funds from people who love the Holburne but who we maybe don't know, and to raise awareness of our plight.
The Charleston Trust, who look after the country home of the Bloomsbury Group, have also started an emergency to fight for their survival.
Quiz: Find the Original
April 21 2020
Picture: The Saleroom
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
The recent explosion of online art quizes has encouraged me to set a fun but tricky challenge for readers of AHN. The picture above is coming up for sale at Charles Hanson's June sale catalogued as 'Manner of Velazquez' with an estimate of £100-£150. It is a copy of an old master painting. Can any of you find the original? A little tip: It is in a museum in Germany.
No prizes, just for fun.
Update - Congratulations to Andrew Quick who correctly identified the picture as Van Dyck's Portrait of a Man (called a Spaniard) at the Staatliche Museen, Gemäldegalerie, Kassel. A very interesting picture, especially the highly detailed costume which has been identified as being particularly in the Spanish fashion. It was taken by the French to Paris between 1807-15.
Update 2 - The picture sold for £1,150.
Weston Park's Pictures
April 21 2020
Picture: @Weston_Park
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Weston Park in Staffordshire, the ancestral home of the Earls of Bradford, have been sharing some rather good high-resolution images of their paintings collections via their Twitter account over the past few weeks.
The picture above is a Holbein of Sir George Carew, Captain of the Mary Rose. It's so good that I can zoom in to see the detail of the badge in Carew's hat, which might be a figure of Neptune especially considering the sitter's naval career. The drawing for this portrait is in the Royal Collection.
The property is run and maintained by the Trustees of the Weston Park Foundation. This foundation was established in 1986 after the house and parkland was given to the nation by the 7th Earl of Bradford. It is not immediately clear whether this included the collection, or whether the artworks are still privately owned. Regardless, it is incredible rare for a collection of this kind to share images of this quality for free.
Pictures worth seeing are this Lely, a portrait by Constable, Gainsborough (posted last year) , Van Dyck (posted last year).
Mijn Rembrandt
April 19 2020
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
This is a DVD release I'm looking forward to (not often that you say that these days). Mijn Rembrandt is a documentary that revolves around the stories of several collectors and their paintings by (or not by) Rembrandt. It includes the tale of dealer and collector Jan Six's efforts to have his newly discovered Portrait of a Young Gentleman authenticated by Rembrandt scholar Ernst van de Wetering. It was premiered last November at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), who produced the trailer above. The film contains cameos from collectors Eijk and Rose-Marie De Mol van Otterloo, Thomas Kaplan, The Duke of Buccleuch and Eric de Rothschild.
The DVD is released on 8th May 2020.
Stay at Home Museum: Rubenshuis
April 18 2020
Video: Flemish Masters 2018-2020
Posted by Adam Busiakiewicz:
Ben Van Beneden, the director of the Rubenshuis in Antwerp, will be giving a live personal tour of the museum next Wednesday. This is part of a fabulous series created by Flemish Masters 2018-2020, an organisation that promotes Flanders and Brussels tourism. The tour will be followed by a Q&A which viewers can take part in (I have a question of my own regarding some architectural salvage as it happens).
The livestream tour will be available on the Flemish Masters Facebook page on Wednesday 22nd April at 7pm (CET).
Update - The full episode has been uploaded to YouTube.
