ART 4
2-DAY 09 May
v.8.40 |
| DEATHS:
1586 DE MORALES 1586 DE VOS |
| BIRTH:
1843 VON WERNER |
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Died on 09 May 1586: Luis
de Morales el Divino, Spanish Mannerist
painter born in 1520 (1509?) We know very little about De Morales. He appears never to have left Spain, and the influence of Italian Mannerism is supposed to have reached him only through the work of Pedro de Campana, a painter of Flemish origin. De Morales worked for most of his life in Badajoz, a town on the Portuguese border, and his style-formed away from the influence of the court or great religious and artistic centers such as Seville - is highly distinctive. His pictures are usually fairly small and he concentrated on devotional images. He painted numerous versions of the Virgin and Child, sometimes with the infant Saint John, and touching visions inspired by the theme Ecce Homo, which are among his most popular works. The piety of his work has earned him the nickname El Divino. His style owes something to Dutch art, but his misty modelling seems to derive more from Leonardo da Vinci. LINKS — Man of Sorrows (1560, 64x46cm; 1269x880pix _ ZOOM to 2430x1685pix) Ecce Homo (850x613pix, 87kb) _ Luis de Morales had an original personality. The distinctive features of his style, a painstaking technique inherited from the Flemish masters, and elongated forms that foreshadow the art of El Greco, are especially evident in the works of his final period. Morales painted numerous versions of the Virgin and Child, sometimes with the infant Saint John the Baptist, and touching visions inspired by the theme "Ecce Homo," which are among his most popular works. Sensitivity to content and concentration on the sacred drama are the chief characteristics of this typical representative of Spanish asceticism. a different Ecce Homo (head and shoulders only) — Madonna with the Child (1568, 84x64cm; 599x455pix, 40kb _ ZOOM to 2664x2024pix, 466kb) Mary's right hand angled down, button on her light reddish brown blouse at top hem. _ Virgin and Child Holding Cross-shaped Spindle (700x490pix _ ZOOM to 1400x980pix) Mary's right hand angled up, button on her red blouse at top hem. _ slightly different version of Virgin and Child Holding Cross-shaped Spindle (1575, 72x52cm; 575x423pix) = Madonna with the Child (1575, 72x52cm; 985x707pix, 82kb) Mary's right hand angled down, button on her light brown blouse down from top hem _ The Virgin and Child (1569; 1030x738pix, 274kb) Mary's right hand on the head of the Baby _Virgin and Child is one of the most characteristic pictures by Morales, and there are several variants. The composition of the painting may possibly be traced to an engraving by Dürer, but the influence of Italian Mannerism is very strongly felt in the delicate elongation of the neck, the tapering of the fingers, the Leonardo-like softness of the features, the sweet expression reminiscent of Raphael and the use of large blocks of strong color for the garments. And even if most of Morales's painting does not rise above the average standard achieved by his contemporaries, the variants of Virgin and Child demonstrate an engaging and pleasant handling which justifies the attribute so generally conferred upon him: El Divino. — Mater Dolorosa (1576; 82x58cm; 700x498pix, 75kb) = Mater Dolorosa (1576; 82x58cm; 575x397pix, 65kb) Saint Stephen (67x50cm; 847x605pix, 102kb) — 143 images at Ciudad de la Pintura. —(060508) |
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Born on 09 May 1843:
Anton Alexander von Werner, German painter and illustrator
who died on 04 January 1915. — He studied at the Akademie der Künste in Berlin from 1859 and in 1862 moved to Karlsruhe, where he studied under Johann Wilhelm Schirmer, Ludwig Des Coudres [1820–1878] and Adolf Schrödter. Under the influence of Karl Friedrich Lessing he became interested in history painting. He was a friend of the poet Victor von Scheffel and illustrated his works (e.g. Gaudeamus, 1867). In 1867 von Werner was in Paris and in 1868–1869 in Italy. On returning to Germany in 1870 he received his first important commissions. He specialized in detailed scenes of contemporary events, particularly those involving soldiers. His best-known work, William of Prussia Proclaimed Emperor of Germany, 18th January 1870 (1877, now destroyed, but another version survives), depicts the event he had witnessed at Versailles; it is a typical example of his sober, naturalistic style and his taste for patriotic subjects. In 1874 von Werner became a member of the Akademie der Künste in Berlin and a year later was appointed director. In 1909 he succeeded Hugo von Tschudi as director of the Nationalgalerie in Berlin. Werner was a favorite of William II, who appears in many of his paintings. Both their meticulous detail and military subjects appealed to the Emperor and his circle but were much criticized and ridiculed by progressive circles, as was Werner’s reactionary attitude towards politics and culture. His work, immensely popular during his lifetime, fell out of favor with the rise of modernism, which he had implacably opposed. — Karl Stauffer-Bern was an assistant of von Werner. — Der 70. Geburtstag des Kommerzienrates Valentin Manheimer (1887, 110x140cm; 318x472pix, 35kb) _ Valentin Manheimer, seit 1884 Geheimer Kommerzienrat, nimmt im Brunnenhaus des Gartens seiner Berliner Villa in der Bellevuestraße 8 die Glückwünsche der Töchter und Enkelkinder entgegen. Der erfolgreiche Damenkonfektionär ist siebzig geworden, seine Frau Philippine (dritte von links im schwarzen Kleid) bestellte 1885 bei Anton von Werner ein Gemälde, das dieses Ereignis für die Nachwelt festhält. Manheimer, der es schon vor Beginn der Gründerzeit zu Ansehen und Reichtum gebracht hatte, verkörperte exemplarisch die gelungene Emanzipation der Berliner Juden im Kaiserreich und den beachtlichen Beitrag, den sie als Unternehmer leisteten. Als Sohn eines Kantors der jüdischen Gemeinde 1815 in Gommern bei Magdeburg geboren, kam Manheimer 1836 nach Berlin, wo er - der Firmenlegende nach mit dem Geld eines Lotteriegewinns - eine Textilfabrik gründete. Die Leistung Manheimers bestand in der industriellen Nutzung und internationalen Vermarktung des traditionsreichen Berliner Schneiderhandwerks. Sein Unternehmen war nach dem von Herman Gerson das umsatzstärkste in der Branche. Er beschäftigte etwa 8000 Personen. Von seinen Söhnen fortgeführt, mußte die Firma in der Weltwirtschaftskrise liquidiert werden. — Kaiser Wilhelm I. mit dem Kronprinzen in Saarbrücken (620x945pix, 88kb _ ZOOM to 930x1418pix, 132kb) — Der Kaiser in Versailles (678x709pix) _ Wilhelm I [22 Mar 1797 – 09 Mar 1888] was king of Prussia from 02 January 1861 and, additionally, German emperor from 18 January 1871, but it was prime minister Bismarck [01 Apr 1815 – 30 Jul 1898] who effectively ruled and imposed policies with which Wilhelm I was often uncomfortable (including making him emperor). — Die Proklamierung des Deutschen Kaiserreiches (1885; 311x460pix, 42kb) _ Am 18. Januar 1871 nimmt der preußische König Wilhelm I. im Spiegelsaal des Versailler Schlosses die Kaiserkrone entgegen. — Rudolf Virchow (481x329pix in 701x525pix frame) _ Virchow [13 Oct 1821 – 05 Sep 1902] was a Prussian pathologist and statesman, one of the most prominent physicians of the 19th century. He pioneered the modern concept of pathological processes by his application of the cell theory to explain the effects of disease in the organs and tissues of the body. He emphasized that diseases arose, not in organs or tissues in general, but primarily in their individual cells. He campaigned for social reforms and contributed to the development of anthropology as a modern science. — Xaver Scharwenka (450x320pix) _ Xaver Scharwenka [06 Jan 1850 – 08 Dec 1924] was born a Pole in Poznan (occupied and colonized by Prussia 1793-1807 and 1815-1918). When he was 15 his family moved to Berlin, his home from then on. He was a pianist and the composer of 4 piano concertos, 2 piano trios, 1 piano quartet, 1 Symphony, the 3-act opera Mataswintha (1897) and numerous works for piano (notably the Polish Dances). |
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Died on 09 May 1651: Cornelis
de Vos, Flemish painter born in 1584, brother of Paul
de Vos [09 Dec 1595 – 30 Jun 1678], brother-in-law of Frans
Snyders; studied under Peter
Paul Rubens. The students of Cornelis de Vos included Simon
de Vos and
Jan Cossiers. — The De Vos family, which moved from Hulst to Antwerp in 1596, must have come from a strong artistic background. Three brothers, Cornelis de Vos, Jan de Vos [1588–1627] and Paul de Vos, became painters, beginning their training as apprentices to the relatively unimportant Antwerp painter and guilder David Remeeus [1559–1626] in 1599, 1601, and 1605 respectively. In 1611 their eldest sister Margaretha married Frans Snyders, the animal painter and assistant of Rubens. Cornelis also married into an artistic family, wedding Susanna Cock in 1617, a half-sister of the landscape painter Jan Wildens. Of their six children, one son, Jan-Baptist de Vos [1619–1679], was trained as a painter by his father. Simon de Vos, another student of Cornelis, seems not to have been related to the family. De Vos was a portrait painter in Antwerp who occasionally worked for Rubens; some of his portraits have been mistaken for those of Rubens or van Dyck. He also painted large historical and allegorical works. There are examples in Antwerp, Berlin, Birmingham, Brussels, London (Wallace Collection), Madrid, Munich, Philadelphia (Museum), San Francisco (Legion of Honor), Vienna, York and elsewhere. His brother Paul de Vos (1596-1678), was a painter of lively hunting scenes and large still-life subjects with dead game, fruit and live birds and animals. Their sister married Snyders, with whose art Paul's has much in common, and they were close friends of van Dyck. Cornelis de Vos was born in Hulst (Zeeland). Nothing is known about his training and early work; for a time he worked as an art dealer. Vos was the brother-in-law of Frans Snyders and was accepted as a master in the Antwerp St. Lukas Guild in 1608. In 1635, he worked with Jordaens as assistant to Rubens on the decorations for the reception of Cardinal Ferdinand. From 1636 to 1638 he worked with Rubens on the decoration of the hunting-lodge Dorre de la Parada near Madrid. Vos was primarily a portrait painter in Antwerp society and of family groups. In their restrained elegance and fine observation of character his portraits approach those of van Dyck. Among his best works were those of children, e.g. Magdalena and Jan-Baptist de Vos, which stand out for their freshness naturalness, and alertness of expression and fine coloring. He is also known as the author of some religious and mythological pieces. His younger brother, Paul de Vos [1590-1678] painted animals and hunt scenes. Cornelis de Vos died in Antwerp in 1651. LINKS Portrait of the Artist with his Family (1631, 557x800pix, 55kb _ ZOOM to 1427x2048pix, 183kb) him, his wife, 13-year-old Magdalena, two young girls (ages about 5 and 4), and a boy who looks about 8-years-old, presumably not 12-year-old Jan-Baptist (or was he deficient in growth hormones?). The Family of the Artist (1633, 145x204cm; 800x1128pix, 163kb) _ Compared with the 1631 portrait, the two young girls do not seem to have aged, the boy seems two years younger, the wife has vanished and in her place is seated Magdalena, now 15 and fully grown, who is holding the hand of a boy about 2-years-old who seems to be sitting in mid-air. Portrait of the Artist with his Family (1621) very poor image. It shows him, his wife, and two young children, presumably Magdalena and Jan-Baptist. Magdalena de Vos [1618–] and Jan-Baptist de Vos [1619–1679], Children of the Artist (1622, 78x92cm; 604x717pix, 34kb _ ZOOM to 1673x2024pix, 399kb) — Marie Anne Schotten (183x120cm; 1067x697pix, 75kb _ ZOOM to 1600x1046pix, 120kb) _ detail (1130x848pix, 186kb _ ZOOM to 1600x1200pix, 315kb) A Couple (1640; in cropped frame 600x440pix _ ZOOM to frame 1400x1026pix) Mme. Charlotte Butkens-Smit van Cruyninghen and her Son, Jean-Aimé (600x440pix _ ZOOM to 1400x1540pix) A Man (600x477pix) (not the de Vos family) A Family (600x696pix) _ Father, mother, 5 children aged about 2 to 14, monument in the background. — Family Portrait (1631, 165x135cm; 800x1134pix, 128kb) _ Father, mother, teen-aged daughter, 3 other children aged about 9 to 4, the youngest holding a bird on a perch; plain dark wall background _ Portraiture was generally viewed as a slightly inferior branch of art, as it required less inventiveness on the part of the painter. The portraits of Cornelis De Vos, who was born in Hulst in the Northern Netherlands, but who was active in Antwerp, are amongst the most beautiful produced in the Southern Netherlands in the 17th century. The full-length, life-size subjects of this Family Portrait are painted in a truthful and intriguing manner. Elisabeth (or Cornelia) Vekemans as a Young Girl (1625, 123x93cm; 1038x804pix, 98kb) _ There are four portraits of the Vekemans family in the collection of Mayer an den Bergh. Joris Vekemans was a prominent Antwerp merchant, as witnessed by the wealth displayed in these portraits. He died in 1625, shortly after the birth of his sixth child. He probably commissioned all portraits at once, some time before January 1625. This hypothesis is strengthened by the fact that two of the portraits are not entirely finished, probably due to the unexpected death of the man who ordered them. The portraits are all conceived as pairs. De Vos treated the subjects in each pair in a similar manner, as we can see from the corresponding poses, background and coloring, which create a strong sense of unity between them. With his portraits of the Vekemans family Cornelis de Vos left behind the stereotypical faces of his early works, creating instead a series of very realistic characters — the children's faces are charming, imbued with a sense of youthful pride and shyness. It is, of course, the treatment of the face that lends a successful portrait its expressive power. The portrait of Elisabeth Vekemans is incomplete, as we see from the unfinished background, the somewhat casual execution of the skirt and the absence of the mainly deep red, intensely colorful details like the socks, tie, jewellery and so on that might have enlivened the sombre, green palette. Even so, the portrait stands out for the sureness with which the face is rendered and the daring highlights in the outer garment, which skillfully suggest the material. The portrait is fairly unusual for its time. Life-size, full-length portraits of young girls only really appear in De Vos's work from the 1630s onwards. The Triumph of Bacchus (511x800pix, 109kb) _ Cornelis de Vos, primarily a portrait painter, also painted large historical and allegorical works such as this.| — A Girl Aged 10 (94x156cm; 1162x700pix, 95kb) —(070508) |
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