Peter Paul Rubens The Drawings

18.5 MB·English

by  Anne-Marie S. Logan

Peter PauURubens
THE DRAWINGS
TH.E-METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART
Peter Paul Rubens
THE DRAWINGS

Peter Paul Rubens
THE DRAWINGS
Anne-MarieLoganincollaborationwithMichielC.Plomp
TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork
YaleUniversityPress,NewHavenandLondon
Thisvolumeispublishedinconjunctionwiththeexhibition"PeterPaul SeparationsbyNisshaPrintingCo.,Ltd.,Kyoto,Japan
Rubens(1577—1640):TheDrawings,"heldatTheMetropolitanMuseum PrintedandboundbyNisshaPrintingCo.,Ltd.,Kyoto,Japan
ofArt,NewYork,fromJanuary15toApril3,2005.
Jacket/coverillustration:PeterPaulRubens,YoungWomanLookingDown
Theexhibitionismadepossibleby (StudyfortheHeadofSaintApoUonia),early1628.GabinettoDisqnie
theGovernmentofFlandetsand-^-FORTISBANK StampedegliUffizi,Florence(cat.no.68)
Frontispiece:PeterPaulRubens,StudyfortheFigureofChrist,ca.1610,
AdditionalsupporthasbeenprovidedbyTheSchiiFFoundation. FoggArtMuseum,HarvardUniversityAitMuseums,Cambridge,
TheexhibitioncatalogueismadepossiblebyTheDrueE.HeinzFund Massachusetts;GiftofMetaandPaulJ.Sachs(cat.no.37)
andtheDorisDukeFundforPublications. Onp^e60:PeterPaulRubens,SeatedMaleYouth(detail),ca.161).
TheexhibitionwasorganizedbyTheMetropolitanMuseumofAit, ThePierpontMorganLibrary,NewYork(cat.no.45)
NewYork,andtheAlbertina,Vienna. Cataloging-in-publicationdataisavailablefromtheLibraryofCongress.
AnindemnityhasbeengrantedbytheFederalCouncilonthe ISBN1-58839-139-6(he:TheMetropolitanMuseumofAn)
ArtsandtheHumanities. ISBN1-58839-141-8(pbk:TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt)
Copyright®2004,2005,TheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork ISBN0-300-10494-4(YaleUniversityPress)
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedor
transmittedinanyibrmorbyanymeans,electronicormechanical,
includingphotocopying,recording,orinformationstorageorretrievalsys-
tem,withoutpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
PublishedbyTheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork
JohnP.O'Neill,EditorinChief
JaneBobko,SeniorEditor
BiuceCampbell,Designer
PeterAntony,ChiefProductionManser
DouglasMalidki,ProductionMan^r
MinjeeCho,DesktopPublishing
JayneKuchnaandJeanWagner,BibliographicEditors
Contents
sponsors'Statements vi,vii
Directors'Foreword yiii
Acknowledgments ix
lenderstotheExhibition xi
PererPaulRnhensasaDraftsman 3
CollectingRubenssDrawings 37
Mir.HiF.i.r..pi.oMP
Catalogue 62
Bibliography 314
Index 327
PhotographCredits 332
sponsorsStatement
TheGovernmentofFlandetsisdelightedtosupportThe Flanderstodayfindsitselfyeta^ainatthecenterofa
MetropolitanMuseumofArtinbringingthedrawingsof Europeanunificationprocess,withitscapital,Brusseb,asthe
Flanders'mostfamoussontothegreatcityofNewYork. defactocapitaloftheEuropeanUnion.Rubens'shometown
PeterPaulRubenslivedandworkedinAntwerpinatumul- ofAntwerp,thefourth-largestseaportintheworld,has
tuoustimeinourhistory,atimethatwasvitaltotheshaping reclaimeditsvitalroleastheengineoftheFlemisheconomy.
ofEuropeasweknowittoday.Inhislifeaswellasinhislegaqr, Flanders,aunique,autonomousregion,thrivesasavibrant
Rubenswasandisanesteemedrepresentativeoftheproudcity societythatbuildsonmanyofthesametraitsthatcharac—terized
ontheScheldtRiverand,byextension,ofcontemporary theareainthe sixteenthandseventeenthcenturies traits
FlandetsandtheculturalheritageoftheLowCountries.As championednotonlybyRubensbutalsobymanyofhisfellow
oneofthemostversatileandinnovativeartistsofhistime,he Flemishmasters,inmanyoftheFlemishartcitieswestillknow
wasknownthroi^outEurope.Byemployinghisskillsasan andenjoytoday.
artist,collector,architect,entrepreneur,anddiplomat,hedevel- TheforcesthatwerebehindRubens'sgeniusarealsobehind
opedandusedhisextensivenetworktobringaboutbetter theexplosionofmanyofFlanders'contemporaryartistsonto
understandingonaharshlydividedcontinent. theworldscene.Inareasfrommoderndancetovisualarts,
Rubens'sdrawit^areliterallymasterdrawings.Inthem,more design,fashion,andarchitecture,Flemishartistsarefinding
thaninmanyofhisotherworks,thehandofthemasterhimself theirownnicheinwhichtoexperimentandtoexploie.
isundeniablypresentinthemostdirectway.Hisflamboyantper- TheGovernmentofFlandetsisconvincedthatartistic
sonandhisuniqueartistryhavebecomeaFlanderstrademark. expressionandcidturalawarenessarecrucialelementsinthe
Art,creativity,itmovadon,andentrepteneurship,aseloquendy vitalityofamodemandopensociety.PeterPaulRubens
embodiedinRubens'swork,ateamongthepillarsofFlanders' embodiestheseelementsmorethananyotherf^ureinourcul-
culturalidentity.Theyserveaspositive,optimisticsignsofan turalheritage.Henceweareproudtosharethislegacywiththe
opensocietythatinvitesinfluences(romaroundtheworldand restoftheworidthroi^thisparmershipwithTheMetropolitan
proudlycarriesthoseinfluencesinitsculturalheritage. MuseiunofArt.
GeertBourgeois
MinuteroftheGovernmentofFlanders
vi
sponsor'sStatement
FortisBankispleasedtopartnerwithTheMetropolitan promotingdiversityandinnovationaskeycharacteristicsof
MuseumofArtasasponsorof"PeterPaulRubens(1577- itsbusiness.
1640):TheDrawings." Fortishonorsitssocialcommitmentbysupportingcultural
PeterPaulRubensiswidelyregardedasoneoftheworld's eventstomakeartmoreaccessibletothegeneralpublic.Itis
greatestpaintersanddraftsmen,andasthemostprominent especiallyrewardingtocollaboratewithTheMetropolitan
artistoftheseventeenth-centuryFlemishschool.Asupreme MuseumofArtinpresentingRubenssdrawings,whichareevi-
masteroftheimagination,hewasalsoasiiccessftilambassador, denceofhisgenius.Unlikemanyofhismonumentalpaint-
scholar,classicist,architect,humanist,andteacher.Asapainter, ings,whichwerelargelyexecutedbyhisapprentices,the
hetransformedthemyriadinfluencesheabsorbedfromclassi- drawingsaregenerallyproductsofhisownhandandarecon-
cal,Renaissance,andcontemporarymastersintohisownindi- sideredbyconnoisseursastherealgemsofthismaster'swork.
vidualandoriginalstyle. Fortisisanintegratedfinancialservicesproviderheadquar-
FortisBankchosetosponsorthisexhibitiontocelebrate teredinBelgiumandtheNetherlandsandranksamongthe
anartistwhoshareshisrootswithusintheLowCountries. toptwentyEuropeanfinancialinstitutions.
Rubensbroadenedhishorizonbeyondthoseboundaries, FortisishonoredtobeassociatedwithTheMetropolitan
asdoesFortistodaybyoperatinginsixty-fivecountries. MuseumofArtandisproudtopresentPeterPaulRubensand
Fortisdrawsinspirationfromsuchamultifacetedmasterby hisdrawings.
FilipDierckx JacquesThys
CEOMenhantBanking, U.S.CountryManager
FortisBank FortisBank
MemberoftheExecutive
CommitteeofFortis
vii
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Directors'Foreword
Notsince1977,whenthequadricentennialofthebirthofPeter ChairmanoftheDepartmentofDrawingsandPrintsatthe
PaulRubens(1577-1640)wascelebratedinnumerousexhibi- Metropolitansince1993.andCuratorofDtawii^andCurator
tionsthroughoutEurope,hastherebeenasmuchinterestin ofPaintingsattheGettyfrom1982to1993.Inrecentyearshe
theartist'sworkaswearewitnessii^atthismoment.In2004 hasfoundandacquiredmoreRubensdrawingsthananycura-
thecareerofthegreatFlemishpainter,draftsman,anddiplo- tororprivatecollectorintheworld,andhehasenthusiastically
matwasthesubjectofspecialexhibitions inAntwerp, supportedthisexhibition.SeveralrecendydiscoveredRubens
Braunschweig,Frankfurt,Genoa,Greenwich(Connecticut), drawingsacquiredbyhimarebeingshownforthefirsttime.
Kassel,andLille;inDecemberofthatyearthreeconcurrent Thedisplayoftheseworks,togetherwithlitde-knownornewly
exhibitionsfocusingonRubensasapainteropenedinVienna. founddrawit^fromothercollections,willexpandourunder-
Rubenswasapan-Europeanartistwhowasequallyathomein standingofRubensasadraftsmanandstimulatenewresearch.
thecourtsoftheSouthernNetherlands,France,Spain,and Wewouldliketoacknowledgetheinvaluablescholarshipof
England.Intheeariyseventeenthcenturyhe(iimishedpaintings Anne-MarieLogan,GuestResearchCurator,andMichielC.
andtapestriestotheroyalfamiliesofEurope,aswellastosuch Plomp,AssociateCurator,intheDepartmentofDrawingsand
highlyrespectedcoUectotsastheDukeofBuckingham,theEarl PrintsattheMetropolitanMuseum.Thanksareduetothem
ofArundel,theDukeofLerma,andtheMarquisofLegands. fortheselectionofworksintheNewYorkexhibitionandfor
ItisourgreatpleasuretocelebrateRubenswiththepresent theinsightfulessaysandentriesintheNewYorkcatalogue.
exhibitiondevotedtohisdrawings.Theexhibitionincludes HeinzWidauer,curatoroftheexhibitionattheAlbertina,was
someofRubens'sfineststudies,whichhavebeenselectedfrom aninvaluableliaisonbetweenNewYorkandViennaduringthe
morethanfortycollectionsinsomethirtycitiesworldwideand pasttwoyears.
whichattesttohisastonishit^talentandinventivenessinthe AttheMetropolitanMuseum,MahnikhTarapor,Associate
mediumofdrawing.Indeed,theexhibitionisthefirstcom- DirectorforExhibitions,MarthaDeese,SeniorAssistantfor
prehensiveoverviewofRubensasadrafisman.InViennathe Exhibitions,andRebeccaNoonan,AssistantCounsel,assisted
exhibitiontrasaugmentedbythirty-eightoilsketchesandpaint- innumerabletimesinn^tiatingloansandansweringlenders'
ingsbyRubens,exemplifyingthestag^inhiscreativeprocess questions.IntheDepartmentofDrawii^andPrints,Rachel
thatfollowedupondrawii^.OrganizedbytheAlbertina, Stemoversawtheshow'sadministration.
Vienna,andTheMetropolitanMuseumofArt,NewYork,the TheMetropolitanMuseumisextremelygratefultothe
exhibitionhasbeenloi^intheplanning,anditisappropriate GovernmentofFlanders,whoseinvaluablesupportofthe
thatitconcludesthewealthofrecenteventshonoringRubens. exhibitionhasgreatlyenrichedthisproject.Wearealso
MorethanthirtyofRubens'smostadmireddrawings,from deeplyindebtedtoFortisBankforitscrucialassistance
theworld-renownedcollectionoftheAlbertina,arethecen- towardtherealizationofthisexhibition.Likewise,weremain
terpieceoftheexhibition.Mostofthesesheets,includingstun- gratefulforthegenerosityofTheSchiffFoundation.The
ningportraitsoftheartist'sfamily,arebeingshownforthefirst MuseumwouldalsoliketothankTheDrueE.HeinzFund
timetotheAmericanpublic.Complementingtheselection andtheDorisDukeFimdforPublicationsfortheirvitalcon-
fromtheAlbertinaarealmostonehundredworksfromother tributiontowardthepublicationofthiscatalogue.Finally,
collectionsofRubens'sdrawings,somelongestablishedin weremaineverthankfidtotheFederalCouncilontheArts
EuropeandRussiaandothersofmorerecentcreationinthe andtheHumanities.
UnitedStates.Foremostamongthelatteraretheholdingsof
Rubens'sdrawingsatTheMetropolitanMuseumofArtandthe PhilippedeMontebello KlausAlbrechtSchroder
J.PaulGettyMuseum,LosAngeles.Thesecollectionswerebuilt Director Director
largelythroughtheeffortsofGeorgeR.Goldner,DrueHeinz TheMetropolitanMttseumofArt Albertina,Vienna
viii
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Acknowledgments
Thisexhibitioncouldnothavecometofruitionwithoutthe McCullagh,TheArtInstituteofChicago;KatharineC.Lee
enthusiasticsupportofGeoi^eR.Goldner,DrueHeinz Reid, CharlesL.Venable, HenryHawley,andHeather
ChairmanoftheDepartmentofDrawingsandPrintsatThe Lemonedes,ClevelandMuseumofArt;RainerBuddeandUwe
MetropolitanMuseumofAn,NewYork,andKlausAlbrecht Westfehling,Wallraf-Richartz-Museum-FondationCorboud,
Schroder,DirectoroftheAlbertina,Vietina,whopromisedto Cologne;SirTimothyClifford,ChristopherBaker,Emilie
lendthebestRubensdrawingsfromtheAlbertinasworld- Gordenker,andValerieHunter,NationalGalleryofScotland,
famouscoUecdon.Theyrecognizedearlyonthegreatpotential Edinburgh;AnnamariaPetrioliTofani,GallcriadegliUfKzi,
ofacollaborationbetweenNewYorkandVienna.Weare Florence;HerbertBeckandMartinSonnabend,Stadelsches
grateful to Philippe de Montebello, Director ofThe KunstinstitutundStadtischeGalerie,FrankfurtamMain;
MetropolitanMuseumofArt,forsupportingtheexhibition JulianTreuherzandXantheBrooke,WalkerArtGallery,
andmakingtheenormousresourcesoftheMuseumavailable Liverpool;NeilMcGregor,AntonyV.GrifiBths,andMartin
tothisproject.MahrukhTarapor,AssociateDirectorfor Royalton-Kisch,TheBritishMuseum,London;MarkJones,
Exhibitions,MarthaDeese,SeniorAssistantforExhibitions, JanetSkidmore,SusanLambert,andMirandaPercival,Victoria
andRebeccaNoonan,AssistantCounsel,offeredmuch- andAlbertMuseum,London;DeborahGribbon,WilliamH.
appreciatedassistanceinthenegotiationofloans.Atthe Griswold,andLeeHendrix,TheJ.PaulGettyMuseum,Los
AlbertinawewerehelpedenormouslybyHeinzWidauer, Alleles;CarterFoster,LosAngelesCountyMuseumofArt;
curatoroftheexhibitioninVienna,CorneliaZochling, HeleneLorblanchet,Biblioth&que,MusdeAtger,Montpellier;
R^strar,MarianBisanz-Prakken,Ulrike£rd,HannaSilver, IrinaAntonova,NatalijaMarkova,andVadimSadkov,The
ElisabethThobois.andUlrikeandBrigitte'Willinger. StatePushkinMuseum,Moscow;MichaelSemffandThea
Wethankthemanymuseumsandprivatecollectorswho Vignau-Wilberg,StaadicheGraphischeSanmilung,Munich;
generouslyagreedtolendtheirdrawingstotheexhibitionand Mrs.MonMuellerschoen,Munich;Mr.andMrs.H.Rodes
didnottireofourmanyquestionsduringitspreparation. Hart,Nashville,Tennessee;CharlesE.PierceJr.,RhodaEitel
TheseincludeRonalddeLeeuw,GerLuijten,andMarijn Porter,EgbertHaverkamp-Begemann,JeimiferTonkovich,and
Schapelhouman, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; Pauline W. KateStewart,ThePierpontMorganLibrary,NewYork;
KrusemanandNorbertMiddelkoop,AmsterdamsHistorisch ChristopherBrown,TimothyWilson,JonJ.L.Whiteley,
AMuWseLimiv;anJ.RE^evtaennRAelgtteenrae-nvaAnltReonyae,n,AmAemrsstfeorodrat,m;aFnrdanMcrisn.e GOexrfaolrddi;nHeenGrliynLno,yreatnted,KFartain^aoiPsiesvViina,neA,shCmaoiellevaannMTuuysleluvma,n
deNave,MuseumPlantin-Moretus,Antwerp;Hein-Thomas Serooskerken, Varena Fordone, Catherine Loisel, and
SchulzeAltcappenbergandHolmBevers,StaatlicheMuseen BernadettePy,Mus^eduLouvre,Paris;MkriavanBerge-
zuBerlin,Kupferstichkabinett;JochenLuckhardtandThomas Gerbaud,HansBuijs,andStijnAlsteens,CollecdonFritsLugt,
Doting,HerzogAntonUlrich-Museum,Braunschweig;Pierre InstitutNeerlandais,Paris;WojciechSuchockiandGrazyna
Cockshaw,RaphaelDeSmedt,AlainJacobs,andNicoleWalch, Halasa,MuzeumNarodowe,Poznaii;HugoC.Bongers,Sjarel
Biblioth&queRoyaledeBelgique,Brussels;ThomasW.Lentz Ex,BramW.F.M.Meij,andAlbertElen,MuseumBoijmans
andWdliamW.Robinson,HarvardUniversityArtMuseums, VanBeuningen,Rotterdam;MikhailPiotrovskyandAlexei
Cambridge,Massachusetts;WilliamP.StonemanandHope Larionov,TheStateHermitageMuseum,SaintPetersburg;
Mayo,HoughtonLibrary,HarvardUniversity,Cambridge, GorclCavalli-Bjorkman,SolfriedSoderlind,andUlfCederlof,
Massachusetts;DuncanRobinson,DavidE.Scrase,andJanie Nationalmuseura,Stockholm;ChristiaanP.vanEeghen,The
Munro,FitzwilliamMuseum,Cambridge;PeterDayand Hague;Ph.Maarschalkerweerd,MartenLoonstra,andB.
CharlesNoble,TheDevonshireCollection,Chatsworth, Woelderdink,KoninklijkHuisarchief,TheHague;EarlA.
Bakewell;JamesCuno,JamesN.Wood,andSuzanneFolds PowellIII,AlanShestack,AndrewRobison,MargaretMorgan
ix
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