The Frick Collection members' magazine (Winter 2008)

2008·42 MB·English

by  The Frick Collection

UPCOMING EXHIBITION
The Arnhold Collection of
Meissen Porcelain,
1710-50
March 25 through June 29, 2008
The Frick Collection Letter from the Director
Board of Trustees
The coming year promises to be an exciting
one for The Frick Collection. We will be offer-
Margot Bogert, Chairman
ing a number of superb exhibitions, beginning
Howard Phipps Jr., Vice Chairman
with Parmigianino'sA n tea: A Beautiful Artifice,
L. F. Boker Doyle, Treasurer
which opens on January 29. The show features
John P. Birkelund, Secretary
a masterpiece by Parmigianino that has capti-
Peter P. Blanchard III vated audiences for centuries, and we are grate-
W. Mark Brady ful to the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples for lending the work.
I. Townsend Burden III The magnificent porcelain bustard featured on the magazine's cover is one of more than
Walter A. Eberstadt one hundred objects that will be presented exclusively at the Frick as part of our second
Emily T. Frick exhibition of 2008, The Arnhold Collectiono f MeissenP orcelain1, 710-50, opening in March.
Agnes Gund Works such as this bird, from the early years of the Meissen manufactory, are particularly
Franklin W. Hobbs rare and have always been prized. Although well known to specialists, the Arnhold collection
Martha Loring has never before been the subject of a major public exhibition, and I am delighted to be able
Anne L. Poulet, ex officio to introduce to our visitors these remarkable and important objects.
Juan Sabater Our 2008 exhibition schedule also includes Masterpiecesi n Bronze: Riccio, Sculptor of
Stephen A. Schwarzman the Paduan Renaissance,w hich will be shown at the Frick beginning this fall. This will
Melvin R. Seiden be the first monographic exhibition ever dedicated to Riccio, one of the greatest-and
least known-bronze sculptors of the Renaissance. In late October, we will present five
Helen Clay Chace
masterpieces of European painting from the highly acclaimed Norton Simon Museum
President Emerita
in Pasadena, California, marking the beginning of a series of reciprocal loan exchanges
Walter Joseph Patrick Curley between the two institutions. I am proud that we are able to present these exceptional
Paul G. Pennoyer Jr. exhibitions in the coming year, along with an expanded calendar of concerts, lectures, and
Trustees Emeriti special events.
This publication serves two purposes: to bring you up to date on our current and
Everett Fahy future activities and also to provide you with a detailed look back on our many accom-
Charles Ryskamp plishments of the past fiscal year, July 1, 2006, through June 30, 2007. With seven critically
Samuel Sachs II acclaimed exhibitions, the establishment of the Center for the History of Collecting in
Directors Emeriti America, and significant milestones achieved in fundraising-including grants to help
endow the positions of chief curator and the new curator of decorative arts-I think you
will agree that these twelve months have been particularly dynamic ones for the Frick.
Most recently, our annual Autumn Dinner, held on October 15, raised a record $1.4
million for the Collection and the Library. We are extremely grateful to the evening's
chairmen and especially to Anne and John Marion, our honorees. In recognition of the
Marions' significant contributions to the cultural life of the United States, the couple's
many friends and colleagues showed overwhelming support for this special evening, help-
ing to make it the Frick's most successful fundraising event to date.
None of the accomplishments detailed here or in the pages that follow would be pos-
sible without the generous support of our members. I am deeply grateful for your interest
and involvement and look forward to our continuing partnership as we embark on new
projects in the year ahead.
The Members' Magazine is Best wishes for a happy 2008,
published three times a year by
The Frick Collection as a benefit
for its members.
Volume 8, Number 1
Anne L. Poulet
ISSN: 1534-6412
Editor: Rebecca Brooke Director
THE FRICK COLLECTION
MEMBERS' MAGAZINE WINTER 2008
2 SPECIAL LOAN
Parmigianino's Antea: A Beautiful Artifice
6 UPCOMING EXHIBITION
The Arnhold Collection of Meissen Porcelain, 1710-50
12 PERMANENT COLLECTION
SirThomas Lawrence'sJulia, Lady Peel
16 COMMUNITY
FallCelebrations: NEH Dinner and Autumn Dinner
Honoring Anne and John Marion
18 ANNUAL REPORT
The Reviewof The Frick Collection's Activities,
Iuly 2006- June 2007
54 WINTER CALENDAR
Lectures, Concerts, Museum Shop
LEFT:
TheFragonard Room ofThe Frick Collection. Jean-Honoré Fragonard's Love Letters, 1771-73,
from TheProgress ofLove,canbeseen inthebackground.
ON OUR COVER:
Detail ofGreat Bustard, Meissen porcelain, 1732,modeled byJohann Gottlieb Kirchner (1706-after 1737),
theArnhold Collection ofMeissen Porcelain; photograph byMichael Bodycomb
SPECIAL LOAN
Parmigianino's Antea
A Beautiful Artifice
Ianuary 29 through Apri127, 2008
P armigianino's beautiful Antea (oppo- Casalmaggiore, where he died of fever in works listed, but it is not known if Baiardi
sitepage) willbe on view at The Frick 1540 at the age of thirty-seven. Throughout commissioned the portrait.
Collection beginning inlate Ianuary, on spe- his brief, peripatetic career, Parmigianino Parmigianino depicted Antea standing,
cial loan from the Museo di Capodimonte painted dozens of portraits. Most were of gazing out at the viewer with surprising
in Naples.Although amasterpiece of Italian illustrious men, and asmallnumber, includ- frankness. Her perfect oval face isset on an
Renaissance female portraiture, little is ingthe Antea, were ofbeautiful women. improbably ample body with wide shoulders
known about the painting: its date is not During hisfinalyearsinParma (1530-39), and hips. The gold satin dress she wears is
firmly established, nor isit clear why or for Parmigianino's most significant private embellished with silver bands, while her
whom the portrait waspainted. And though patrons were members of the noble Baiardi apron and the cuffs of her underdress are
it is fairly certain that the sitter was not family, who protected and befriended hirn. decorated with delicate blackwork ernbroi-
named Antea,wecannot identify her oreven Elena Baiardi commissioned Parmigianino's dery. Rubies and pearls further enhance her
be sure if the beguiling young woman rep- Madonna of the Long Neck (page 4), argu- sumptuous costume, asdoes the marten fur
resents a particular individual. Antea could ably the artist's best-known painting today. draped over her shoulder. The painting con-
be an ideal female beauty, thus exernplify- Her brother Francesco ismentioned in early tains areas of crystalline detail, such as the
ing a Renaissance tradition of imaginative sources asParmigianino's "verygood friend," shiny enamellinks inthe gold chain hanging
portraiture that challenged artists to inspire and he provided financial support for the from her shoulders and the light reflecting
desire in the viewer. artist during his troubled dealings with the offtheblackribbon entwined inherhair.The
The events ofParmigianino's lifeprovide Steccata.An inventory ofFrancesco's posses- almost full-Iength, frontal standing format,
abroad context forthe painting's conception sions-generally dated to1561,theyearofhis unprecedented in Renaissance female por-
and meaning. Girolamo Francesco Maria death-indicates that he owned twenty-two traiture, evokesthe possibility ofmovement.
Mazzola, known as Parmigianino, was born paintings and more than fivehundred draw- The gown, billowing gently at her left, sug-
in Parma in 1503 into a family of painters. ings by Parmigianino, many inherited upon gests that she has turned to facethe viewer.
In 1524, the gifted young artist traveled to the artist's death. The Antea is among the Antea's penetrating gaze further conveys
Rome, where he was instantly regarded as the impression that the woman depicted
"Raphael revived,"owing to his imitation of before us is a living, sentient being. Using
Raphael's painting styleand his own elegant these contrivances, Parmigianino has cre-
demeanor. His success in the Eternal City ated a convincing image of an individual
was cut short by the Sack of Rome in 1527. who iscompellingly real.
He fledto Bologna and later returned home Antea's naturalistic execution and intri-
to Parma in 1530, probably at the invitation catedetailhavebeen compared totheworks
of the confraternity of Santa Maria della Parmigianino executed sorne time between
Steccata, which commissioned hirn to paint 1534 and 1539 (including hisMadonna ofthe
frescoes in the church's apse, a prestigious Lang Neck). Thishasledmost art historians
assignment. Though the project consumed to propose asimilar dating for the portrait.
Parmigianino for the next nine years, he An overlooked drawing, however, suggests
never completed it. His slow progress so that Antea may have been completed by
angered the confraternity that it dismissed about 1534. The preliminary chalk study of
hirn in 1539 and had hirn thrown in jail. Antea's left hand (left), which captures the
Following his release, he fled to nearby general position of her fingers and flexed
2 The Prick Collection
SPECIAL LOAN
LEFT:
Girolamo Francesco Maria Mazzola (1503-1540),
known asParmigianino, Antea, c.1531-34,
oilon canvas,Museo diCapodimonte, Naples
OPPOSITE PAGE:
Parmigianino, Study ofaPutto andofaHand, c.1534,
pen and brown ink overred chalk,private collection
Parmigianino's mistress. In fact, Antea was
the name of a famous sixteenth-century
Roman courtesan, and from the eighteenth
century onward numerous sources assumed
that it was to her that Barri referred. Such
imaginative attempts to associate the name
of a known courtesan with Parmigianino's
portrait havesincebeen dismissed, although
the picture retains its romantic title. At
various times, others have proposed that
the woman in the painting was the daugh-
ter or servant of the artist, a member of an
aristocratie northern ltalian family, or an
unidentified noble bride. Parmigianino is
not known to have fathered a child, and the
claim that the woman is a servant derives
from the falseassumption that only women
from the lower ranks ofsocietywore aprons.
Antea's apron, however, with its expensive
embroidery, was not an item donned by
working women. Nothing about Antea's cos-
tume confirms her identity as a bride, and
while she may represent a noblewoman,
there is no evidence definitively linking her
to aspecifieperson.
thurnb, liesbeneath apen-and-ink sketch of the finished portrait mayas weIl. The unfulfilled, centuries-long quest to
a putto. This figure, with minor variations, The first identification of Parmigianino's identifythe portrait's sitter probably hasbeen
appears in Parmigianino's unfinished paint- sitter as "Antea" appeared long after misguided from the start. Antea most likely
ing Saturn and Philyra (private collection), the picture was painted. In 1671, in the represents an idealbeauty,apopular genre of
executed about 1534. Asthe putto was drawn Painter's Voyage of Italy, the writer and art- portraiture during the Renaissance. In such
over the study for Antea's hand, the sketch ist Giacomo Barri claimed that the portrait portraits the beauty of the woman and the
of the hand must predate 1534 and, thus, depicted a woman named Antea, who was virtues shestood forweretheprimary subject,
Members' Magazine Winter 2008 3
SPECIAL LOAN
whilethe sitter's identity-and evenher exis-
tence-were of secondary importance. It is
significant in this regard that Parmigianino
employed versions of Antea's face in several
verydifferent works.These include arecently
discoveredpen-and-ink drawing ofananony-
mous young man (opposite page, right) and
one of the beautiful angels in his Madonna
of the Long Neck (Ieft and opposite page,
left). His employment of an ideal facialtype
transcending gender suggeststhat the woman
depicted in the Antea was his artistic inven-
tion' not the portrayal ofaspecifieperson.
With regard to the genre of ideal beauty,
the poetry of Francesco Petrarch (1304-1374)
was particularly influential. In his sonnets,
Petrarch revived the ancient rhetorical tra-
dition of the paragone, or competition,
between poetry and painting byconsidering
which art form could best capture the beauty
ofan absent, longed-for beloved woman. He
concluded that the challenge wasbeyond the
capabilities of the painter and could only be
realized inthewords ofthepoet.Yet,ifpaint-
ings could not achieve the effect of poetry,
they could inspire the poetic act. Petrarch
hirnself expressed hisclaims for poetry's pri-
macy in sonnets inspired by aportrait ofhis
beloved and ever-absent Laura.
For centuries, scholars have been unsure
LEFT:
Parmigianino, Madonna oftheLongNeck (c.1534-39),
oilon panel, Galleria degliUffizi,Florence
OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT:
Parmigianino, detail ofMadonna oftheLongNeck
Parmigianino, detail ofAntea
Parmigianino, Head ofaYoungMan (c.1530-39),
pen and brown ink,private collection
4 The Prick Collection
SPECIAL LOAN
COURTESY OF JEAN-LUC BARON) LTD.
if Petrarch's Laura actually existed or if she adynamic of desire between herself and the the picture and speak to us,the artist invites
represented a poetic ideal. Parmigianino's viewer,who stands in for her lover. usto dweIlon his unrivaled capacity to con-
Antea has recently givenrise to similar ques- Antea has removed one of her gloves jure an illusion transcending nature itself.A
tions. What can be stated for certain isthat to pass her fingers along the chain, which painting such as the Antea challenges us to
the painter created awoman with whom the encircles her heart and draws attention to consider the relationship between desire and
viewerwasmeant tofallinlove.The specula- her partially exposed left breast. Her bare art, for the work inspires an emotion both
tion regarding Antea'sidentity-that shewas hand, which contrasts with her gloved-or sensual and elevated. Though the woman's
a mistress, courtesan, or bride-testifies to clothed-one, becomes a focus of sensuous youth isephemeral, in Parmigianino's paint-
Parmigianino's skill in conjuring a woman attention. The motif of the bare hand had ing her beauty endures.-Christina Neilson,
so alluring she seems to demand a personal particular erotic resonance in Renaissance Andrew W Mellon Curatorial Fellow
history as someone's beloved. This appears culture as a synecdoche for the unclothed
to havebeen Parmigianino's intention. Most body. This detail suggests that the painter
of the items worn by Antea-including the was appealing to his audience's familiarity Parmigianino's Antea: A Beautiful Artifice
marten fur, gold chain, head brooch, ring, with Petrarch, for whom the "bella mano" was organized for The Frick Collection by
,earrings, embroidered apron, and golden (beautiful hand) of the beloved was a well- Christina Neilson, Andrew W Mellon
sleeves of her dress-were gifts commonly established poetic trope. Interest in Petrarch Curatorial Fellow, and by the Foundation
presented by lovers. Often, these were gifts was strong in Parma, especially among the for Italian Art & Culture. The exhibition is
givenwith thehope oferotic fulfillment, and, Baiardi family. Andrea Baiardi, Francesco made possible through the generosity of the
bywearing them, awoman stated her accep- and Elena's father, was a celebrated poet Alexander Bodini Foundation. Corporate sup-
tance of her lover's advances. The idea that in the Petrarchan style, and Parmigianino port has been provided by Fiduciary Trust
we are gazing at the beloved isfurthered by himself copied excerpts ofPetrarch's sonnets Company International. Additional support
Parmigianino's depiction of Antea interact- onto sorne ofhis drawings. has been provided byAso O. Tavitian and The
ingwith these gifts.Shefingersthe chain and Parmigianino's Antea rivals Petrarch's Andrew W Mellon Foundation. The exhibi-
points with her hand to her heart, implying poetry in its power to evoke desire. Bycre- tion is accompanied by a fully illustrated
that she isaccepting her lover's offer.Asshe ating an impossibly beautiful woman who, catalogue, available in the Museum Shop and
meets our gaze,her pose and gestures create nonetheless, seemsrealenough tostepout of online at www.frick.org.
.Members' Magazine Winter 2008 5
UPCOMING EXHIBITION
The Arnhold Collection
of Meissen Porcelain.
1710-50
March 25through June 29, 2008
InMarch,TheFrickCollection willexhibit they came to love German Expressionism vases, pieces from table services, and tea,
aselection ofMeissenporcelain from the and formed asignificant collection ofpaint- coffee, and chocolate services. An example
collection of Henry Arnhold. One of the ings and sculpture by Oskar Kokoschka, ofLisaand Heinrich's purchases isthe Cruet
greatest private holdings of early Meissen Käthe Kollwitz, Ernst Barlach, and Emil and Mustard Pot (page 11,bottom), modeled
assembled in the twentieth century, the col- Nolde. In addition, they eventually acquired in 1737by Johann Joachim Kändler, one of
lection wasformed intwo phases, the firstin more than fivehundred works on paper. themost skilledsculptors working atMeissen
Dresden between 1926and 1935by Henry's Their interest in collecting porcelain may during the earlyperiod. Kändler wasnamed
parents, Lisa (née Mattersdorff; 1890-1972) have stemmed, in part, from the fact that court sculptor at Meissen in 1731and master
and Heinrich Arnhold (1885-1935);the sec- Heinrich served on the boards of thirteen sculptor in 1733.These charming vessels in
ond, byHenry inNewYorkbetween 1972and porcelain and ceramic firms with which his the shape of fanciful Chinese figures riding
2006. Heinrich Arnhold, trained as alawyer bank was affiliated. He and Lisa began by roosters were created aspart ofacenterpiece
and amember of apowerful banking family making a few tentative purchases of porce- originally commissioned byHeinrich, Count
in Dresden, and his wife, who had studied Iain,which they later sold,before deciding to von Brühl (1700-1763),prime minister atthe '
medicine, were married in 1914and became focus on the acquisition of pieces from the court of Saxony who was one of the most
deeply involved in the cultural and intellec- early period at Meissen, choosing, almost enthusiastic early patrons of the Meissen
tuallife ofthe city.With friends inthe world exclusively,wares and vases rather than fig- manufactory.
of contemporary architecture and design, ures. The collection grew to include large Founded by Augustus II (1670-1733),
elector of Saxony and king of Poland, the
porcelain manufactory at Meissen was one
of the many brilliant artistic and archi-
tectural creations sponsored by the king
that made Dresden a major cultural center
in the early eighteenth century, as well as
one of the most beautiful baroque cities in
Europe. Augustus Il-called Augustus the
Strong because of his legendary physical
strength-reigned from 1694unti11733,and,
during this time, one of his passions was
collecting Chinese and Iapanese porcelain
imported to Europe by Dutch merchants. In
order to house this enormous collection, in
1717he commissioned his favorite architect,
LEFT:
Teapot, Meissen porcelain, c.1725-3°, with
decoration attributed toIgnaz Preissler (1676-1741).
AIlobjects illustrated inthis article arefrom the
Arnhold Collection ofMeissen Porcelain.
OPPOSITE PAGE:
Coffeepot with Caver,Meissen stoneware, c.1710-13
6 The Trick Collection
UPCOMING EXHIBITION
Meissen porcelain factory in 1710. Böttger
was named the first director of the factory,
and he and his employees were required to
keep the formula for porcelain a secret on
pain ofimprisonment or death.
The early years at Meissen were exciting
times of experimentation, not only with the
formula for porcelain but also with shapes
and decoration. Initially, many of the works
produced were direct imitations of Iapanese
and Chinese objects inAugustus I1'sfamous
collection. Others had European forms incor-
porating Asian decorative motifs. Because
initially the manufactory had difficulty firing
enamelcolors, most ofthe wares were white
or else were painted or gilded after firing.
Böttger also had perfected a red stoneware,
popular in China, that could be fired atvery
high temperatures and that was sufficiently
hard to be engraved, eut, and polished.
Henry Arnhold's collection is particularly
rich in red stoneware objects that were pro-
duced at Meissen between 1710 and 1713.A
Matthäus Daniel Pöppelmann (1662-1737), brilliant young man trained as a pharma- handsome example from the first years of
to transform a palace on the Elbe River. eist but who was known primarily as an the factory isthe Coffeepot with Caver (Ieft),
Eventually called the Iapanese Palace and alchemist; purportedly, he had succeeded which has a European form decorated with
destined only for the display of porcelain, in changing base metals into gold. Bringing prunus blossoms in relief. The elaborate
not asaresidence, the building continued to Böttger to Dresden, Augustus II imprisoned cartouche wasmade tobe erigravedwith the
be enlarged to accommodate new acquisi- hirn, insisting that he produce the promised royal owner's arrnorials but, in this case, it
tions-including Meissen porcelain-until gold.By1706,Böttger-still aprisoner-was has been leftblank.
Augustus's death. collaborating with other scientists, experi- One of the most ambitious projects
When Augustus II ascended the throne, menting with ceramies that could be fired undertaken at Meissen was a series of large
the method for making true porcelain was at high temperatures. To the king's delight, porcelain animals conceived as a decorative
not yet known in Europe. Although there in 1708, Böttger discovered the formula for menagerie for the king's Iapanese Palace.
had been many attempts to discover the making both red stoneware (called red por- While it is not known how many Meissen
formula, the correct ingredients eluded celain) and white porcelain. This resulted animals Augustus II intended to have made,
ceramicists throughout the Continent. In .in his release from captivity along with more than 250 appear in an inventory of his
1701, Augustus II enlisted the services of increased support and rewards from the collection. A superb example known as the
Johann-Friedrich Böttger (1682-1719), a king, which led to the founding of the Great Bustard (cover and page 8) was a gift
-Members' Magazine Winter 2008 7
UPCOMING EXHIBITION
to Heinrich Arnhold in 1935. The figure was
designed by Johann Gottlieb Kirchner, the
director of the modeling studio at Meissen
_in the early1730S. The bird-which isnearly
three feet high-stands with its head grace-
fullybent backoveritswing and issupported
by a tree trunk covered with oak branches,
leaves,and acorns. Tomold and fireafigure
of this size was a technical tour de force.
Most ofthe sculptures, aswith this one, have
a number of firing cracks produced in the
kiln. The surface has aclearglazeoverwhich
unfired enamel colors were applied. The col-
ors on most of the sculptures, including the
Great Bustard, were later removed.
Among the most popular Chinese por-
celains exported to Europe were those with
a cobalt-blue painted decoration under the
glaze on a white ground. Many imitations
were made at Meissen in the early years. A
fineexample inthe Arnhold collection isthe
Vase and Caver (opposite page, left), with
a floral decoration and a whimsical lizard
applied around the neck. This vase is listed
in the inventory of the Iapanese Palace and
wasone ofeight made for the king.
The taste for blue-and-white wares from
Japan was also strong. In 1730, Augustus II
commissioned the Meissen factory to make
onehundred "birdcage" vases(opposite page,
right) for the decoration of the Iapanese
Palace.Copies ofan unusual Iapanese export
confection, these pieces have a trumpet-
shaped form with elephant-he ad handles
and a base surrounded by a wire cage with
porcelain birds in a landscape. Twenty-one
of the Meissen vases were ready for firing
in 1731,although it isnot known how many
were made altogether. The pair acquired by
8 The Prick Collection