italian gardensby georgina masson

3
Italian Gardens by Georgina Masson Review by: Earnest Allen Connally Art Journal, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Spring, 1963), pp. 200+202 Published by: College Art Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/774455 . Accessed: 15/06/2014 01:48 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . College Art Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Art Journal. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 185.2.32.106 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 01:48:43 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Upload: review-by-earnest-allen-connally

Post on 20-Jan-2017

238 views

Category:

Documents


4 download

TRANSCRIPT

Italian Gardens by Georgina MassonReview by: Earnest Allen ConnallyArt Journal, Vol. 22, No. 3 (Spring, 1963), pp. 200+202Published by: College Art AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/774455 .

Accessed: 15/06/2014 01:48

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

College Art Association is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Art Journal.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 185.2.32.106 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 01:48:43 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

roy (p. 5) reminds us of Ethiopia's contacts with Southern Arabia, Coptic Egypt, Syria, Armenia, and Jerusalem (where an Ethiopian community existed until the 17th century), and with mediaeval and Renaissance Europe, "not to speak of the Asiatic world, particularly India, whose expansion in the Red Sea basin is a phenomenon of human geography too well known to need elaboration." In his essay, Ja- ger writes (p. 16) of an Ethiopian tradition of "nine holy men" who came to Ethiopia from Egypt, Syria and Byzantium, and this might well be taken as a more than legend- ary explication of the presence of diverse ar- tistic forces in the history of this art.

Students of Christian iconography will find cause in this volume to feel again how extraordinarily pertinacious is the adherence of the religious illustrator to the ancient im- ages of Christendom and to those of yet greater antiquity. Despite the geographical remote- ness of Ethiopia, ethnic discontinuities, and the isolation imposed by the "siege of Islam," the images of these pages wonderfully pre- serve the traditions of East Christian Art. Perhaps such preservations are all the more striking in cases where details are obviously perpetuated without being understood. Sev- eral instances of what may be called "graph- ical transmission without comprehension" are present in these miniatures. There is space here only to note the following remark- able schematisms: (a) the upper bodies of the Thieves and the patibula of their crosses in the Crucifixion scene, Jahjah Giyorgis MS. (P1. XXXI); (b) the "blowing curtain" of the Sepulcher in the Entombment (rendered as a vane-like abstract form), Kebran MS. (PI. XVIII; cf. P1. XXV); (c) the towel held by an attendant angel in the Baptism of Christ, Kebran MS. (P1. XIII). In the Entombment scenes the body of Christ is shown as totally enclosed in an Egyptian form of mummy shroud with diagonal rib- ands.s

In these examples of an art, in the words of Jules Leroy (p. 7), "long regarded as in- fantile and too primitive to be of interest," we encounter everywhere the highest level of visual charm and strangeness: the Evangelist, with pen held loosely and horizontally be- tween fingers of a hand raised to mouth in the diffident gesture of one guilty of eructa- tion (P1. IX); the enormously elongated in- dex fingers of the group in the Ascension, all directed at a uniform angle like resting spears (P1. XXVII); the humanoid face of the lion of the Evangelist (P1. XXI); the "bird-faces" of the sponge and lance bearers in the Crucifixion (PI. XXIV); the crabs painted in the waters of the Jordan in the Baptism (PI. XIII); these and numerous other details will enchant those who study these paintings.

Ethiopia is unique in that the production of manuscript books continues to the present day. European eyes accustomed to the forms

8 The mummy shroud, but with the head exposed, appears in the Chloudoff Psalter entombment (Moscow, Historical Museum, MS. Add. gr. 129, fol. 87) ; see Kurt Weitzmann, "The Origin of the Threnos," in De Artibus Opuscula XL: Essays in Honor of Erwin Panofsky, Millard Meiss, ed., (New York, 1961), vol. I, p. 478 and Vol. II, p. 161, fig. 2.

roy (p. 5) reminds us of Ethiopia's contacts with Southern Arabia, Coptic Egypt, Syria, Armenia, and Jerusalem (where an Ethiopian community existed until the 17th century), and with mediaeval and Renaissance Europe, "not to speak of the Asiatic world, particularly India, whose expansion in the Red Sea basin is a phenomenon of human geography too well known to need elaboration." In his essay, Ja- ger writes (p. 16) of an Ethiopian tradition of "nine holy men" who came to Ethiopia from Egypt, Syria and Byzantium, and this might well be taken as a more than legend- ary explication of the presence of diverse ar- tistic forces in the history of this art.

Students of Christian iconography will find cause in this volume to feel again how extraordinarily pertinacious is the adherence of the religious illustrator to the ancient im- ages of Christendom and to those of yet greater antiquity. Despite the geographical remote- ness of Ethiopia, ethnic discontinuities, and the isolation imposed by the "siege of Islam," the images of these pages wonderfully pre- serve the traditions of East Christian Art. Perhaps such preservations are all the more striking in cases where details are obviously perpetuated without being understood. Sev- eral instances of what may be called "graph- ical transmission without comprehension" are present in these miniatures. There is space here only to note the following remark- able schematisms: (a) the upper bodies of the Thieves and the patibula of their crosses in the Crucifixion scene, Jahjah Giyorgis MS. (P1. XXXI); (b) the "blowing curtain" of the Sepulcher in the Entombment (rendered as a vane-like abstract form), Kebran MS. (PI. XVIII; cf. P1. XXV); (c) the towel held by an attendant angel in the Baptism of Christ, Kebran MS. (P1. XIII). In the Entombment scenes the body of Christ is shown as totally enclosed in an Egyptian form of mummy shroud with diagonal rib- ands.s

In these examples of an art, in the words of Jules Leroy (p. 7), "long regarded as in- fantile and too primitive to be of interest," we encounter everywhere the highest level of visual charm and strangeness: the Evangelist, with pen held loosely and horizontally be- tween fingers of a hand raised to mouth in the diffident gesture of one guilty of eructa- tion (P1. IX); the enormously elongated in- dex fingers of the group in the Ascension, all directed at a uniform angle like resting spears (P1. XXVII); the humanoid face of the lion of the Evangelist (P1. XXI); the "bird-faces" of the sponge and lance bearers in the Crucifixion (PI. XXIV); the crabs painted in the waters of the Jordan in the Baptism (PI. XIII); these and numerous other details will enchant those who study these paintings.

Ethiopia is unique in that the production of manuscript books continues to the present day. European eyes accustomed to the forms

8 The mummy shroud, but with the head exposed, appears in the Chloudoff Psalter entombment (Moscow, Historical Museum, MS. Add. gr. 129, fol. 87) ; see Kurt Weitzmann, "The Origin of the Threnos," in De Artibus Opuscula XL: Essays in Honor of Erwin Panofsky, Millard Meiss, ed., (New York, 1961), vol. I, p. 478 and Vol. II, p. 161, fig. 2.

of Latin and Greek palaeography may find the Ethiopic script-lacking, as it does, the customary ductus and shading pattern-re- freshingly hideous.

This book is of large format and, as have been the companion volumes in the series, is very well-produced and handsomely printed. Two errors were noticed. On p. 29, for "de- signed by Hugo Spengler," read rather: drawn by . .. ; in the bibliography (p. 26), for "W. Skehan, 'An Illuminated Gospel in Ethiopia'" read: P. W. Skehan, "An Illumi- nated Gospel in Ethiopic."

PETER WORTH University of Nebraska

Georgina Masson

Italian Gardens, 300 pp., 213 pl. (2 in color), 6 maps. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 11961. $17.50

It is pure pleasure to browse through this sumptuous volume, which immediately strikes the senses as a splendid specimen of the bookmaker's art. It is large, measuring 11 by 123/4 inches; it is richly illustrated with French produced photogravure of high qual- ity, many of the plates occupying a full page or more; it is typographically immaculate with its British printed text in fine, clear roman on carefully designed pages of colored stock; and it is handsomely bound in linen and stamped in gold. In short, it is a publica- tion de grand luxe, expressly manufactured for gift or coffee table display. But, in fair- ness, we must admit the publisher's reputa- tion for beautiful books, and in this instance the temptation was probably irresistible: what subject is more luxurious than Italian gardens? This is, then, the kind of book that will appeal to that cultivated mind which val- ues a sense of style in all aspects of life, no less in a book that portrays them than in gar- dens themselves. And how pleasant it is to experience, or re-experience, the delights of these gardens in the convenience of one volume; for this book does evoke a responsive feeling for time and place, especially place.

Appearing in December, 1961, this work may be counted a sequel to the author's Italian Villas and Palaces, published by Abrams in 1959. These together establish Miss Masson as an authority on Italian culture, and she writes of her subject with warmth and ability. Her style is that of a professional writer. Her knowledge of the literary sources and visual documents of Italian garden de- sign is detailed and sound, and with this she combines an intimate, even affectionate acquaintance of sixteen years' standing with the gardens themselves. Altogether this book is an impressive work, and especially with respect to the number of examples and the quality of illustration it supersedes what has been previously published on the subject.

Books on Italian gardens have been appear- ing periodically for many decades. Much of the publication has concentrated, quite intelli- gibly, on the Renaissance; yet the number of titles claiming comprehensive treatment is as impressive as the consistency of the titles themselves. The wide appeal of the subject

of Latin and Greek palaeography may find the Ethiopic script-lacking, as it does, the customary ductus and shading pattern-re- freshingly hideous.

This book is of large format and, as have been the companion volumes in the series, is very well-produced and handsomely printed. Two errors were noticed. On p. 29, for "de- signed by Hugo Spengler," read rather: drawn by . .. ; in the bibliography (p. 26), for "W. Skehan, 'An Illuminated Gospel in Ethiopia'" read: P. W. Skehan, "An Illumi- nated Gospel in Ethiopic."

PETER WORTH University of Nebraska

Georgina Masson

Italian Gardens, 300 pp., 213 pl. (2 in color), 6 maps. New York: Harry N. Abrams, 11961. $17.50

It is pure pleasure to browse through this sumptuous volume, which immediately strikes the senses as a splendid specimen of the bookmaker's art. It is large, measuring 11 by 123/4 inches; it is richly illustrated with French produced photogravure of high qual- ity, many of the plates occupying a full page or more; it is typographically immaculate with its British printed text in fine, clear roman on carefully designed pages of colored stock; and it is handsomely bound in linen and stamped in gold. In short, it is a publica- tion de grand luxe, expressly manufactured for gift or coffee table display. But, in fair- ness, we must admit the publisher's reputa- tion for beautiful books, and in this instance the temptation was probably irresistible: what subject is more luxurious than Italian gardens? This is, then, the kind of book that will appeal to that cultivated mind which val- ues a sense of style in all aspects of life, no less in a book that portrays them than in gar- dens themselves. And how pleasant it is to experience, or re-experience, the delights of these gardens in the convenience of one volume; for this book does evoke a responsive feeling for time and place, especially place.

Appearing in December, 1961, this work may be counted a sequel to the author's Italian Villas and Palaces, published by Abrams in 1959. These together establish Miss Masson as an authority on Italian culture, and she writes of her subject with warmth and ability. Her style is that of a professional writer. Her knowledge of the literary sources and visual documents of Italian garden de- sign is detailed and sound, and with this she combines an intimate, even affectionate acquaintance of sixteen years' standing with the gardens themselves. Altogether this book is an impressive work, and especially with respect to the number of examples and the quality of illustration it supersedes what has been previously published on the subject.

Books on Italian gardens have been appear- ing periodically for many decades. Much of the publication has concentrated, quite intelli- gibly, on the Renaissance; yet the number of titles claiming comprehensive treatment is as impressive as the consistency of the titles themselves. The wide appeal of the subject

and its importance in the cultural history of western man are attested by the nationalities of its students-American, English, French, Italian. Thus Miss Masson joins a roster in- cluding Charles A. Platt, Italian Gardens (New York, 1894); George S. Elsgood, The Gardens of Italy (London, 1907); E. March Phillipps and A. T. Bolton, The Gardens of Italy (London, 1919); Luigi Dami, Giardini d' Italia (Milan, 1924); Georges Gromort, Jardins d' Italie (Paris, 1931); Camillo Fio- rani, Giardini d' Italia (Rome, 1960). The long interruption of nearly thirty years in the serious publication of this subject is also sig- nificant in western history, and the recent re- sumption of these studies may be taken as a reaffirmation of the validity of our common classical inheritance. Both Fiorani and Mas- son are therefore particularly welcome in the midst of our present concern for environ- mental design, the more so because of in- creased scholarships since the early thirties and because of improved techniques of photo- graphic duplication. Fiorani, for instance, in- cludes six brilliant color plates; Masson has two.

The temporal proximity of these two books inevitably invites their comparison. Both have essentially the same title; both appear to be general histories; both begin with Roman an- tiquity and proceed forward in time; both give due emphasis to the Renaissance and include the baroque. Fiorani continues with a chapter entitled "II Giardino del Settecento e l'In- fluenza Francese," the major example of which is the Reggia at Caserta, and goes on to "I1 Giardino Paesistico del Periodo Ro- mantico," concluding with two examples of twentieth-century garden art. Miss Masson stops with Caserta, which she includes only under "Postscript." Her work therefore falls short of the full historical range; however, those phases of Italian garden art which she does cover are very fully covered indeed. Her book has about twice the content, verbal and visual, of Fiorani's. Despite its lack of range, Miss Masson's contribution is our most comn- plete record of the subject in one volume.

The organization of the book is both chronological and geographical, the main pur- pose really being to explain the sixteenth- century achievement in garden design. The material is divided into six parts ("chapters" hardly seems the right word for a book such as this), which begin chronologically, pro- ceeding from (1) "Roman Gardens" to (2) "Medieval and Early Humanist Gardens." The arrangement then becomes geographical, spreading out to take in the scope of the six- teenth century and to include the seventeenth in some orderly way. From (3) "Tuscan Gar- dens" we are taken in turn to (4) "Roman Renaissance Gardens," (5) "Gardens of the Marche and Veneto," and (6) "The Gar- dens of Northern Italy." Then comes the "Postscript," which contains brief discussions of Caserta and garden design outside Italy. This is followed by "Flowers Grown in Italian Gardens," an instructive catalogue which also includes shrubs and ornamental trees. There is also a comprehensive bibliography, including archival and early printed sources, and two indexes: one of places, one of people.

and its importance in the cultural history of western man are attested by the nationalities of its students-American, English, French, Italian. Thus Miss Masson joins a roster in- cluding Charles A. Platt, Italian Gardens (New York, 1894); George S. Elsgood, The Gardens of Italy (London, 1907); E. March Phillipps and A. T. Bolton, The Gardens of Italy (London, 1919); Luigi Dami, Giardini d' Italia (Milan, 1924); Georges Gromort, Jardins d' Italie (Paris, 1931); Camillo Fio- rani, Giardini d' Italia (Rome, 1960). The long interruption of nearly thirty years in the serious publication of this subject is also sig- nificant in western history, and the recent re- sumption of these studies may be taken as a reaffirmation of the validity of our common classical inheritance. Both Fiorani and Mas- son are therefore particularly welcome in the midst of our present concern for environ- mental design, the more so because of in- creased scholarships since the early thirties and because of improved techniques of photo- graphic duplication. Fiorani, for instance, in- cludes six brilliant color plates; Masson has two.

The temporal proximity of these two books inevitably invites their comparison. Both have essentially the same title; both appear to be general histories; both begin with Roman an- tiquity and proceed forward in time; both give due emphasis to the Renaissance and include the baroque. Fiorani continues with a chapter entitled "II Giardino del Settecento e l'In- fluenza Francese," the major example of which is the Reggia at Caserta, and goes on to "I1 Giardino Paesistico del Periodo Ro- mantico," concluding with two examples of twentieth-century garden art. Miss Masson stops with Caserta, which she includes only under "Postscript." Her work therefore falls short of the full historical range; however, those phases of Italian garden art which she does cover are very fully covered indeed. Her book has about twice the content, verbal and visual, of Fiorani's. Despite its lack of range, Miss Masson's contribution is our most comn- plete record of the subject in one volume.

The organization of the book is both chronological and geographical, the main pur- pose really being to explain the sixteenth- century achievement in garden design. The material is divided into six parts ("chapters" hardly seems the right word for a book such as this), which begin chronologically, pro- ceeding from (1) "Roman Gardens" to (2) "Medieval and Early Humanist Gardens." The arrangement then becomes geographical, spreading out to take in the scope of the six- teenth century and to include the seventeenth in some orderly way. From (3) "Tuscan Gar- dens" we are taken in turn to (4) "Roman Renaissance Gardens," (5) "Gardens of the Marche and Veneto," and (6) "The Gar- dens of Northern Italy." Then comes the "Postscript," which contains brief discussions of Caserta and garden design outside Italy. This is followed by "Flowers Grown in Italian Gardens," an instructive catalogue which also includes shrubs and ornamental trees. There is also a comprehensive bibliography, including archival and early printed sources, and two indexes: one of places, one of people.

ART JOURNAL XXII 3 200 ART JOURNAL XXII 3 200

This content downloaded from 185.2.32.106 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 01:48:43 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

The design of the book reflects its organi- zation. Each of the parts is printed on paper of a distinguishing color. Each of the parts is introduced by an elegantly drawn map show- ing the sites to be discussed, and this is fol- lowed by the text. Placed in the ample margins alongside the text are the names of the gar- dens, so you know where you are, and at appro- priate places there are marginal references to the plates and occasional line-cuts. The text is followed by "Notes on the Plates," which contain the only identification of the illus- trations; and then come the plates, all together for each part. Next comes a new map on a new color announcing a new part. While this arrangement doubtless permits a studied beauty in book design, it demands of the reader the frustrating inconvenience of keep- ing three places simultaneously.

The illustrations are of two kinds: early views and modern photographs. The early views consist of prints, drawings, and paint- ings meant to show the original (or early) state of the gardens, or to convey their over-all design. In Tuscany, for example, Miss Masson relies chiefly on the series of painted lunettes, by Giusto Utens, in the Museo Topografico at Florence, which portray the Medici villas about the year 1600. In Rome she similarly depends on the seventeenth-century bird's-eye engravings of Jacobus Laurus and G. B. Falda, among others. In general, the excellent modern photographs show particulars or se- lective vistas and are thus intelligible only with reference to the over-all views. In principle this is an admirable arrangement, but its easy clarity is inhibited in this book by the constant necessity of referring back to "Notes on the Plates." Also I am compelled to register protest against the current prac- tice of spreading an illustration on two pages. If a photograph is worth including it is worth seeing without distortion.

In her text Miss Masson takes up one gar- den at a time. She includes many little known examples and some "discoveries." In account- ing for each garden completely before mov- ing on to the next her discussions usually span long periods of time, explaining the changes in a garden right up to the present. This tends to obscure clear distinctions, which I feel sure the author intended to convey, as between Renaissance and baroque gardens, or between Tuscan and Roman gardens. For Miss Masson's prose has a texture which is both even and rich, spiced with fascinating oddments of erudition. It is the broad out- line that is not delineated. Characteristically her material is drawn from primary sources, and her writing comes alive with events and per- sonalities. We are treated to convincing glimpses of Lucullus and the younger Pliny, in later times of Pietro de' Crescenzi; we gain an intimate, sympathetic acquaintance with Petrarch; we are permitted to read the letters of sixteenth-century Romans; and so on throughout the book. Nor does Miss Masson forget the artists. To note a few instances: she acknowledges the importance of Vitru- vius and frequently cites Alberti; she illus- trates parterres by Serlio and discusses in de- tail masterpieces identified with Vignola- Villa Giulia, Villa Lante, and Caprarola. The

The design of the book reflects its organi- zation. Each of the parts is printed on paper of a distinguishing color. Each of the parts is introduced by an elegantly drawn map show- ing the sites to be discussed, and this is fol- lowed by the text. Placed in the ample margins alongside the text are the names of the gar- dens, so you know where you are, and at appro- priate places there are marginal references to the plates and occasional line-cuts. The text is followed by "Notes on the Plates," which contain the only identification of the illus- trations; and then come the plates, all together for each part. Next comes a new map on a new color announcing a new part. While this arrangement doubtless permits a studied beauty in book design, it demands of the reader the frustrating inconvenience of keep- ing three places simultaneously.

The illustrations are of two kinds: early views and modern photographs. The early views consist of prints, drawings, and paint- ings meant to show the original (or early) state of the gardens, or to convey their over-all design. In Tuscany, for example, Miss Masson relies chiefly on the series of painted lunettes, by Giusto Utens, in the Museo Topografico at Florence, which portray the Medici villas about the year 1600. In Rome she similarly depends on the seventeenth-century bird's-eye engravings of Jacobus Laurus and G. B. Falda, among others. In general, the excellent modern photographs show particulars or se- lective vistas and are thus intelligible only with reference to the over-all views. In principle this is an admirable arrangement, but its easy clarity is inhibited in this book by the constant necessity of referring back to "Notes on the Plates." Also I am compelled to register protest against the current prac- tice of spreading an illustration on two pages. If a photograph is worth including it is worth seeing without distortion.

In her text Miss Masson takes up one gar- den at a time. She includes many little known examples and some "discoveries." In account- ing for each garden completely before mov- ing on to the next her discussions usually span long periods of time, explaining the changes in a garden right up to the present. This tends to obscure clear distinctions, which I feel sure the author intended to convey, as between Renaissance and baroque gardens, or between Tuscan and Roman gardens. For Miss Masson's prose has a texture which is both even and rich, spiced with fascinating oddments of erudition. It is the broad out- line that is not delineated. Characteristically her material is drawn from primary sources, and her writing comes alive with events and per- sonalities. We are treated to convincing glimpses of Lucullus and the younger Pliny, in later times of Pietro de' Crescenzi; we gain an intimate, sympathetic acquaintance with Petrarch; we are permitted to read the letters of sixteenth-century Romans; and so on throughout the book. Nor does Miss Masson forget the artists. To note a few instances: she acknowledges the importance of Vitru- vius and frequently cites Alberti; she illus- trates parterres by Serlio and discusses in de- tail masterpieces identified with Vignola- Villa Giulia, Villa Lante, and Caprarola. The

author should be congratulated for a step in this direction, but I wish she had gone fur- ther. For the relationship of their garden de- signs to the main body of the artists' work is not sufficiently emphasized, nor is garden de- sign in general clearly related to the main cur- rents of Italian art. Therefore it should not be too surprising that important examples such as Pratolino are ignored; that the whole Mannerist phenomenon of pictorial space is not even mentioned; that the sculp- tured monsters at Bomarzo are dismissed as enigma, despite growing tendencies towards the grotesque since the mature Michaelangelo; etc., etc. It is painful to criticize a book in which effort, expense, and learning are so abundantly evident, but the criticism of the art historian must be made. Since Vasari we have attested to the unity of the arts, and when the subject of Italian gardens is next under- taken I hope it will be clearly treated as a proper part of art history. Meanwhile, having pointed the way, Miss Masson's book will re- main informatively useful and an adornment to any library.

EARNEST ALLEN CONNALLY

University of Illinois

H. Gerson

Seven Letters by Rembrandt, transcription Isa- bella H. VanEeghen, translation Yda O. Ovink, 71 pp., 6 ill.

The Hague: L. J. C. Boucher, 1961. Publicaties van het Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Docu- mentatie. $4.20.

Only seven letters are left from Rem- brandt's correspondence which, according to Dr. Gerson, was never very large. The Royal Archives at The Hague preserve the only one of these letters still in the Netherlands. Two are in the British Museum, two in Frits Lugt's Foundation Custodia in Paris, one in a small museum in Belgium, and one at Har- vard. They all pertain to one commission, a set of five paintings in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Tracing Christ's life from the Raising of the Cross to His Ascension, they were painted between 1633 and 1639 for Prince Frederick Hendrik of Orange, Stad- houder of the Netherlands, and hung in Noordeinde Palace ("The Old Court") at The Hague.

The letters are addressed to Constantijn Huygens, secretary of the prince and one of Rembrandt's earliest admirers. The commis- sion had undoubtedly been given to Rem- brandt on Huygens' advice, and Huygens re- mained the intermediary between artist and patron to the very end. Although the letters have been known since the middle of the nineteenth century and been included in Hofstede de Groot's basic work on Rem- brandt documents, it was an excellent idea to publish them separately, with a complete crit- ical apparatus. Besides being carefully tran- scribed (with some improvements over earlier readings), the letters are photographically re- produced, translated into English, and accom- panied by a text tracing their history and ex- plaining their significance in the context of

author should be congratulated for a step in this direction, but I wish she had gone fur- ther. For the relationship of their garden de- signs to the main body of the artists' work is not sufficiently emphasized, nor is garden de- sign in general clearly related to the main cur- rents of Italian art. Therefore it should not be too surprising that important examples such as Pratolino are ignored; that the whole Mannerist phenomenon of pictorial space is not even mentioned; that the sculp- tured monsters at Bomarzo are dismissed as enigma, despite growing tendencies towards the grotesque since the mature Michaelangelo; etc., etc. It is painful to criticize a book in which effort, expense, and learning are so abundantly evident, but the criticism of the art historian must be made. Since Vasari we have attested to the unity of the arts, and when the subject of Italian gardens is next under- taken I hope it will be clearly treated as a proper part of art history. Meanwhile, having pointed the way, Miss Masson's book will re- main informatively useful and an adornment to any library.

EARNEST ALLEN CONNALLY

University of Illinois

H. Gerson

Seven Letters by Rembrandt, transcription Isa- bella H. VanEeghen, translation Yda O. Ovink, 71 pp., 6 ill.

The Hague: L. J. C. Boucher, 1961. Publicaties van het Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Docu- mentatie. $4.20.

Only seven letters are left from Rem- brandt's correspondence which, according to Dr. Gerson, was never very large. The Royal Archives at The Hague preserve the only one of these letters still in the Netherlands. Two are in the British Museum, two in Frits Lugt's Foundation Custodia in Paris, one in a small museum in Belgium, and one at Har- vard. They all pertain to one commission, a set of five paintings in the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Tracing Christ's life from the Raising of the Cross to His Ascension, they were painted between 1633 and 1639 for Prince Frederick Hendrik of Orange, Stad- houder of the Netherlands, and hung in Noordeinde Palace ("The Old Court") at The Hague.

The letters are addressed to Constantijn Huygens, secretary of the prince and one of Rembrandt's earliest admirers. The commis- sion had undoubtedly been given to Rem- brandt on Huygens' advice, and Huygens re- mained the intermediary between artist and patron to the very end. Although the letters have been known since the middle of the nineteenth century and been included in Hofstede de Groot's basic work on Rem- brandt documents, it was an excellent idea to publish them separately, with a complete crit- ical apparatus. Besides being carefully tran- scribed (with some improvements over earlier readings), the letters are photographically re- produced, translated into English, and accom- panied by a text tracing their history and ex- plaining their significance in the context of

the whole project. Dr. Gerson contributed a thoughtful and stimulating introduction, and all the pictures connected with the project are reproduced on six plates. The result is a useful and thoroughly charming publication.

The first two letters are from the beginning of 1636 when Rembrandt had finished the Ascension and was still working on the En- tombment and the Resurrection. (The Rais- ing of, and the Descent from the Cross had been done in 1633.) Rembrandt wants to know whether the Ascension should be de- livered then, or kept until all was done. Huygens apparently decided that it should be delivered and Rembrandt offers to come to The Hague to see how it harmonized with the others. The five remaining letters date from January and February of 1639, and are also largely concerned with the manner of delivery and the price of the two remaining paintings which had only then been finished. Although Rembrandt asserts repeatedly that they were worth much more, he finally accepts a payment of fl. 600 for each of them, plus fl. 44 for his expenses for frames and crat- ing. As a sign of his gratitude Rembrandt sent Huygens a gift of a very large painting, believed to have been The Blinding of Sam- son, now in Frankfurt.

All letters are short and to the point. The relationship between the painter and the Sec- retary of the Prince of Orange (who was ten years his senior) were not of the kind to en- courage digressive communications. Only once does Rembrandt say anything about the nature of his work, and this passage has given rise to a lively controversy. The authors of the publication agree with H. E. van Gelder and others in translating "beweechgelick- heijt" with emotion, rather than motion, pre- ferred by Rosenberg and Stechow. It is also interesting to read that Rembrandt wants the picture of The Blinding of Samson to be seen in a strong light and from a distance.

By a peculiar quirk of history the only sur- viving letters by Rembrandt concern a project that was not very congenial to the master. It is hardly an accident that it took Rembrandt three years to finish the last two pictures. The Ascension undoubtedly is one of the least successful works of the master. If it had not been for Huygens, Rembrandt would probably never have chosen to paint this kind of picture. They owe their origin probably less to Rembrandt's own aspiration "to vie with Rubens" than to Huygens' desire to pro- mote a Dutch school of painting that could rival the Flemish. Professor J. G. van Gelder, and now again Dr. Gerson, have pointed out on good evidence that Huygens admired the Flemish painters greatly. In an often quoted passage from his diary Huygens had ex- pressed regret that Rembrandt and Lievens refused to go to Italy (as Rubens, Van Dyck, and several of the younger Utrecht painters had done). He may well have thought that a commission like the one for Frederick Hendrik would help steer Rem- brandt's art in a more desirable direction. In this he obviously failed, but Dr. Gerson's conclusion that after 1639 Rembrandt "van- ished from Huygens' thoughts" may be too radical a formulation. It is true that Rem-

the whole project. Dr. Gerson contributed a thoughtful and stimulating introduction, and all the pictures connected with the project are reproduced on six plates. The result is a useful and thoroughly charming publication.

The first two letters are from the beginning of 1636 when Rembrandt had finished the Ascension and was still working on the En- tombment and the Resurrection. (The Rais- ing of, and the Descent from the Cross had been done in 1633.) Rembrandt wants to know whether the Ascension should be de- livered then, or kept until all was done. Huygens apparently decided that it should be delivered and Rembrandt offers to come to The Hague to see how it harmonized with the others. The five remaining letters date from January and February of 1639, and are also largely concerned with the manner of delivery and the price of the two remaining paintings which had only then been finished. Although Rembrandt asserts repeatedly that they were worth much more, he finally accepts a payment of fl. 600 for each of them, plus fl. 44 for his expenses for frames and crat- ing. As a sign of his gratitude Rembrandt sent Huygens a gift of a very large painting, believed to have been The Blinding of Sam- son, now in Frankfurt.

All letters are short and to the point. The relationship between the painter and the Sec- retary of the Prince of Orange (who was ten years his senior) were not of the kind to en- courage digressive communications. Only once does Rembrandt say anything about the nature of his work, and this passage has given rise to a lively controversy. The authors of the publication agree with H. E. van Gelder and others in translating "beweechgelick- heijt" with emotion, rather than motion, pre- ferred by Rosenberg and Stechow. It is also interesting to read that Rembrandt wants the picture of The Blinding of Samson to be seen in a strong light and from a distance.

By a peculiar quirk of history the only sur- viving letters by Rembrandt concern a project that was not very congenial to the master. It is hardly an accident that it took Rembrandt three years to finish the last two pictures. The Ascension undoubtedly is one of the least successful works of the master. If it had not been for Huygens, Rembrandt would probably never have chosen to paint this kind of picture. They owe their origin probably less to Rembrandt's own aspiration "to vie with Rubens" than to Huygens' desire to pro- mote a Dutch school of painting that could rival the Flemish. Professor J. G. van Gelder, and now again Dr. Gerson, have pointed out on good evidence that Huygens admired the Flemish painters greatly. In an often quoted passage from his diary Huygens had ex- pressed regret that Rembrandt and Lievens refused to go to Italy (as Rubens, Van Dyck, and several of the younger Utrecht painters had done). He may well have thought that a commission like the one for Frederick Hendrik would help steer Rem- brandt's art in a more desirable direction. In this he obviously failed, but Dr. Gerson's conclusion that after 1639 Rembrandt "van- ished from Huygens' thoughts" may be too radical a formulation. It is true that Rem-

ART JOURNAL XXII 3 202 ART JOURNAL XXII 3 202

This content downloaded from 185.2.32.106 on Sun, 15 Jun 2014 01:48:43 AMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions