The Paper learned that following the Getty Museum in Los Angeles, "Holbein: Portrait Capture" will open at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York on February 11, and the exhibition is jointly curated by the two museums, exhibiting more than 30 paintings and drawings by Holbein, which is also the first time in the United States that such a number of works by the Renaissance artist have been exhibited.
Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98-1543) was one of the most talented and creative artists of the early 16th century, and his portraits had intriguing attributes, and his visual representation of the identity of the person in the painting gave a glimpse of the erudite, luxurious, and intelligent Renaissance culture.
Exhibition site at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles
A beautiful young woman appears respectfully at the entrance of the exhibition with a bust of a standard three-quarters view, the wife of a London courtier, elegant and composed. The delicate chain in her hand was tied to a squirrel that was nibbling on nuts; behind her right shoulder, a starling perched on a branch, as if whispering in her ear.
Here, the animal is not only the owner's pet, but also the artist's intentional fusion of materiality and symbolism in the work.
Holbein, A Lady with Squirrels and Starlings (Anne Lovell?) ), circa 1526-28, collection of the National Gallery of England
Holbein is a delicate stack of colors that gorgeously express the textures of different objects. The thick red fur of the squirrel, the smooth feathers of the birds, and the glittering chains are in harmony with the young woman's thick white fur hat, neatly separated strands of hair, linen shawls, and transparent thin skirts, especially the exposed white ruffled cuffs, which are softly and playfully embellished.
Painted this piece of "A Lady with Squirrels and Starlings (Anne Lovell?) Holbein was about 30 years old, and like all the artists in history who traveled around Europe in search of a provider, he needed to show off his abilities to the layman.
Erasmus and Holbein, the intersection of words and paintings
Born in Augsburg, Bavaria, in late 1497 (or early 1498), Holbein was a grandfather, father, uncle and brother who made great achievements in painting. In his early years he traveled with his brother to Basel, Switzerland, where he met the Dutch humanist philosopher Erasmus (1466-1536), who commissioned him to illustrate his satirical Ode to the Fool, as well as martin Luther's translation of the German Bible; in 1517 he was invited to paint in central Switzerland and studied new art forms in Italy. But he was more eager to find a stable patron, so he went to England with Erasmus's letter of recommendation.
Holbein, Erasmus of Rotterdam, circa 1532, Collection of Robert Lehman, Metropolitan Museum of Art
Erasmus's help to Holbein was enormous, and the Tudor English were obsessed with him, and his doctrine was widely and rapidly disseminated through the invention of the printing press. Although Erasmus believed that writing was superior to visual image, it strategically used portraiture to expand its influence, and Holbein's Erasmus, surrounded by books and writing at the desk, spread throughout Europe as its visual image. The perfect combination of real matter and its symbolism was one of the reasons Holbein's lifelike portraits appealed, and Erasmus' support also played an important role in his commercial success, including his later promotion to court painter of Tudor King Henry VIII (1491-1547).
Holbein, The End, Sculpture of Erasmus, circa 1532, collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, USA
After becoming a court painter, Holbein depicted the aristocratic men and women of London in a variety of different ways, in addition to the rendering of fur, satin, and jewelry, Holbein also integrated classical architectural decorations, exquisite Latin gold characters, and quotes from ancient writers into portraits to promote the wealth of the people in the paintings, as well as the understanding of ancient Greek, Roman culture and Italian literature.
Holbein, Simon George of Cornwall, circa 1535-1540, Collection of the Stadler Museum, Frankfurt
In the exhibition, many portraits hold different objects in their hands, most commonly books or folded paper. Holbein's focus on vision and writing is key to his popularity in britain. Because in the long history of Britain, the power of words has generally outweighed painting.
Holbein, A Member of the Weddy Family, 1533, Collection of the Berlin State Museum
Symbolism, which identifies identity through symbols
Through the study of symbolism, scholars further interpret "A Lady with Squirrels and Starlings". One of the playful and hard-working squirrels is the coat of arms of the Richard Lovell family, so the unidentified woman in the painting is believed to be most likely Richard Lovell's wife, and after the birth of a son, Richard Lovell commissioned Holby because she painted the portrait. Starling also has a pun and is pronounced similar to East Harling in Norfolk village, where Lovell's estate is located in East Haring.
So Marcel Duchamp wasn't the only artist to play with harmonic terriers in his work; five hundred years before Duchamp, Holbein had arranged birds whispering in Anne's ear, embedding auditory language in the visual image.
Holbein, Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, circa 1532-1533, chalk and ink, Royal Collection
Usually, before painting portraits, Holbein uses chalk and ink to precisely frame the figure and interpret the personality with subtle charm. But high-tech imaging studies have shown that the work was almost complete before adding animals to "A Lady with Squirrels and Starlings," with Holbein cleverly tweaking through composition to meet what might have been a last-minute request from the patron. The pet squirrel in the painting not only represents the family, but also shows off the upper class identity with the family badge.
Holbein, Thomas Cromwell, 1532-1533, Frick Collection, New York
Holbein also tailored a beautiful picture space for each person in the painting, which was most likely developed after their consultations— books, documents, letters with addresses, carefully selected and realistically rendered objects around the portrait, indicating their different interests, ranks and status.
Holbein, Tantaros (Son of Zeus in Greek Mythology), watercolor with golden relief, 1535-1540, Collection of the National Gallery of Art, Washington
In addition to portraiture, Holbein also designed elaborate decorative patterns for skilled goldsmiths. In that era of decorative recognition, the nobles and the rich showed their taste and knowledge by wearing commissioned jewelry. Holbein designs intricate pendants, badges with aphorisms, gold enamel book covers, decorative buckles, etc., and the exhibition also exhibits these objects that have a certain connection with painting, which together illustrate the artist's way of working, and let people see that Holbein's portraits are not only direct records of what they see, but combine objects at different times in the picture. Compared with the works of other artists of the same period, such as Jan Gossaert (circa 1478-1532) and Quentin Metsys (1466-1530), the differences can be felt more.
The Getty Museum's Fable of Passion tells the background of Holbein's portrait from another perspective. In the picture, galloping white horses carry riders in traditional robes, accompanied by luxurious picture frames, interpret the poems of Petrarch (1304-1374), the "father of the Renaissance", about chasing desire.
Holbein, Fables of Passion, circa 1532-1536, Collection of the Getty Museum
This is yet another example of the intersection of images and language in the mind of Holbein's work. The power of human desire also explains why Renaissance portraiture flourished as a major artistic subject. The painting also tries to show the class consciousness of great wealth and the maintenance of power.
In other portraits, Holbein weaves intricate gold threads into the delicate headdress of the devout "Lady Guildford," creating a veritable aura for it. Lines sparkle under the lights, outlining a stunning sense of realism. Her husband, the auditor-general of Henry VIII, was one of the few who could afford Holbein's commission.
Holbein, Lady Guildford, Portrait of Mary, 1527, St. Louis Museum of Art
The ruthless courtier Richard Southwell's all-black attire, diagonal buttons and outstretched gold jewelry underscore seriousness. With his hands folded and his eyes focused on the front, he sat solemnly in front of an ornate green wall that was as intimidating as his black clothes. However, Holbein also likes to use a sky blue flat background, which makes people feel that the people in the painting occupy the heavens and the earth, and seems to be saying softly and firmly: "Don't mess with me." ”
Holbein, Richard Soswell, 1536, collection of the Uffizi Gallery, Italy
Holbein recorded the luxury and wisdom of the Renaissance in portraiture, and the famous scholars, wealthy merchants and English courtiers gained a strong sense of presence and concreteness in his pens. Although the Most Iconic Holbein painting, Ambassador, in the National Gallery of Art, was not exhibited in the United States, the absence of this work is entirely justified because it is too fragile. Equally fragile is humanity itself, as the plague that ravaged London in the winter of 1543 took away the 45-year-old Holbein, connecting with the present and making people sigh. But against the backdrop of the pandemic, it's a miracle that the exhibition will bring together nearly 20 Holbein paintings from major museums in the United States and Europe.
Note: This article is compiled from the Los Angeles Times Christopher Knight's review of the exhibition and the Getty Museum website, which will run through May 15 at the Morgan Library and Museum in New York.