director’s choice
alte and neue pinakothek munich
DIRECTOR’S CHOICE
alte and neue pinakothek mUNICH Bernhard Maaz
Introduction The Alte Pinakothek, built by the architect Leo von Klenze in 1836 and opened by King Ludwig I of Bavaria, houses one of the most important collections of old masters in Germany, and indeed Europe: works range from DĂźrer to Rubens and from Raphael to Boucher. Such a rich collection, which also includes works in numerous associated galleries across Bavaria, from Augsburg and Aschaffenburg, through Bamberg and Bayreuth to WĂźrzburg, can justifiably be described as a treasure trove. The gallery is the perfect place to study the history of painting with all its ramifications, from the Middle Ages to the Enlightenment, taking in the Renaissance and Baroque periods en route. The traditional commissions of official altarpieces, private devotional painting, individual or society portraiture, landscapes and still lifes are all represented, so visitors are sure to find something to suit their personal tastes and interests. The series of large halls and small cabinets offers many surprises, including large-scale works like the monumental paintings of Sir Peter Paul Rubens. These are exhibited in the central hall due to their enormous size and their permanent position among the greatest treasures of Bavaria. This painter of impressive and dramatic scenes put his work at the service of the Church, and the Counter-Reformation in particular. Many items from churches within the domain of the House of Wittelsbach found their way into the collections of the Alte Pinakothek, along with works held by branches of the family in their galleries in DĂźsseldorf and Mannheim, which came to Munich due to various changes in dynastic rule. In this way, the most exquisite body of works was brought together here and, to this day, is on display in 13 branch galleries throughout Bavaria, following a timehonoured and ongoing tradition. Yet the jewel in the crown has always been the Alte Pinakothek itself, whose impressive entrance suffused with light was created in 1957 in the form of a double staircase designed
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View of the Rubens Room in the Alte Pinakothek, built by Leo von Klenze in 1836.
The Neue Pinakothek is dedicated to 19th-century art, as seen here in Room 21, which includes the work of Van Gogh.
by Hans Döllgast as part of the post-Second World War reconstruction; and with its coffee-house it offers visitors a perfect place to relax. The Neue Pinakothek is equally striking, the harmony of both the building and the collection it houses making it a memorable place to visit. It is a newly built structure, however, rather than part of the original nineteenth-century building which was destroyed during the Second World War and removed. Following a lengthy design phase, the new museum by Alexander von Branca was completed and opened in 1981. Seen from the outside, the building is a play on historical forms and to this extent it is an example of early post-modernism, with echoes of fortified castles, crenellations, arched windows and a moat which is overlooked by the café. The interior, by contrast, is in the modern idiom, conceived in democratic and excellent proportions, light and spacious, varied and surprising to visitors as they walk around. It provides a journey through the art of the French Revolution to the turn of the twentieth century, from Classicism and Romanticism to impressionism and symbolism. The tour includes a few sculptures in the small rooms and large halls, as well as a cycle of murals by Carl Rottmann, who illustrates the cultivation of art and passion for Greece under King Ludwig I in the early nineteenth century. Since then the Neue Pinakothek has acquired a stunning collection of European art from Caspar David Friedrich to Monet, Manet and Van Gogh. It was not only the efforts of artistically inclined monarchs like Ludwig I that contributed to this collection, however, but also the commitment of numerous private individuals; it includes acquisitions by Friends of the Museum as well as many collectors and art lovers who realised that such a collaboration between the state and its citizens was essential in order to maintain the glory of the princely collections in a democratic age. For more information see www.pinakothek.de/en.
INT R ODUCTION
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Giotto di Bondone Colle di Vespignano/Florence 1266/67–1337 Florence
The Last Supper, 1311/12 Chestnut, 42.5 × 43.2 cm Purchased in 1805 by Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria in Rome and later gifted Inv. No. 643
Preaching and devotion were central to medieval art, which frequently portrayed the essence of biblical scenes using simple means. One such example is the representation of the Last Supper by Giotto, with Christ to the left of his circle of disciples, the whole group seated at a rather modest table and linked by conversations and gazes. John, the young ‘Beloved Disciple’, nestles against Christ, who is depicted with a cruciform halo. Christ passes the bread to Judas, who sits beside him with his back to the viewer and is the only disciple without a halo: this indicates that Judas will betray him when the Temple guards come to arrest Christ. Thus begins the biblical story of the Passion of Christ, who was crucified for his faith. The disciples have gathered together one last time, and they listen to the teachings of Christ with an ominous feeling of what is to come: the Passion. Giotto, the most important European painter of his day, describes the physical presence of the figures in his picture in precise detail, as well as the eye contact between them and their gestures. These disciples are thoughtful men who have gathered like monks in a simple galleried hall with marble decoration, a flat ceiling and a throne-like seat for Christ. Six more altarpieces of this 700-year-old Passion cycle are known, dispersed in various locations from London to New York, including another two in Munich which show Christ on the Cross and in Limbo.
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Parmigianino (Girolamo Francesco Mazzola) Parma 1503–1540 Casalmaggiore/Parma
The Virgin with Child and a Monk, c.1530 Wood, 27.3 × 21.6 cm From the Kammergalerie of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria Inv. No. 5289
The central role of Mary as Mother of God became the theme of many devotional pictures of the Renaissance, although the focus shifted constantly to different aspects. In the case of this tiny picture by the painter known as Parmigianino, who was active in Parma from 1531, the artist portrays the loving contemplation of a young mother whose blond, curly-haired son lies in front of her on a white cushion on a ledge; he is looking heavenward, as if he has just woken up. She touches his foot tenderly, establishing an intimate maternal bond. In her right hand she holds a white rose, the symbol of the Virgin Mary’s beauty, but its thorns may also link it symbolically to the Passion of Christ to come – namely the Crown of Thorns. The pearls of her necklace, which are also white, may be interpreted as another symbol of her virginity, also emphasised by her slim figure and her gentle, girlish face. With this picture, Parmigianino has created a devotional painting for the veneration of the Virgin Mary, as well as depicting Mary in an outpouring of her own devotion for the pure and innocent child. The painter brings this scene firmly into the earthly domain, however, by departing from the traditional red and blue Marian robe, instead choosing subtle tones of blue, white and yellow. The Carthusian monk shares this tonality, standing at a reverent distance in the doorway with his fingertips placed meekly on his chest.
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El Greco (Doménikos Theotokopoulos) Candia (now Heraklion)/Crete 1541–1614 Toledo
The Disrobing of Christ, 1580/95 Canvas, 165 × 98.9 cm Purchased on the French art market in 1909 Inv. No. 8573
El Greco became famous in Spain for his exalted art – the blazing, elongated figures, the flickering light, expressive colours, dramatic gestures and muddled, vague compositions (the ground cannot be seen for the sheer number of figures). However, his work was almost forgotten until the late nineteenth century, and he only received the attention now accorded him during the expressionist period. The Disrobing of Christ in the Munich collections is one of those disconcertingly modern paintings which are relatively rare outside Spain. Originally from Greece, and trained as an icon painter, El Greco completed his apprenticeship in Venice within the circle surrounding Titian, Tintoretto and Bassano; he travelled to Madrid in 1577 and soon after moved to Toledo. He completed a version of this Disrobing – almost twice the size and broadly consistent in terms of motifs – for the robing room of the sacristy in the cathedral in Toledo in 1579. The smaller Munich version must have followed very soon after. The painting shows Christ gazing heavenward to God the Father and dressed in the red robes indicating the Passion, while one of the henchmen to the right begins to rip the garment off him and another carefully prepares the cross onto which Christ will be nailed. This scene is based on the apocryphal Gospel of Nicodemus. The work is characterised by theatricality and pathos, oscillating between human empathy and inhuman brutality.
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Peter Paul Rubens Siegen 1577–1640 Antwerp
The Champion of Virtue (Mars) Crowned by the Goddess of Victory, 1613/14 Oak, 221.4 × 200.2 cm From the former Gemäldegalerie Düsseldorf Inv. No. 997
Peter Paul Rubens was not only a painter of voluptuous bodies, he was also a superb artist whose evocative brushwork described materials in all shapes and forms, whether it was skin and wings, still lifes or suits of armour. And all in the service of visual messages intended to be challenging and at the same time eminently accessible. For him it was not merely a question of sensual pleasure or joie de vivre, but in a striking way also about virtue and moderation. In the centre of The Champion of Virtue is a warrior clad in armour and draped in a majestically billowing red cloak; he leans on his lance and rests his fingertips on the hips of the winged female figure, as if to draw her gently towards him. She is Victoria, the goddess of victory, who crowns him because he has vanquished the satyr, which is lying on the ground, the symbol of vice complete with vine leaves, ass’s ears and partially bald head. He is an uninhibited creature driven by desires, and alongside him to the left Victoria stands on bunches of grapes, symbolising alcohol. The virtuous hero has also spurned wide-hipped Venus, the goddess of love in Antiquity. She sits at the bottom right of the picture, weeping because he is paying as little attention to her as to their whinging son, the god of love, Cupid. The hero has also conquered the figure of Envy, who can just be seen at the right in the dim background. Thus the hero – reminiscent of Mars, the god of war, in his embodiment of bravery and strength – has triumphed over gluttony, passion, lust and envy, and the highest accolade is being bestowed on him for his virtue, strength and power of resistance.
T h e C h a m p i o n o f V i r t u e ( M a rs ) Cr o w n e d b y t h e G o d d e ss o f V i c t o r y
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Valentin de Boulogne (known as Le Valentin) Coulommiers-en-Brie 1591(?)–1632 Rome
Christ Crowned with Thorns, c.1620 Canvas, 173 × 241 cm From the Mannheim Galerie Inv. No. 477
Fifty years after Titian, the French artist Valentin de Boulogne painted Christ Crowned with Thorns. Although little is known about his life, it is immediately obvious that he was inspired by Caravaggio, whose work he must have seen in Rome in 1612/13. Several of Valentin’s paintings were ascribed to the older Italian master, as he adopted Caravaggio’s narrative compositional style with densely packed half-figures, compositions within tight spaces, and the use of strong contrast between light and dark. The viewer is immediately confronted by the blatant injustice of the scene, which is set in a bare, impersonal interior. Henchmen are diligently applying themselves to pressing the crown of thorns onto the head of the acquiescent figure of Christ, who is dressed in a distinguishing red robe. Then, in a trivialising gesture mimicking a royal sceptre, they press a wooden staff into his hand as a further sign of ridicule. The men on the left, who do not seem to be involved in this humiliating process, are nevertheless discussing these malicious actions, perhaps dealing with any doubts they have or contemplating further unpleasant deeds. To the right a man stoops towards Christ, as if about to sneer in his face or as if he doubts Christ’s integrity and the humble strength with which he bears the humiliation and pain. This gesticulating man in a waistcoat is not just part of the scene, however, but also a bridging figure to the person viewing the picture.
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Jan van der Heyden Gorkum 1637–1712 Amsterdam
The Old Palace, Brussels, 1665 Oak, 50.8 × 63.5 cm From the Schlossgalerie, Ansbach Inv. No. 7287
When an artist repeats a motif nine times, albeit with minor variations – as with this picture by Jan van der Heyden, who was an engineer and artist specialising in still lifes and architectural paintings – we are dealing with a ‘bestseller’ in the modern sense. In his case it was based on his reputation as a fine painter who was held in particular esteem among the relatively few artists specialising in the urban environment. As a result this picture was much in demand: there are versions of it in Paris and Dresden, for instance. There was another reason for the special importance attached to the depiction of the Old Palace in Brussels: this architectural complex steeped in tradition served as the official residence of the Dukes of Brabant. The palace chapel in the centre of the picture and the gallery wing to the left were built by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in the sixteenth century. Living quarters were added on, combining support for the arts, ecclesiastical functions and a residential role within this state centre. In the foreground we see an extensive wildlife enclosure and pond with swans, with people and animals moving around freely in this charming plot of land; the area of water is used for fishing and the fields for rearing livestock, both of which provided food for the court. In this way courtly life and architectural history became concentrated in the centre of Brussels, and given this interaction between the terrain, landscaping, buildings and park, it is regrettable that the entire poetic ensemble burned down as early as 1731.
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Sir Henry Raeburn Stockbridge/Edinburgh 1756–1823 Edinburgh
Mrs John Campbell of Kilberry, c.1802 Canvas, 126 × 100 cm Purchased on the art market in 1981 Inv. No. 14730
The young woman painted by this leading Scottish portraitist around 1802 possesses the all-round qualities of poise and selfassurance, warm-heartedness and attentiveness, beauty and nobility. For many years she has been exhibited under the name Mrs John Campbell of Kilberry, as if she belonged to her husband, whose portrait was also painted by Raeburn. His picture has been lost, however, while that of his – presumably far younger – wife, who would today be referred to as ‘Margaret Campbell of Kilberry’, now hangs in the Munich gallery. The natural elegance of Margaret’s pose is due to the gesture she makes with her right hand lightly gathering her robe, as if she were walking on the family estate, while her left hand holds the shawl in place against a branch. The golden yellow shawl and the ribbon on the high-waisted robe in the Classical style form a gentle contrast to the plain, pure white of her dress, which could conceivably be concealing a pregnancy, perhaps? Walking in the open air, in parks and forests, had become the popular evocation of the subject’s close connection with nature in the portraiture of England, Scotland, and before long Germany as well, in the late eighteenth century. The special attention paid to the emotional disposition of women, whom Raeburn often painted with a very intense, emotionally charged gaze, is the legacy of a time characterised as the ‘Age of Sensibility’, which was closely associated with Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s – ‘back to nature!’.
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Joseph Karl Stieler Mainz 1781–1858 Munich
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 1828 Canvas, 78.2 × 63.8 cm Purchased by King Ludwig I of Bavaria in 1828 Inv. No. WAF 1048
‘Indeed! As the flower renews itself, / By the seeds it scatters forth, / So one work of art follows another, / From life springs fresh life, / The feeling which produces a work, / Will go on to render a new one gloriously, / Even after the turmoil of millennia. / Autumn 1818 / Ludwig.’ In this portrait by Munich’s then-leading portraitist, the most important German poet of his time, Goethe, is depicted holding the pages of these rather laboured verses written by King Ludwig I of Bavaria. That the prince of poets from Weimar is shown pondering over these lines created by the King of Bavaria creates an impression that the writers have equal status. Other visual elements are also inserted artfully in order to create a certain ‘image’ in the portrait. The expensive upholstered chair and marble-topped table in particular were inconsistent with the interior of Goethe’s study, where he dealt with his correspondence. Ludwig of Bavaria had visited Goethe in Weimar in 1827, and the portrait was completed in the summer of the following year. It went on to become the most widely distributed portrait of the elderly – but still sprightly – thinker, which the subject described as ‘most favourable’ according to Eckermann’s notes to his recorded conversations with Goethe. The story goes that Ludwig I viewed the work for the first time in Munich on 28 August 1828, Goethe’s birthday. Cultish veneration can scarcely be articulated more clearly than in a ritual such as this, binding the commissioner and subject through image and word, contract and ceremony.
J o h a n n W o l fg a n g v o n G o e t h e
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Joseph Mallord William Turner London 1775–1851 Chelsea
Ostend, 1844 Canvas, 91.6 × 122 cm Purchased on the art market in 1975 Inv. No. 14435
During the nineteenth century the harbour at Ostend could be used by larger ships only at high tide, yet it was regarded as an important destination for the steamship lines which linked London and mainland Europe. Countless travellers who wanted to visit Europe disembarked here. However, Turner did not take as his theme the encounter between the cultures of Britain and of West Flanders. Instead he chose to depict man’s interaction with nature: it was the sea spray, clouds, rain, storms and hence the drama of severe weather that captured his attention. Passing small ships seem to be in danger of being inundated by waves or tossed by the wind against the docks. In this respect Turner draws on the tradition of the navy, sea battles and shipwrecks, which had already brought eminently saleable pictures of catastrophe onto the market two centuries earlier. But his narrative is not about the specific fate of individuals, but a depiction of the forces of nature and, implicitly, the powerlessness of man. Like no other painter before him, Turner’s primary focus is the overall impression, rather than the details. These remain hazy for the most part, superfluous even, due to the arbitrary use of thick impasto paint and the pre-impressionist emphasis on fog and diffuse light. In the same year the Munich picture was executed, 1844, Turner exhibited one of his most famous paintings in London, Rain, Steam and Speed, which shows a steam train crossing a viaduct. There too the elements are in turmoil, though the means of transport render the image more modern.
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Max Liebermann Berlin 1847–1935 Berlin
Munich Beer Garden, 1884 Wood, 95 × 68.5 cm Purchased in 1986 with the aid of the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation Inv. No. 14979 / ESK 3
The Augustiner beer garden in Munich is still one of the city’s most beautiful locations today. Max Liebermann moved from Munich back to Berlin in 1884. He had just completed the painting, which makes it a kind of parting gesture. It is, however, a wonderful farewell party, a happy and contented depiction of life’s rich tapestry. In an effect very much in the spirit of impressionism, he has captured flecks of light playing on the ground beneath the dark, broad-leafed trees. Adults of varying ages and diverse backgrounds enjoy a drink or conversation, while others look after the children or watch them contentedly as they play. This is how Liebermann paints the most joyful of summer activities among the unassuming building to the rear, the canopy of trees and the white garden furniture. He pays particular attention to the children in the foreground; he observes empathically the way the girl in the red dress and white apron dreamily crosses her feet, leaning trustingly on the young nursemaid as she drinks. If we look more closely into this complex picture – this ingenious mise-en-scène reflecting the heterogeneous nature of the assembled crowd – we can spot the conductor with raised baton alongside white music sheets and dark suits, tuba and trumpet; at this time on a Sunday the Augustiner beer garden is brought to life acoustically by music as well as by people talking and the clinking of glasses. Liebermann conjures up the sounds and images associated with a topsy-turvy scene, but one that describes a state of happiness: freedom and free time.
Munich Beer Garden
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Vincent van Gogh Zundert/Netherlands 1853–1890 Auvers-sur-Oise
View of Arles, 1889 Canvas, 72 × 92 cm Gifted in 1912 as part of the Tschudi Contribution by Emy Roth, Zurich Inv. No. 8671
When this painting was completed in 1889, the artist wrote to his brother: ‘I have 6 spring studies, including two large orchards. It [referring to a delivery of tubes of paint] is very urgent, because these effects are so fleeting.’ He had been living in Arles since 1888 and was taken to the hospital there after he cut off part of his ear in December of that year. Though he stayed there intermittently until April 1889 – when this picture was painted – it was a period of intense painting activity for him. Although the word ‘studies’ is used in his letter, this belies the fact that this painting is a mature work, perfect in its rendition of colour. The artist’s socially isolated existence even finds its way into the cleverly devised composition, as the life of the town – the normal, everyday one, that is – is placed far away and inaccessible in three ways: by the vertical pattern of tree trunks, the ditch in the foreground, and the fences and gardens in which someone is working. The man is looking down, however, and thus neither establishes nor permits any form of contact with the viewer of the painting or the artist. The fixed grid of poplar trunks is no doubt based on observed reality, but it also shows a knowledge of Japanese woodcuts, which frequently feature this type of structure. Van Gogh, who shared an interest in Japanese prints with Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Edgar Degas, wrote on this subject: ‘Just think of that; isn’t it almost a new religion that these Japanese teach us, who are so simple and live in nature as if they themselves were flowers?’
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Fernand Khnopff Grembergen/Belgium 1858–1921 Brussels
I Lock My Door upon Myself, 1891 Canvas, 72.7 × 141 cm Purchased from the artist in 1893 Inv. No. 7921
The title of the painting – encoded, enclosing and ultimately hermetic – is revealing in itself: ‘I lock my door upon myself’ conveys the free will and determination involved in silent detachment, retreat and withdrawal from the world. Yet the ‘Why?’ remains elusive. What is the reason for this remote figure, with her pale, elegiac skin and protective mass of curls, plunging so visibly into melancholia? It remains an open question. The faded flowers in the foreground – strangely reminiscent of Van Gogh’s poplars (pp. 68–69) – are like bars cutting the viewer off from the viewed subject in a fragile, even morbid, way. In a second version, the subject of the painting was also entitled Une recluse, or ‘Hermit’. The theme is based on a poem by Christina Georgina Rossetti, the sister of the Pre-Raphaelite painter who assumed the name Dante Gabriel Rossetti, giving more emphasis to the historical and religious associations. Her poem is about a nun who withdraws from the world. One could also point ahead to Virginia Woolf, however, who grants women their own space for living and feeling in the extended essay, A Room of One’s Own. All of these potential interpretations are part of the profoundly symbolic concept of European, and specifically Belgian, symbolism around 1900.
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I Lock My Door upon Myself
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Waterlilies
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This edition © Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd, 2017 Text © Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich, and Bernhard Maaz Images © Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich First published in 2017 by Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd 10 Lion Yard Tremadoc Road London sw4 7nq, United Kingdom www.scalapublishers.com In association with the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Paintings Collections), Munich www.pinakothek.de/en ISBN: 978 1 78551 089 2 Editors: Sandra Pisano (Scala Publishers) and Ingrid Price-Gschlössl in association with First Edition Translations Ltd, Cambridge, UK; Christine Kramer, Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen Translation: Ann Drummond in association with First Edition Translations Ltd, Cambridge with English editing: David Price Design: Nigel Soper Printed in Turkey 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No part of the contents of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen, Munich, the author and Scala Arts & Heritage Publishers Ltd. Every effort has been made to acknowledge correct copyright of images where applicable. Any errors or omissions are unintentional and should be notified to the Publisher, who will arrange for corrections to appear in any reprints.
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Front cover: Albrecht Dürer, Self-portrait, 1500 (see pp. 10–11) Front cover flap: Alte and Neue Pinakothek, Munich Frontispiece: Caspar David Friedrich, Giant Mountains with Rising Fog (detail), 1819/20 (see pp. 52–53) Back cover: Vincent van Gogh, View of Arles (detail), 1889 (see pp. 68–69)