Self-Portrait in a Circle of Friends in Mantua | |
---|---|
Self-Portrait in a Circle of Stoic Friends in Mantua | |
Artist | Peter Paul Rubens |
Year | 1602–1606 |
Medium | oil paint, canvas |
Dimensions | 77.5 cm (30.5 in) × 101 cm (40 in) |
Location | Wallraf–Richartz Museum |
Owner | Kunstbesitz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland |
Accession No. | Dep. 0248 |
Identifiers | RKDimages ID: 194591 Bildindex der Kunst und Architektur ID: 05011390 |
Self-portrait in a circle of friends in Mantua, also referred to as Self-Portrait in the Circle of Mantuan Friends or, for short, as Mantuan Friendship Picture [1] is an oil painting on canvas by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, produced between 1602 and 1606 when the artist worked in Mantua as a court painter of the Gonzagas. It is in the collection of the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne. [2] It is the oldest known self-portrait by Rubens. It falls in a particular genre of portraits which was popular in the 16th and 17th century, the so-called friendship portrait which depicts an informal gathering of friends or companions. It is more specifically a portrait of a circle of Stoic friends or companions. [1] [3]
The picture depicts six men at bust-length shown in profile or semi-profile in front of a marine landscape bathed in an unnatural light. A barque or gondola is visible on the lake. [1]
In the distance a small section of a marine landscape and a dramatically lit sky are visible. [4] While following the rediscovery of the painting in the early 20th century, the painting was initially believed to be depicting a scene in Rome, a careful study of the landscape has shown that it is actually a view of Mantua. It represents the Ponte di San Giorgio (Saint George Bridge, destroyed), which connected the Lago Inferiore (Lower Lake) and the Lago di Mezzo (Middle Lake). The vantage point for seeing the bridge from the angle depicted in the painting must have been the Palazzo Ducale, and more precisely what is now the Appartamento della Mostra or Rustica. Rubens was at the time a court painter to the Gonzaga family in Mantua living in the Palazzo. [1]
There is a scholarly consensus that the picture does not depict an actual meeting of the persons depicted in it. Rather it falls in a genre of form of portrait painting referred to as friendship portraits in which an artist depicts together portraits of friends or acquaintances who are connected through a common feature, such as for instance a friendship portrait of fellow artists. [5]
Rubens placed himself on the centre right of the picture with his gaze turned directly towards the viewer. He is wearing a satin costume with a lace collar, more rich and elaborate than those of the other sitters. [6] He is depicted somewhat closer and above the other sitters, in the so-called "Venetian pose", i.e. with his back half turned to the viewer and looking back over his shoulder. This has been interpreted as an expression of the artist's self-confidence. [1]
Rubens is surrounded by bust portraits of five men shown in profile or semi-profile. There is no consensus on the identity of some of the sitters in the portrait. Immediately behind Rubens is the portrait of his older brother Philip who was a philologist, antiquarian, legal scholar and librarian. He had traveled to Italy in 1601 to further his studies and met up with his brother in Mantua in 1604. Philip had studied in his home country with the famous philosopher Justus Lipsius (18 October 1547 – 23 March 1606). Lipsius was feted throughout Europe for his Neostoic writings. In these he attempted to build a bridge between the Christian religion and the Antique philosophy of Stoicism. Other students of Lipsius in Flanders are also depicted in the composition: the young Guillaume (or Willem) Richardot on the far left with either Nicolaas Rockox or Juan Batiste Perez de Baron behind him. Lipsius himself is depicted almost like a portrait bust on the right-hand edge of the picture, as if he is overlooking the others as their mentor. [4] The barque or gondola on the lake may be a reference to the Styx, the river of the Underworld in Greek mythology and its inclusion in the picture could mean that Lipsius was already dead at the time it was painted, although this is not certain. [1]
The person immediately across from Rubens who has placed his hand on his arm was long thought to be his fellow Flemish painter Frans Pourbus the Younger. Pourbus was a portrait painter at the court at Mantua during the period that Rubens was also a court painter there. It is now believed that the person is not Pourbus but the famous scientist Galileo Galilei. Galilei likely visited Mantua during Rubens' residence. The pair are known to have established a life-long friendship. [7] Recent X-ray radiography seems to support the identification with Galilei. It revealed under the left eye of the sitter a circular irregularity which seems to evoke the wart that is depicted at that same location in many other portraits of Galilei. It is possible that this wart has become less prominent due to later overpainting and varnishing of Rubens' canvas. [1] The prominent presence of Galilei in this circle of Stoic friends has been explained by the fact that the Rubens brothers were of the view that Galilei relied on Stoic principles in some of his theories. [3] Lipsius had been the founder of Stoic science with his 1605 edition of Seneca's Naturales quaestiones (Natural Questions), which influenced, amongst others, Kepler. [7] Galileo can be regarded as a member of the group of Neo-Stoics in terms of his ideas and his interest in Seneca. Galilei's teachings on optics were also of great importance to Rubens, who himself authored a work on optics. The reddish luminous phenomenon in the left half of the landscape which mainly surrounds Galilei has been interpreted as the depiction of an aurora borealis, a yet poorly understood event at the time. Galileo's gesture of placing his hand on Rubens' arm has been interpreted in various ways from "consolatio" to a simple friendly touch. [1]
As some art historians believed that the person depicted across Rubens was the Flemish portrait painter Frans Pourbus the younger, the painting was interpreted as being a friendship portrait of artists. It is now clear that the work does not depict a meeting of artist friends, but rather an imaginary gathering of Stoic friends and companions who were personally and intellectually important to Rubens during his years in Mantua. By creating a friendship portrait of this circle of close, learned friends, Rubens emphasized his social status and showed his desire to be regarded as an educated, learned painter, i.e. as a 'pictor doctus'. He clearly felt that his friendships with these humanist scholars 'ennobled' him on an intellectual level. [4]
In 1611–12 Rubens painted another, better known group portrait of four Neo-Stoic companions. Referred to traditionally as The Four Philosophers (Galleria Palatina of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence), it depicts Rubens, his brother Philip, Lipsius and Joannes Woverius. In a niche on the right-hand wall is a bust owned by Rubens which was at the time believed to be a portrait of Seneca, but has since been identified as a copy of an imaginary Hellenistic portrait of the Greek poet Hesiod. [8]
Frans Pourbus the Younger or Frans Pourbus (II) (Antwerp, 1569 – Paris, 1622) was a Flemish painter, specialised in portrait painting. He was the third generation of a prominent family of religious and portrait painters.
Adriaen Brouwer was a Flemish painter active in Flanders and the Dutch Republic in the first half of the 17th century. Brouwer was an important innovator of genre painting through his vivid depictions of peasants, soldiers and other "lower class" individuals engaged in drinking, smoking, card or dice playing, fighting, music making etc. in taverns or rural settings. Brouwer contributed to the development of the genre of tronies, i.e. head or facial studies, which investigate varieties of expression. In his final year he produced a few landscapes of a tragic intensity. Brouwer's work had an important influence on the next generation of Flemish and Dutch genre painters. Although Brouwer produced only a small body of work, Dutch masters Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt collected it.
The Wallraf–Richartz Museum is an art museum in Cologne, Germany, with a collection of fine art from the medieval period to the early twentieth century. It is one of the three major museums in Cologne.
Justus Sustermans, Joost Sustermans or Suttermans, his given name Italianised to Giusto, was a Flemish painter and draughtsman who is mainly known for his portraits. He also painted history and genre paintings, still lifes and animals.
Portrait of Baldassare Castiglione is a c. 1514–1515 oil painting attributed to the Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael. Considered one of the great portraits of the Renaissance, it has an enduring influence. It depicts Raphael's friend, the diplomat and humanist Baldassare Castiglione, who is considered a quintessential example of the High Renaissance gentleman.
Cornelis de Vos was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and art dealer. He was one of the leading portrait painters in Antwerp and is best known for his sensitive portraits, in particular of children and families. He was also successful in other genres including history, religious and genre painting. He was a regular collaborator with Rubens.
Frans Pourbus the Elder was a Flemish Renaissance painter who is known primarily for his portraits and religious compositions, as well as a few genre scenes. He was the son of the prominent Bruges painter and cartographer Pieter Pourbus and the father of Frans Pourbus the Younger who became an international portraitist of the European ruling class.
Neostoicism was a philosophical movement that arose in the late 16th century from the works of Justus Lipsius, and sought to combine the beliefs of Stoicism and Christianity. Lipsius was Flemish and a Renaissance humanist. The movement took on the nature of religious syncretism, although modern scholarship does not consider that it resulted in a successful synthesis. The name "neostoicism" is attributed to two Roman Catholic authors, Léontine Zanta and Julien-Eymard d'Angers.
The Pseudo-Seneca is a Roman bronze bust of the late 1st century BC that was discovered in the Villa of the Papyri at Herculaneum in 1754, the finest example of about two dozen examples depicting the same face. It was originally believed to depict Seneca the Younger, the notable Roman philosopher, because its emaciated features were supposed to reflect his Stoic philosophy. However, modern scholars agree it is likely a fictitious portrait, probably intended for either Hesiod or Aristophanes. It is thought that the original example was a lost Greek bronze of c. 200 BC. The bust is conserved in the Museo Archeologico Nazionale, Naples.
Francesco Bonsignori, also known as Francesco Monsignori, was an Italian painter and draughtsman, characterized by his excellence in religious subjects, portraits, architectural perspective and animals. He was born in Verona and died in Caldiero, a city near Verona. Bonsignori's style in early period was under the influence of his teacher Liberale da Verona. After becoming the portraitist and court artist to the Gonzaga family of Mantua in 1487, his style was influenced by Andrea Mantegna, who also worked for Francesco Gonzaga from the 1480s. They collaborated to execute several religious paintings, mainly with the theme of Madonna and Child. The attribution of theportrait of a Venetian Senator was debatable until the last century because of the similarity in techniques used by Bonsignori and his teacher Mantegna. During the phase of his career in Mantua, there is an undocumented period between 1495 and July 1506 with no official record regarding his activities by the court of Mantua. Bonsignori's late style was decisively influenced by Lorenzo Costa in terms of form and color. He produced his last monumental altarpiece the Adoration of the Blessed Osanna Andreasi in 1519 shortly before his death.
The Master of the Saint Bartholomew Altarpiece was an Early Netherlandish painter active in Germany, mostly Cologne, between 1475/1480 and 1510. Despite his anonymity, he is one of the most recognizable artists of the early Renaissance period in German art.
Sir Peter Paul Rubens was a Flemish artist and diplomat. He is considered the most influential artist of the Flemish Baroque tradition. Rubens's highly charged compositions reference erudite aspects of classical and Christian history. His unique and immensely popular Baroque style emphasised movement, colour, and sensuality, which followed the immediate, dramatic artistic style promoted in the Counter-Reformation. Rubens was a painter producing altarpieces, portraits, landscapes, and history paintings of mythological and allegorical subjects. He was also a prolific designer of cartoons for the Flemish tapestry workshops and of frontispieces for the publishers in Antwerp.
Justus van Egmont or Joost van Egmont was a painter and a tapestry designer during the 17th century. After training in Antwerp with Gaspar van den Hoecke and working with Anthony van Dyck, van Egmont also worked in Peter Paul Rubens' workshop. He moved to France in 1628 where he was a court painter for the House of Orléans. In France he helped to found the Académie de peinture et de sculpture. He later returned to Flanders where he worked in Antwerp and Brussels. He is mainly known for his portrait paintings, although he also painted some history subjects, and produced designs for five different tapestry series.
The Gonzaga Family in Adoration of the Holy Trinity is a painting by the Flemish artist Peter Paul Rubens, housed in the Ducal Palace in Mantua, Italy. The work was commissioned by Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga for the Jesuit church in Mantua, while Rubens was his court painter.
Isabella in Black is a portrait of a young woman by Titian. It can be dated to the 1530s and is in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. The artist and the date are undisputed. Beyond the museum documentation, there are repeated doubts about the person depicted.
Gortzius Geldorp (1553–1618) was a Flemish Renaissance artist who was active in Germany where he distinguished himself through his portrait paintings.
Frans Geffels, known in Italy as Francesco Geffels, was a Flemish painter, printmaker, architect, stage designer and designer of ephemeral structures for solemn and festive occasions. After training in his native Antwerp, he was mainly active in Mantua, where he was prefetto delle fabbriche to the Duke, a role that gave him the direction of the artistic and construction activities undertaken by the Ducal court. He worked also on projects for the local aristocratic class of Mantua. In addition, he completed projects for the Liechtenstein princes and for the imperial court in Vienna.
The Four Philosophers is an oil painting on panel painted in 1611–12 by Peter Paul Rubens. It is now held in the Galleria Palatina of the Palazzo Pitti in Florence.
Daniel van den Dyck, known in Italy as Daniel Vandich was a Flemish painter, printmaker, architect and engineer. After training in Antwerp he left for Italy where he first worked in Venice and later became a court painter in Mantua. He was a versatile artist who created mythological and religious scenes, as well as portraits and flower-pieces.
Self-Portrait in a Group of Friends is an 1824 or 1827 oil-on-canvas painting by the Italian artist Francesco Hayez, now in the Museo Poldi Pezzoli in Milan. The other people in the painting have been identified as : the painters Giovanni Migliara, Pelagio Palagi, and Giuseppe Molteni, and the scholar Tommaso Grossi.