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Bernard van Orley and Malines: The Dido and Aeneas Tapestries at Hampton Court
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 29 November 2011
Summary
The designs of the early sixteenth-century series of five tapestries on the story of Dido and Aeneas at Hampton Court Palace {Collection of H.M. the Queen) were tentatively ascribed by A. E. Popham in 1926, and following him by K. T. Parker, to ‘Aert Ortkens’. But the drawings attributed to Ortkens by successive writers since Friedländer (1921) can now be shown to represent the production of the Malines school of designers for glass and tapestry during the first third of the sixteenth century, and to include a number of early sketches by Bernard van Orley. The article suggests how the design of the second tapestry of the Dido and Aeneas seriesfitsinto van Orley's œuvre, and refers the others to minor masters of the Malines—Brussels circle round van Orley and the brothers Adrian and Peter van den Houte of Malines.
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- Copyright © The Society of Antiquaries of London 1969
References
page 367 note 1 Friedländer, M. J., ‘Bernaert van Orley, I: ‘Orley's Anfänge und die Brüsseler Kunst’, Jahr-buch der Konigl. Preuszischen Kunstsammlungen xxix (1908), 246Google Scholar; also Altniederländische Malerei, viii, pp. 85 and 169. Cf. Baldass, L., ‘Die Entwicklung des Bernart van Orley’, Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen in Wien, N.F. xiii, 147Google Scholar.
page 367 note 2 Friedländer ascribes to Van Orley a number of tapestry designs which are clearly by Van Roome; Dahnens, E., in her ‘Jan van Roome alias van Brussel, Schilder’, Gentse Bijdragen tot de Kunstgeschiedenis, xi, Ghent 1949Google Scholar, laid firm foundations for a cautious study of Van Roome's tapestry designs, but did not build on them; Crick-Kuntziger, M., in ‘Bernard van Orley et le décor mural en tapisserie’, in Bernard van Orley 1488–1541 (Soc.Royale d'Archéologiede Bruxelles), 1943, 80–2Google Scholar, is somewhat precipitate in ascribing the designs of the Los Honores tapestries in the Spanish State Collection to Van Orley, and V. Woldbye (see p. 368, n. 2) seems to follow her.
page 367 note 3 Op. cit. (n. 1).
page 367 note 4 O. le Maire, in Bernard van Orley 1488–1541 (see n. 2).
page 367 note 5 Lefevre, Pl., in Pictura, October-December 1945, 126Google Scholar.
page 367 note 6 Rombouts, Ph. and Lerius, Th. van, De Lig-geren en andere historische archleven der Antwerpsche Sint Lucasgllde, i (Antwerp, 1872)Google Scholar.
page 367 note 7 Archiv für Kunstgeschichte, 2. Lieferung, (Leipzig, 1913)Google Scholar: Plate 23, Meister des Leipziger Kabinetts, Predikt Johannes und Enthauptung des Täufers; ‘Der Niederlandische Glasmaler Aerdt Ortkens’: Amtliche Berichte aus den Königl. Kunstsammlungen, xxxviii, no 6 (Berlin, 1917), cols. 161–7Google Scholar; Die Altniederländische Malerei, vii (Berlin, 1929), p. 98Google Scholar; xii (Berlin, 1935), pp. 50–1.
page 368 note 1 Wayment, H. G., ‘A Rediscovered Master: Adrian van den Houte (c. 1459–1521) and the Malines/Brussels School’, i and ii, in Oud Holland, 1967, 4, and 1968, 2Google Scholar.
page 368 note 2 Woldbye, V., ‘Kongernes Tilbedelse’, in Del Danske Kunstindustrimuseum. Virksomhed 1959–64, iii (1964), 15–40Google Scholar; this tapestry of The Adoration of the Magi at Copenhagen is clearly signed with the monogram described. Other signed tapestries are:
A—The Funeral of Turnus (Spanish State Collection).
AM—A Romaunt of the Rose tapestry: Bouche d'Or becomes the Vassal of Amour (Hermitage, Leningrad).
A—A History of David tapestry: Preparations for the Siege of Rabbath and the Arming of Uriah (Museo Civico, Padua, and Cluny Museum, Paris).
page 368 note 3 Apart from the two mentioned here:
3. Samuel Anointing David (original in Swiss private collection).
4. St. Michael Presenting a Woman Donor (Berlin-Dahlem Printroom no. 12311).
5. An Angel with a Shield of Arms (a lion rampant: Copenhagen Printroom, as M. van Zwoll).
6. A Man Struggling with Death (Pierpont Morgan Library, New York: Catalogue of C. Fairfax Murray Collection, i, no 253).
page 368 note 4 Ontwikkeling en Karakter der Oude Monumentale Glasschilderkunst (Amsterdam, 1944), p. 123Google Scholar; ‘Een Nederlandse Glasschilder in den Vreemde, Aerdt Ortkens van Nijmegen’, Ned. Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek, 1948–9 (The Hague, 1949), pp. 90–1Google Scholar; De Kunst der Glazeniers in Europa 1100–1600 (Amsterdam-Antwerp, 1960), p. 190Google Scholar; Monumentale Glasschilderkunst in Nederland (The Hague, 1950), p. 87, and pl. 11Google Scholar.
page 369 note 1 Briquet, C. M., Les Fiiigranes, iii (Geneva, 1907), no. 8606.Google Scholar I am most grateful to Mr. K. G. Boon for pointing out to me both these reasons for the early dating of the drawing: it is indeed the earliest vidimus for glass known to me.
page 369 note 2 Malines archives: Register of Deaths of St. Romold's, 1506–22, p. 22, 25th August 1507. Cf.CoursdesComptes, Brussels, No. 41284 (1505), f. 198, and No. 41285 (1506), f. 198 v., and Neeffs, E., Histoire de la Peinture et de la Sculpture à Malines, i (Ghent, 1876)Google Scholar.
page 369 note 3 Helbig, J., Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi, Belgique i (Brussels, 1961), No. 32, and especially fig. 72Google Scholar.
page 369 note 4 Ill. Helbig, J., De Glasschilderkunst in Belgie, ii (Antwerp, 1951), pl. LVI, no. 134Google Scholar.
page 369 note 5 Benesch (1928), no. 27.
page 369 note 6 Old Master Drawings from the Collection of Mr. C. R. Rudolf (London, 1962), no. 114Google Scholar.
page 369 note 7 I am inclined to add to this list A Young Prince hit by a Bullet at a Siege, formerly F. Koening Collection, and The Execution of St. John the Baptist at Leipzig: van Orley's Protean versatility is evident even at this stage of his career.
page 370 note 1 Wayment, H. G., ‘A Rediscovered Master: Adrian van den Houte (c. 1459–1521) and the Malines/Brussels School’, ii, in Oud Holland 1968 2Google Scholar, fig. 20 and Göbel (1923) 1, ii, fig. 81.
page 371 note 1 Marillier, H. C., The Tapestries at Hampton Court Palace (London, 1962), pp. 24–6, pl. 22–6Google Scholar.
page 371 note 2 Nine of the drawings in the Ortkens corpus appear to be by Vellert, who probably worked in Malines from about 1508 to 1511.
page 371 note 3 Crick-Kuntziger, M., Musées Royaux d'Art et d'Histoire de Bruxelles, Catalogue des Tapisseries, Brussels [1956], no. 33, pl. 42Google Scholar.
page 370 note 4 Popham, A. E., Catalogue of Drawings by Dutch and Flemish Artists in the British Museum, v (London, 1932), p. 37Google Scholar; Parker, K. T., Catalogue of the Collection of Drawings in the Ashmolean Museum, i (Oxford, 1938), p. 27Google Scholar.
page 370 note 5 Cours des Comptes, Brussels, nos. 41288 to 41299, under Metselaers, and nos. 21458, f. 25 v°, 21461, f. 50 and 21464, f. 36 v°; Malines, Register of Deaths of St. Romold's, 19th March 1521 (N.S.).
page 370 note 6 Neeffs, E., ‘Notes sur les anciennes verrieres de l'dglise metropolitaine de Malines’, Messager des sciences historiques de Belgique (Ghent, 1877), 1–27Google Scholar; Doorslaer, G. van, ‘Notes sur les van den Houte ou Dubois’, Mechlinia, x (1932-1933)Google Scholar, supplement, 8–11; Chambre des Comptes, Brussels, nos. 41299–41305, 41308–41313, under Metselaers; Lévy, E., Histoire de la peinture sur verre en Europe et spécialementenBelgique, ii (1860), p. 17Google Scholar); Malines archives, Aldermanic registers nos. 152, f. 119 vo, and 154, f. 40vo. His mother was Lysbet Robs, whom Herman had taken as his second wife before 24.6. 1481, and he married Jozijne van Melle. He was still working in 1539 and may possibly be the Peter van den Houte who was buried at St. Romold's on the 1st January 1558.
page 372 note 1 Malines archives: Lijst der meesters en leerongens van het ambacht van de Metselaers. MSS. D. Macons S. ii, no. 3.
page 372 note 2 Cours des Comptes, no. 1806, f. 213. Letters in italics are now illegible, but appear in Lévy's version; those in brackets are supplied by the author.
page 372 note 3 Provincie, Stad ende Districht van Mechelen (Brussels, 1770), i, 66 and 143Google Scholar; E. Neeffs (1877), see p. 371, n. 6.
page 372 note 4 His hand may also be recognized in the fol- lowing drawings:
3.Samuel Anointing David, Lugt, F. Collection, Paris, no. 5377Google Scholar(previously Berlin Printroom no. 4425).
4.Susanna and the Elders, Lugt, F.Google Scholar Collection (no. 7098).
5.Virgil's Second Eclogue, Ashmolean, Oxford (Parker, 1938, p. 26, no. 65).Google Scholar
6. Shepherd and Nymph by a Fountain, Ashmolean, Oxford (ibid. no. 64).
7. Ladies with a Casket, Ashmolean, Oxford (ibid. no. 66).
8. The Death of Lucretia, Brussels Printroom.
9. Scenes from the Life of a Saint, Berlin-Dahlem Printroom (ex. Fairfax Murray).
10. The Mass of St. Gregory, Dresden Printroom.
11. The Angel appearing to Zacharias, Frankfurt-am-Main, Städel Inst. (no. 722).
11. The Justice of Herkenbald, Brussels Print-room.
13. Herkenbald refused the Host, Rijksmuseum Printroom, Amsterdam (no. 59:03).
14. Lucretia and Tarquin, Musée Bonnat, Bay-onne.The figure of Tarquin is probably copied from Van Orley's Execution of St. John (formerly De Boer, Amsterdam); see Baldass, p. 367, n. 1 above.
15. An Angel gives the Host to a kneeling Penitent, Berlin—Dahlem Printroom no. 4427.
16. Susanna before the Judge, A. E. Guinness sale, Christie's, 10.7.1953 no. 5.
There are also two stained glass roundels which can confidently be attributed to this artist, both in the Victoria and Albert Museum: Wrath (no. 5647–1859) and The Death of Lucretia (no. 5646–1859), corresponding closely to no. 8 above.
page 373 note 1 They appear in the superstructure of the window from St. Romold's showing St. Adrian and another saint, probably St. Gommarus, now in the Cinquantenaire at Brussels; and also in the tapestry of The Triumph of Chastity over Love at the Victoria and Albert Museum (see p. 370 above).
page 373 note 2 Exhibition Jan Gossaert genaamd Mabuse (Rotterdam and Bruges, 1965), no. 48.
page 373 note 3 Göbel (1923) 1, ii, no. 233.
page 373 note 4 Ibid., no. 266.
page 373 note 5 Ibid., no. 107.
page 373 note 6 See n. 2 above, no. 57. The figures of Aeneas’ two messengers kneeling before Dido reappear in The Months of March and April, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris, no. 10646, and in Alexander giving Liberty to the Family of Darius, Rosenfeld-Goldschmidt sale, Fred. Muller (Amsterdam, 1916).
page 374 note 1 Göbel (1923) 1, ii, no. 138.
page 374 note 2 Ibid., no. 260.
page 374 note 3 This composition has not Italianate (as Baldass thought, see p. 367, n. 1) but German connections. It is clearly indebted to Grunewald's Mocking of Christ at Munich, and should be compared stylistically with Adrian's window in the S. transept at Tournai, Sigelbert's Attack.
page 374 note 4 See Maquet-Tombu, J., ‘Bernard van Orley et son entourage’, in Bernard van Orley 1488–1541 (p. 367, n. 2)Google Scholar.
page 374 note 5 Seep. 372, n. I.
page 374 note 6 See p. 367, n. 4.
page 374 note 7 Malines Aldermanic records no. 137, f. 6, 31.1.1515; cf. no. 140, f. 29 v°, 31.12.1516.
page 375 note 1 Cours des Comptes, Brussels, no. 21469, f. 62: ‘A Barbele Sulse vefve de feu Adrien den Houd t voiriere la somme de cinquante solz six deniers monnoye de ce comptre’ for repairs, releading and cleaning of glass, 9th September 1526. See also no. 21464, f. 36 v°.
page 375 note 2 O. le Maire, see p.367, n. 4; also Bibl. Royale, Brussels, MSS. H II. 6601 f. 378, genealogy of Suls family.
page 375 note 3 Prims, F., De Sint-Rochus schilderijen in de Collegiate kerk van Sint-Jacob te Antwerpen (Antwerp, 1933)Google Scholar; Aschenheim, , Die Christliche Kunst, vi, 169Google Scholar; Held, J., Oud Holland, 1933, p. 140Google Scholar; Friedländer, M., Altniederländische Malerei, x, 85Google Scholar; Hartfeld, S., ‘Valentin van Orley’, The Burlington Magazine, December 1936, lxix, 263Google Scholar; Baldass, L., ‘Die Entwicklung des Bernard van Orley’, Jahbruch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen in Wien, N.F. xiii, 1944, 160Google Scholar; J. Maquet-Tombu, see p. 374, n. 2; also ‘Three Early Views of Rome in the Flemish Exhibition’, The Burlington Magazine, June 1927, 325Google Scholar.
page 375 note 4 Conway, M., Catalogue of the Loan Exhibition of Flemish and Belgian Art, Burlington House 1927, Memorial Volume, no. 125, pl. LVIIIGoogle Scholar.
page 375 note 5 Helbig, J., Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi, Belgique i, 259–77.Google Scholar On the date of the Tournai glass see Wayment, H. G., op. cit. ii (p. 368, n. 1)Google Scholar.
page 376 note 1 The Baptism of Christ in the De Boer Collection, Amsterdam, illustrated in cat. of exhibition Jeroen Bosch:Noord-Nederlandsche Primitieven (Rotterdam, 1936), p. 114Google Scholar, and in Boom, A. van der, ‘Aert Ortkens, een Nederlandsche Glasschilder in den Vremnde’ in Nederlands Kunsthistorisch Jaarboek, 1948-1949, 83Google Scholar, in both cases as by ‘Ortkens’. The figure of St. John reproduces one of the figures of Pentheus in the Pentheus and Dionysus drawing, which corresponds also to the figure in the left foreground of The Sacrifice of Isaac, from Bernard van Orley's workshop, at Schwerin. The Baptism design is used again in glass now in the chapel at Cholmondeley, Cheshire. The roundel was clearly painted by the same glazier as the roundel of The Carrying of the Cross discussed by Popham, A. E. in ‘Notes on Flemish Domestic Glass Painting’, II, Apollo, ix (1929), 155.Google Scholar This is based on a woodcut from the Passionby Jacob Cornelisz ofAmsterdam, 1511–14, and was then in the collection of Mr. P. E. Sidney.