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[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF VAN DYCK
_Prado Gallery, Madrid_]
Masterpieces of Art
VAN DYCK
A COLLECTION OF FIFTEEN PICTURES
AND A PORTRAIT OF THE PAINTER
WITH INTRODUCTION AND
INTERPRETATION
BY
ESTELLE M. HURLL
BOSTON AND NEW YORK
HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
The Riverside Press Cambridge
1902
COPYRIGHT, 1902, BY HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN & CO.
* * * * *
PREFACE
The fame of Van Dyck's portraits has so far over-shadowed that of his
other works that his sacred pictures are for the most part unfamiliar
to the general public. The illustrations for this little book are
equally divided between portraits and subject-pieces, and it is hoped
that the selection may give the reader some adequate notion of the
scope of the painter's art.
ESTELLE M. HURLL.
NEW BEDFORD, MASS.,
March, 1902.
* * * * *
CONTENTS AND LIST OF PICTURES
Portrait of Van Dyck (DETAIL) (_Frontispiece_)
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
INTRODUCTION
I. ON VAN DYCK'S CHARACTER AS AN ARTIST
II. ON BOOKS OF REFERENCE
III. HISTORICAL DIRECTORY OF THE PICTURES OF THIS COLLECTION
IV. OUTLINE TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN VAN DYCK'S LIFE
V. LIST OF CONTEMPORARY PAINTERS
VI. NOTABLE ENGLISH PERSONS OF THE REIGN OF CHARLES I.
I. PORTRAIT OF ANNA WAKE
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
II. THE REST IN EGYPT
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
III. THE SO-CALLED PORTRAIT OF RICHARDOT AND HIS SON
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
IV. THE VISION OF ST. ANTHONY
Picture from Photograph by Fratelli Alinari
V. MADAME ANDREAS COLYNS DE NOLE AND HER DAUGHTER
Picture from Photograph by Franz Hanfstaengl
VI. DAEDALUS AND ICARUS
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
VII. PORTRAIT OF CHARLES I.
By Sir Peter Lely after Van Dyck. Picture from Carbon Print by Braun,
Clement & Co.
VIII. THE MADONNA OF ST. ROSALIA
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
IX. CHARLES, PRINCE OF WALES (DETAIL)
Picture from Photograph by D. Anderson
X. ST. MARTIN DIVIDING HIS CLOAK WITH A BEGGAR
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
XI. THE CRUCIFIXION
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
XII. JAMES STUART, DUKE OF LENNOX AND RICHMOND
Picture from Photograph of the original Painting
XIII. CHRIST AND THE PARALYTIC
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
XIV. PHILIP, LORD WHARTON
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
XV. THE LAMENTATION OVER CHRIST
Picture from Carbon Print by Braun, Clement & Co.
XVI. PORTRAIT OF VAN DYCK
PRONOUNCING VOCABULARY OF PROPER NAMES AND FOREIGN WORDS
* * * * *
INTRODUCTION
I. ON VAN DYCK'S CHARACTER AS AN ARTIST.
The student of Van Dyck's art naturally classifies the painter's works
into four groups, corresponding chronologically to the four successive
periods of his life. There was first the short period of his youth in
Antwerp, when Rubens was the dominating influence upon his work. The
portrait of Van der Geest, in the National Gallery, belongs to this
time.
Then followed the four years' residence in Italy, when he fell under
the spell of Titian. This was the period of the series of splendid
portraits of noble Italian families which are to this day the pride of
Genoa. Here too belong those lovely Madonna pictures which brought
back for a time the golden age of Venetian art.
Upon his return to Antwerp, the six succeeding years gave him the
opportunity to work out his own individuality. Some noble altar-pieces
were produced in these years. Pleasant reminiscences of Titian still
appear in such work, as in the often-used motif of baby angels; but in
the subjects of the Crucifixion and the Pieta, he stands quite apart.
These works are distinctly his own, and show genuine dramatic power.
During this Flemish period Van Dyck was appointed court painter by the
Archduchess Isabella Clara Eugenia, Spanish Regent of the Netherlands.
In this capacity he painted a notable series of portraits, including
some of his most interesting works, which represent many of the most
distinguished personages of the time.
The last nine years of Van Dyck's life were passed in England, where
the family of Charles I. and the brilliant group of persons forming
his court were the subjects of his final series of portraits. There
were no altar-pieces in this period. At the beginning of his English
work Van Dyck produced certain portraits unsurpassed during his whole
life. The well-known Charles I., with an equerry, in the Louvre, is
perhaps the best of these. His works after this were uneven in
quality. His vitality was drained by social dissipations, and he lost
the ambition to grow. Some features of the portraits became
stereotyped, especially the hands. Yet from time to time he rose to a
high level.
A painter so easily moulded by his environment cannot justly take rank
among the world's foremost masters. A great creative mind Van Dyck
certainly had not, but, gifted assimilator that he was, he developed
many delightful qualities of his art. The combined results of his
borrowing and his own innate gifts make him a notable and indeed a
beloved figure in art history.
The leading note of his style is distinction. His men are all
noblemen, his women all great ladies, and his children all princes and
princesses. The same qualities of dignity and impressiveness are
carried into his best altar-pieces. Sentiment they have also in no
insignificant degree.
It is perhaps naming only another phase of distinction to say that his
figures are usually characterized by repose. The sense of motion which
so many of Reynolds's portraits convey is almost never expressed in
Van Dyck's work, nor would it be consistent with his other qualities.
The magic gift of charm none have understood better when the subject
offered the proper inspiration. We see this well illustrated in many
portraits of young noblemen, such as the Duke of Lennox and Richmond
and Lord Wharton.
Van Dyck's clever technique has preserved for us the many rich fabrics
of his period, and his pictures would be a delight were these details
their sole attraction. Heavy velvet, with the light playing
deliciously in the creases, lustrous satins, broken by folds into many
tints, delicate laces, elaborate embroideries, gleaming jewels--these
are the never-failing accessories of his compositions. Yet while he
loved rich draperies, he was also a careful student of the nude.
Examples of his work range from the supple and youthful torso of
Icarus to the huge muscular body of the beggar receiving St. Martin's
cloak. The modelling of the Saviour's body in the Crucifixion and the
Pieta shows both scientific knowledge and artistic handling.
Generally speaking, Van Dyck was little of a psychologist. His patrons
belonged to that social class in which reserve is a test of breeding
and thoughts and emotions are sedulously concealed. To penetrate the
mask of the face and interpret the character of his sitter was an
office he seldom took upon himself to perform. Yet he was capable of
profound character study, especially in the portrayal of men. Even in
so early a work as the so-called portrait of Richardot and his son, he
revealed decided talent in this direction, while the portrait of
Cardinal Bentivoglio, of the Italian period, and the portrait of
Wentworth, in the English period, are masterly studies of the men they
represent.
A common feature of his portraits is the averted glance of the
sitter's eyes. This fact is in itself a barrier to our intimate
knowledge of the subject, and also in a measure injures the sense of
vitality expressed in the work. It must be confessed that Van Dyck,
disciple though he was of Rubens and Titian, fell below these masters
in the art of imparting life to a figure.
In certain mechanical elements of his art Van Dyck was conspicuously
deficient. He seemed to have no ingenuity in devising poses for his
subjects. Sitting or standing, the attitude is usually more or less
artificial and constrained. The atmosphere of the studio is painfully
evident. Never by any accident did he seem to catch the sitter off
guard, so to speak, except in a few children's portraits. Here he
expressed a vivacity and charm which seemed impossible to him with
adult subjects.
In composition he is at his best in altar-pieces. In portrait groups,
as in the pictures of the children of Charles I., he apparently made
no effort to bring the separate figures into an harmonious unity. A
single figure, or half length, he placed on his canvas with unerring
sense of right proportion. Perhaps the best summary of Van Dyck's art
has been made by the English critic, Claude Phillips, in these words:
His was "not indeed one of the greatest creative individualities that
have dominated the world of art, but a talent as exquisite in
distinction, as true to itself in every successive phase, a technical
accomplishment as surprising of its kind in solidity, brilliancy, and
charm, as any that could be pointed to even in the seventeenth
century."
II. ON BOOKS OF REFERENCE.
It has been reserved for our own day to produce two superb works by
English writers on Van Dyck. The first to appear was that by Ernest
Law, "a storehouse of information," on the paintings by Van Dyck in
the Royal Collections. The second is the definitive biography by
Lionel Cust: "Anthony Van Dyck; An Historical Study of his Life and
Works." The author is the director of the English National Portrait
Gallery, and has had exceptional opportunities for the examination of
Van Dyck's paintings. His work has been done with great thoroughness
and care. The volume is richly illustrated with photogravures, and
contains complete lists of the painter's works arranged by periods.
For brief sketches of Van Dyck's life the student is referred to
general histories, of which Kugler's "Hand-book of the German,
Flemish, and Dutch School" (revised by Crowe), is of first importance.
Luebke's "History of Painting," and Woltman and Woerman's "History of
Painting," contain material on Van Dyck. A volume devoted to Van Dyck
is in the series of German monographs edited by H. Knackfuss, and may
be had in an English translation.
A critical appreciation of Van Dyck is given by Fromentin in his
valuable little book on "The Old Masters of Holland and Belgium."
Critical articles by Claude Phillips have appeared in "The Nineteenth
Century," November, 1899, and "The Art Journal" for March, 1900.
III. HISTORICAL DIRECTORY OF THE PICTURES OF THIS COLLECTION.
Frontispiece. _Portrait of Van Dyck._ Detail of a portrait of Van Dyck
and John Digby, Earl of Bristol. Painted about 1640. Formerly in the
Isabel Farnese Collection in the palace of San Ildefonso; now in the
Prado Gallery, Madrid. _Cust_, p. 285.
1. _Portrait of Anna Wake_, inscribed: "AEtat suae 22, An 1628." Signed:
"Anton Van Dyck fecit." In the Royal Gallery at the Hague. Size: 3 ft.
8-1/2 in. by 3 ft. 2-1/2 in. _Cust_, pp. 58 and 261.
2. _The Rest in Egypt._ Painted in the Italian period for Frederick
Henry, Prince of Orange. One of several pictures of the same subject,
and generally considered the original, though the authenticity is
doubted by Signor Venturi. In the Pitti, Florence.
3. _The so-called Portrait of Richardot and his Son._ The identity of
the subject not established. Sometimes attributed to Rubens, but
accepted as Van Dyck's work by Cust. In the Louvre, Paris. Size: 3 ft.
7 in. by 2 ft. 5-1/2 in. _Cust_, pp. 76 and 134.
4. _The Vision of St. Anthony._ Painted in the Italian period.
Obtained by exchange in 1813 from the Musee National at Paris. In the
Brera Gallery, Milan. Size: 6 ft. 1 in. by 5 ft. 1/4 in. _Cust_, pp.
46 and 239.
5. _Madame Andreas Colyns de Nole and her Daughter._ Painted in
Antwerp in period from 1626 to 1632. Purchased in 1698 by the Elector
Max Emanuel of Bavaria. Munich Gallery. Size: 3 ft. 11-1/2 in. by 2
ft. 11-2/5 in. _Cust_, pp. 79 and 254.
6. _Daedalus and Icarus._ Painted about 1621 (?). Exhibited at Antwerp
in 1899. One of several paintings of the same subject. In the
collection of the Earl of Spencer, Althorp. _Cust_, pp. 61 and 241.
7. _Portrait of Charles I._ Supposed to be a copy by Sir Peter Lely
from the original, which was painted about 1636, and destroyed in the
fire at Whitehall in 1697. Not impossibly, however, the original
painting itself, given by the king to the Prince Palatine. In the
Dresden Gallery. Size: 4 ft. by 3 ft. 2 in. _Cust_, pp. 105 and 264.
8. _The Madonna of St. Rosalia._ Painted in 1629 for the Confraternity
of Celibates in the Hall of the Jesuits, Antwerp. On the suppression
of the order in 1776 it was purchased by the Empress Maria Theresa.
Now in the Imperial Gallery, Vienna. Size: 9 ft. 1 in. by 6 ft. 11 in.
_Cust_, p. 250.
9. _Charles, Prince of Wales._ Detail of a group of the three children
of Charles I., painted in 1635. Probably painted for the queen, and
presented by her to her sister Christina of Savoy. In the Royal
Gallery, Turin. _Cust_, pp. 110 and 266.
10. _St. Martin dividing his Cloak with a Beggar._ Painted in the
Italian period. Presented to the Church of Saventhem by Ferdinand de
Boisschot, Seigneur de Saventhem. Taken by the French to Paris in 1806
and returned in 1815. A copy of this picture is in the Imperial
Gallery, Vienna, but the original is in the church of Saventhem.
_Cust_, pp. 32 and 240.
11. _The Crucifixion._ Painted in 1628 for the church of St. Augustine
at Antwerp. Taken by the French to Paris in 1794 and restored in 1815.
Now in the Antwerp Museum. Size: 3 ft. 5 in. by 2 ft. 4 in. _Cust_,
pp. 61 and 248.
12. _James Stuart, Duke of Lennox and Richmond._ Painted about 1633.
Formerly belonged to Lord Methuen at Corsham. Now in the Marquand
collection at the Metropolitan Art Museum, New York. Size: 4 ft. 3/4
in. by 6 ft. 11-5/8 in. _Cust_, pp. 117-278.
13. _Christ and the Paralytic. Painted at Genoa._ In Buckingham
Palace. Size: 3 ft. 10-1/2 in. by 4 ft. 9 in. _Cust_, pp. 46 and 237.
14. _Philip, Lord Wharton._ Inscribed in the lower left corner with
the painter's name; in the lower right corner, "Philip, Lord Wharton,
1632, about y^e age of 19." Purchased from the Duke of Wharton's
collection in 1725 by Sir Robert Walpole, and thence it passed in 1779
to the collection of Catherine II. of Russia. In the Hermitage
Gallery, St. Petersburg. Size: 4 ft. 5 in. by 2 ft. 4 in. _Cust_, pp.
121 and 286.
15. _The Lamentation over Christ._ Painted about 1629 for the church
of the Beguinage at Antwerp. Now in the Antwerp Museum. Size: 9 ft. 11
in. by 7 ft. 4 in. _Cust_, pp. 66 and 248.
IV. OUTLINE TABLE OF THE PRINCIPAL EVENTS IN VAN DYCK'S LIFE.
_Compiled from Lionel Cust's_ Anthony Van Dyck, _to which the
references to pages apply._
1599. Antoon Van Dyck born March 22, in the house "der Berendaus,"
Antwerp (p. 4).
1601. Removal of Van Dyck family to house number 46 in street De Stat
Gent (p. 4).
1607. Death of Van Dyck's mother (p. 4).
1609. Van Dyck among the apprentices of the painter Hendrick van Balen
(p. 6).
1613. Portrait of an old man (p. 7).
1618. Admitted to the freedom of the Guild of St. Luke, Antwerp,
February (p. 8). Entered Rubens' studio (p. 15).
1620. An order from the Jesuits for thirty-nine pictures designed by
Rubens and completed by Van Dyck (p. 14).
Visit to England and service for King James I. (p. 23), and return to
Antwerp (p. 24).
1621. Departure for Italy, Oct. 3 (p. 25), arriving at Genoa, Nov. 21.
1622. Departure from Genoa, February, to Rome; thence to Florence (p.
26); thence to Bologna (p. 27); thence to Venice (p. 27); Mantua (p.
27). Death of Van Dyck's father, Dec. 1 (p. 55).
1623. Return to Rome (p. 27); thence to Genoa (p. 28).
1623-1625. In Genoa.
1624. Journey to Palermo for portraits and other pictures (p. 49).
1625. Crucifixion, with St. Francis, St. Bernard, and the donor,
painted for church of S. Michele de Pagana, near Genoa (p. 48).
1626. Probable date of return to Antwerp (p. 55).
1626 or 1627. Probable visit to England (pp. 56, 57, and 85).
1627. Death of Van Dyck's sister Cornelia (p. 58).
1628, March 3. Date of Van Dyck's will (p. 58).
1628. St. Augustine in Ecstasy completed for church of St. Augustine,
Antwerp (p. 61).
1629. Purchase of Rinaldo and Armida by Charles I. (p. 85).
1630. Crucifixion for church of St. Michel, Ghent (p. 63). Portrait of
Anna Maria de Camudio, wife of Ferdinand de Boisschot (p. 75).
1631. Elevation of Cross for church of Notre Dame at Courtray (p. 64).
Appointment as court painter to Isabella Clara Eugenia, regent of the
Netherlands (p. 73).
1630, 1631. Portraits of Philippe le Roy, Seigneur de Ravels and his
wife (p. 78).
1631. Portrait of Marie de Medici (p. 81).
1631? Visit to Holland and acquaintance with Franz Hals (pp. 81-83).
1632. Arrival in England (p. 87), and knighthood conferred, July 5 (p.
88).
1634. Double portrait of Charles I. and Henrietta Maria (p. 102).
Visit to Antwerp and purchase of property there (p. 90). Visit to
Court of Brussels and portraits of regent, Prince of Savoy, and Prince
Gaston, duc d'Orleans, and others (p. 91).
1635. Return to Antwerp, thence to England (p. 96). Famous portrait of
Charles I. with horse and equerry (now in Louvre), sent to France as
gift to queen mother (p. 105). Group of three children of Charles I.,
now in Turin (p. 109).
1636. Portrait of Charles I., full length, at Windsor Castle (p. 105).
1637. Group of five children of Charles I. (p. 111).
1639 or 1640. Marriage with Mary Ruthven (p. 142).
1640. In Antwerp in October, magnificently entertained by Academy of
Painting (p. 143).
1641. In Paris, in January, seeking commission for decorations of
Louvre (p. 144). In London, in May, and portrait of Princess Mary and
Prince William (p. 144). In Antwerp, in October, planning for
residence there (p. 145). In Paris, in November, on business. Return
to London. Birth of daughter, Dec. 1. Death, Dec. 9 (p. 145).
V. LIST OF CONTEMPORARY PAINTERS.
_Flemish_:--
Franz Snyders, 1579-1657.
Peter Paul Rubens, 1577-1640.
Gaspard de Craeyer, 1582-1669.
Jacob Jordaens, 1594-1678.
Justus Sustermans, 1597-1681.
David Teniers, 1610-1690.
_Spanish_:--
Pacheco, 1571-1654.
Herrera, 1576-1656.
Zurbaran, 1598-1662.
Velasquez, 1599-1660.
Cano, 1601-1676.
Murillo, 1618-1682.
_French_:--
Simon Vouet, 1582-1641.
Poussin, 1594-1655.
Eustache Le Sueur, 1617-1655.
Charles Le Brun, 1619-1690.
_Italian_:--
Guido Reni, 1575-1642.
Francesco Albani, 1578-1660.
Domenichino, 1581-1641.
Guercino, 1591-1666.
Sassoferrato, 1605-1685.
Carlo Dolci, 1616-1686.
_Dutch_:--
Franz Hals, 1584-1666.
Gerard Honthorst, 1590-1656.
Jan van Goypen, 1596-1656.
Albert Cuyp, 1605-1691.
Rembrandt, 1606-1669.
Jan Lievens, 1607-after 1672.
Gerard Terburg, 1608-1681.
Salomon Koning, 1609-1668.
Adrian van Ostade, 1610-1685.
VI. NOTABLE ENGLISH PERSONS OF THE REIGN OF CHARLES I.
WRITERS:--
Ben Jonson, 1573 or 1574-1637.
Robert Herrick, 1591-1674.
George Herbert, 1593-1632.
Edmund Waller, 1605 or 1606-1687.
Sir William Killigrew, 1605-1693.
Sir John Suckling, 1608 or 1609-1641 or 1642.
John Milton, 1608-1674.
Thomas Killigrew, 1611-1682.
John Evelyn, 1620-1706 (author of "Memoirs").
_Architect_:--
Inigo Jones, 1572-1653.
_Royalists_:--
Archbishop Laud, 1573-1644/5.
Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, 1586-1646.
George Villiers, first Duke of Buckingham, 1592-1628.
Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, 1593-1641.
_Parliamentarians_:--
John Pym, 1584-1643.
Sir John Eliot, 1592-1632.
John Hampden, 1594-1643.
Oliver Cromwell, 1599-1658.
Lord Thomas Fairfax, 1611 or 1612-1671.
I
PORTRAIT OF ANNA WAKE
The city of Antwerp was at one time famous for its commercial and
industrial interests, and it was besides an important centre of art.
Here in the seventeenth century lived the two foremost Flemish
painters, Peter Paul Rubens, and Anthony Van Dyck. The Flemish
industries had chiefly to do with the making of beautiful things.
Among them were tapestries in rich designs and many colors, used for
wall hangings. The Flemish weavers were also skilled in making fabrics
of silk and velvet. Most famous of all were their laces, patiently
wrought by hand, on pillows, and unrivalled throughout the world for
delicacy of workmanship. Glass and porcelain were also among their
industrial products. In Antwerp, too, was the printing establishment
of Plantin, from which issued many learned works in French and Latin.
Among refined people like these, who not only loved beautiful things
but could afford to buy them, the art of painting was highly esteemed.
There was every encouragement for a young artist to pursue this
calling. Rubens was already a great painter when Van Dyck began his
art studies, and the older man gave the younger much helpful advice.
At his friend's suggestion Van Dyck travelled several years in Italy,
where he was inspired by the works of the Italian masters of the
preceding century. Returning at length to his native city, he set up a
studio of his own, and soon became a favorite portrait painter among
the rich and fashionable classes. Not a few of his sitters were
foreign sojourners in the Netherlands, especially the English. The
lady of our illustration is quite plainly of this nationality, though
she is dressed according to the Flemish modes.
It appears that an English merchant named Wake was established in
Antwerp at this time, and it is supposed that this may be his
daughter. There are also reasons for connecting the portrait with one
of a certain English baronet named Sheffield, who was likewise in
Belgium in this period. Miss Anna Wake, we may conclude, had married
into the Sheffield family when this portrait was painted. These names,
however, are mere guesses, and, even if they were verified, would tell
us no more of the lady's story than we can gather from the picture.
Her life was probably not of the eventful kind which passes into
history. The luxuries of her surroundings we may judge from her rich
dress and jewels; the sweetness of her character is written in her
face.
She shows us perhaps more of her inner life than she intends. Her fine
reserve would naturally shrink from any sort of familiarity. Yet as
she stands quietly before the portrait painter, left, as it were, to
the solitude of her own thoughts, her spirit seems to look out of the
candid eyes.
[Illustration: PORTRAIT OF ANNA WAKE
_Royal Gallery, The Hague_]
Her dignity and self-possession make her seem older than the
twenty-two years with which the inscription on the portrait credits
her. But the face is that of one who has just passed from maidenhood
to young womanhood. Life lies before her, and with sweet seriousness
she builds her air castles of the future. Thus far she has been
carefully guarded from the evil of the world, and her heart is as pure
as that of "the lily maid of Astolat." For social triumphs she would
care nothing, though her beauty could not fail to draw an admiring
throng about her. Vanity and coquetry are altogether foreign to her
nature. She is, rather, of a poetic and dreamy temperament. Perhaps it
is the fragile quality of her beauty which gives an almost wistful
expression to the face. She is like a delicate flower which a chill
wind would blast.
The costume interests us as a study of bygone fashions, and is painted
with exquisite care for detail. The pointed bodice is as stiff as a
coat of mail, like that so long in vogue at the court of Spain.
Perhaps the Spanish occupation of the Netherlands may have brought the
corset with it. Certainly it is not conducive to an easy carriage;
only a graceful figure like this could wear it without awkwardness.
The slashed sleeves are made full, and tied at the elbows with bows.
The wide collar and cuffs are edged with beautiful Flemish lace
points. The feather fan and the strings of pearls about the throat
and wrists might form a part of any modern costume. It strikes us,
however, as a very singular fashion for a lady to wear a large seal
ring on the thumb.
We notice how simply the hair is dressed, brushed loosely from the
face and knotted at the back, with a jewel gleaming at one side.
Compared with the elaborate coiffures worn by great ladies in some
historical periods, this style is delightfully artistic. Altogether
the entire manner of dressing is perfectly suited to the wearer.
II
THE REST IN EGYPT
We often read in history of the rejoicing throughout a kingdom over
the birth of a prince: messengers are sent from place to place to
proclaim the glad news, congratulations and gifts follow, every
possible care is taken for the nurture and protection of the precious
young life.
The story of the childhood of Jesus reads somewhat like that of a
prince, in spite of his lowly surroundings. Though he was born in a
manger, a herald angel announced the glad tidings of his coming.
Though the people of Bethlehem took no note of the event, a multitude
of the heavenly host sang "Glory to God in the highest, on earth
peace, good-will to men." Wise men from the East made a long journey
to find the young child. The lore of the stars had taught them that he
was a king, and they brought gifts worthy of royalty, gold, and
frankincense, and myrrh.
It was these visitors who were the innocent cause of the child's first
danger. In seeking him out they had gone to King Herod at Jerusalem,
asking, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" These inquiries
made the monarch very uneasy. He had no mind to lose his crown. To
prevent the appearance of any possible rival he determined upon
summary measures. "He sent forth and slew all the children that were
in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and
under." By this terrible massacre he thought to do away with the child
Jesus.
But the Prince of Peace was protected by stronger guards than ever
surrounded the cradle of an earthly prince. A warning message was sent
to save the child from the impending danger. "The angel of the Lord
appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young
child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I
bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him."
"When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and
departed into Egypt."[1] The journey was long and wearisome, but the
mother Mary was young, and strong in courage, and Joseph was a sturdy
defender. As for the babe, what mattered it to him whether he slept in
a manger, or under the trees by the wayside? He was safe in his
mother's arms.
[Footnote 1: St. Matthew, chapter ii., verses 13, 14.]
What adventures befell them by the way we do not know, but we like to
imagine the incidents of the journey. There is a tradition that angel
play-fellows came from time to time to amuse the child Jesus. When
Mary and Joseph were forced to pause a little while for food and rest,
the lonely places were filled with these glad presences.
[Illustration: THE REST IN EGYPT
_Pitti Gallery, Florence_]
This is the legend illustrated in our picture. Under the spreading
branches of a great tree, Mary has found a comfortable seat on a
grassy bank, and Joseph rests behind her. The little child stands on
his mother's knee, clinging to her dress for support, while her arms
hold him firm. A band of infant angels play on the flower-strewn grass
in the open space in front. With joined hands they circle about as in
the figure of a dance or game. The music for their sport is furnished
by a heavenly choir, hovering in the upper air and singing the score
from an open book.
The leader of the dance is evidently the beautiful angel who pauses
opposite the Christ-child. Resting on the right foot he draws back the
left, poising on his toe, in an attitude of exquisite grace. With his
left hand he waves a salute to the infant Christ. His right hand
clasps that of a companion angel to form an arch beneath which troop
the whole jocund company. It is good sport, and the players scamper
gleefully along. A single angel stops to gaze ardently towards the
Christ-child.
The mother looks on at the game with queenly dignity. A smile hovers
on her lips, as if the eagerness of the little leader pleased her. As
for Joseph, his glance is directed towards the tree-tops. Perhaps his
senses are not fine enough to discern the spirit company, but he is
well content with the happiness of mother and child.
From the safe pedestal of his mother's knee the child Jesus watches
every motion of the angels with breathless interest. The angel leader
seems to beckon him to join them, and he is almost ready to go. Yet
the firm hands hold him back, and he is glad to cling to his mother's
dress. A circle of light about his head is the halo, or symbol of his
divine origin.
The picture is an important record of our painter's travels in Italy.
It was here he imbibed from the old Italian masters the tender and
devotional spirit which animated their sacred works. Titian was the
special object of his admiration, and he painted a number of Madonna
pictures which show the influence the Venetian painter had upon his
art. The circle of dancing angels recalls the cherub throng of
Titian's Assumption.[2]
[Footnote 2: See Chapter XII. in volume on Titian in the Riverside Art
Series.]
III
THE SO-CALLED PORTRAIT OF RICHARDOT AND HIS SON
A gentleman has brought his little boy to our painter's studio for a
portrait sitting. Father and son are close friends and understand each
other well. On the way they have talked of the picture that is to be
made, and the boy has asked many questions about it. It is rather a
tedious prospect to an active child to have to sit still a long time.
But his father's companionship is his greatest delight, and it is a
rare treat to both to have a whole morning together. Besides, they
have a book with them, a new publication from the Plantin printing
press, and the father has promised to read something to him.
The two are richly dressed for the event, the father in black with a
fur mantle, and the boy in white satin embroidered with gold. The man
wears the stiff quilled ruff of the period, the boy a round collar of
soft lace. It is not every day in the year that a little boy is
allowed to wear his best satin doublet, and the child feels the
gravity of the occasion. We may suppose that these are people of
distinction, and that on certain great occasions the boy accompanies
his father to court. Perhaps, too, as the eldest son of the house, he
is sometimes given a seat at a great banquet, or is brought into the
tapestried hall to meet an honored guest. It is at such times that he
would be dressed as in the picture. In our own day a child's finery
brings to mind dancing classes and parties, but in these far away
times it is associated only with stately ceremonies.
The painter has led his guests to a place near a window, where,
looking over their shoulders, one sees a bit of pleasant country. The
man draws the boy towards him and lays one hand on the child's
shoulder. At the painter's bidding, the little fellow puts his right
arm akimbo, imitating the attitude in some of the portraits of the
studio. The pose suits perfectly the quaint dignity of the little
figure.
It is a proud moment for the boy. It makes him almost a man to be
treated as an equal by his father. Not for worlds would he do anything
to spoil the picture; he feels the responsibility of carrying out his
part well. He regards the painter with solemn eyes, watching intently
every motion of the pencil.
There is a gleam of humor in the father's eyes as he too looks in the
same direction. He is a man of large affairs, we are sure. His high
forehead shows rare mental powers, and he has the judicial expression
of one whose counsel would be worth following. Yet there is that in
his face which shows the quiet tastes of the scholar. With his boy
beside him and a book in his hand, he is content to let the great
world go its way. Nevertheless he is something of a courtier, as his
station in life requires, a distinguished figure in any great company.
The face is one of striking nobility of character. He is a man in
whom we could place great confidence.
[Illustration: THE SO-CALLED PORTRAIT OF RICHARDOT AND HIS SON
_The Louvre, Paris_]
Two qualities of the portrait give it artistic value, life-likeness,
and character. The figures almost seem to speak to us from the canvas,
and we feel a sense of intimacy with them, as if we had actually known
them in real life. Indeed there is very little in the picture to make
it seem foreign to our own surroundings. The stiff ruff is the most
distinctly old-fashioned feature. The man's closely cut pointed beard
is such as has long been called the "Van Dyck beard." The painter wore
his own trimmed in the same way, which seems at one time to have been
equally the fashion in England and on the continent.
We remark in the picture the excellent characterization of the hands.
In later days when the painter was busier, he often assigned this part
of the work to assistants. They did not try to reproduce the hand of
the portrait sitter, but painted this feature from a model. Now this
man's hand is plainly his own; it is of a character with the face,
strong and sensitive.
The landscape view is an important element in the picture. If we
compare our illustration with others which have no such setting, we
shall better understand its value. An enclosed space sets a more or
less definite limit to the imagination. A glimpse of the country, on
the other hand, suggests wide spaces for the fancy to explore. It will
also be noticed that this light spot in the upper right corner
balances well the white costume of the boy in the lower left corner.
The portrait group of our illustration has long borne the title of
Jean Grusset Richardot and his Son. This Richardot was a celebrated
Flemish diplomat of the sixteenth century, and president of the Privy
Council of the Low Countries. As he died in Van Dyck's boyhood, his
portrait could not have been made by our painter directly from life.
Nor can we believe with some that years after the diplomat's death Van
Dyck copied from some old picture the likeness seen here. A portrait
painted in this way would not have the vitality of our illustration.
We are therefore obliged to consider the picture nameless; but our
enjoyment of its good qualities is by no means less keen.
IV
THE VISION OF ST. ANTHONY
St. Anthony of Padua was a Franciscan friar of the thirteenth century,
celebrated for his piety and eloquence. He was a Portuguese by birth,
and early in life determined to be a Christian missionary. His first
labors were in Africa, but being seized by a lingering illness, he
returned to Europe and landed in Italy. Here he came under the
influence of St. Francis of Assisi, who was just establishing a new
religious order. The rules were to be very strict: the members could
possess nothing of their own, but were to beg their food and raiment
of fellow Christians. They were to mingle with the people as brothers,
hence _friars_,[3] ministering to their bodily needs, and advising,
comforting, and admonishing in higher concerns. What sort of a habit
they wore we may see in our picture. There was a long dark brown tunic
made with loose sleeves, and having a sort of hood attached. The
garment was fastened about the waist with a knotted rope. By this
strange girdle the wearer was continually reminded that the body is a
beast to be subdued by a halter.
[Footnote 3: From the French frere.]
On account of his learning, St. Anthony became a teacher of theology.
He was connected successively with the universities of Bologna,
Toulouse, Paris, and Padua, and with this last city his name has ever
since been associated. At length, however, he forsook all other
employments and devoted himself wholly to preaching among the people.
These were troublous times in Italy, when the poor were cruelly
oppressed by the rich. St. Anthony espoused the cause of those who
were wronged, and denounced all forms of tyranny. His influence was a
great power among the people, and many stories are told of his
preaching. It is related that one day, as he was explaining to his
hearers the mystery of the Incarnation, the Christ-child appeared to
him as in a vision.
It is this story which the painter had in mind in our picture: St.
Anthony kneels before the mother and babe in an ecstasy of devotion.
An open book lies on the ground beside him, as if he had been conning
its pages when the vision broke upon him. The landscape surroundings
are especially appropriate, for St. Anthony was fond of out-of-door
life. His sermons were often given in the open air, and it is said
that he sometimes preached to the fishes. He delighted to point out to
his hearers the beauties of nature, the whiteness of the swan, the
mutual charity of the storks, and the purity and fragrance of the
lilies.
[Illustration: THE VISION OF ST. ANTHONY
_Brera Gallery, Milan_]
The poetic refinement of his nature is indicated in his face. He is
young and handsome, with the gentle expression which used to win the
hearts of his hearers. There is little here to show the more
forcible elements of his character. The tonsured head is the common
mark of membership in religious orders.
The Christ-child bends forward to caress the saint's face with his
tiny hand. He is a loving little fellow, not particularly pretty,
except in his infantine plumpness, yet the face is full of innocent
sweetness. A mysterious light shines above his head, the emblem of
divinity. The good friar does not presume to touch the holy child, but
folds his hands reverently across his breast. His eyes are lifted with
the rapt look of the visionary.
St. Anthony's biographers tell us how he loved to recite the old Latin
hymn by St. Fortunatus, beginning,--
O Gloriosa Domina
Excelsa super sydera.
[O most glorious Lady
Exalted above the stars.]
We may fancy that in the ecstasy of this vision these lines now rise
to his lips. The last stanza expresses the sum of his adoration:--
Gloria tibi Domine
Qui natus es de Virgine
Cum Patre et sancto Spiritu
In sempiterna saecula.
[Glory to thee, O Lord,
Who wast born of a Virgin,
With the Father and Holy Spirit
For eternal ages.]
It is easy to see from a comparison of this picture with the Rest in
Egypt that it was painted at about the same time. We at once
recognize the mother and child of the other illustration, and note the
similarity in pose. We may imagine the Madonna bending forward and
holding the babe a little lower on her lap, and we should have the
grouping as it is here.
In their pictures of the Madonna, the old painters tried to express
their highest ideals of womanhood. The mother Mary represented to them
all that is strongest and sweetest in a woman's character. So this
Madonna by Van Dyck is a gracious and queenly figure modelled upon the
stately Virgin of Titian.
The linear composition of the picture is carefully planned; the basis
is the pyramidal form. From the top of the Virgin's head diverge the
two oblique lines which enclose the diagram. The mantle fluttering
behind the mother's shoulder balances the part of St. Anthony's tunic
which lies on the ground.
We may well believe that the painter took especial pleasure in working
on this picture, because he himself bore the name of the good St.
Anthony.
V
MADAME ANDREAS COLYNS DE NOLE AND HER DAUGHTER
In the time of Van Dyck there was living in Antwerp a family of
ancient lineage who bore the name of Colyns de Nole. For three
centuries there had been sculptors among the men of this name. The
talent had been handed down from father to son through the several
generations, and sometimes there were two or three of the family
working together in the art. The old churches of Antwerp contained
some fine specimens of their work.[4]
[Footnote 4: A full account of the several members of this family is
given in the _Biographie Nationale_, published by the Royal Belgian
Academy of Science, Literature and Fine Arts, Brussels, 1899.]
Andreas Colyns de Nole was of nearly the same age as Van Dyck, and a
worthy representative of his famous family. He was the sculptor of the
beautiful monument of Henry van Balen in the Church of St. Jacques,
and of a Pieta in the Church of Notre Dame. The sculptor and the
painter became good friends, and it was a natural consequence that the
latter should paint the portrait of his friend and of his family. He
made two companion pictures, one of the sculptor, and the other of his
wife and the little daughter.
The lady is seated in an arm-chair, letting her placid glance stray
across the room. There is a little touch of weariness in her manner,
as if she were glad to sit down for a few moments' rest. She is a busy
housewife and mother, with many domestic duties on her mind. In her
strong, capable way she has long borne the family burdens. The face is
full of motherly sweetness; the expression is patient and serene, as
of one well schooled in the lessons of life. This is indeed the
"virtuous woman" whose price the wise man of old set "far above
rubies."
"She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of
kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth
not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her
blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her."[5]
[Footnote 5: Proverbs, chapter xxx., verses 26-28.]
The child is as like the mother as possible in features. Her round
face is quaintly framed in a close lace-trimmed cap. She is a shy
little creature, and is rather afraid of the strange painter. So she
keeps as far as possible in the shelter of her mother's big sleeve.
The hour drags wearily by. The studio is a dull place, and the
sunshine without very inviting. The child pulls impatiently at her
mother's arm, and, as the painter speaks, she looks timidly around,
wondering what he will think of such a rude little girl.
[Illustration: MADAME ANDREAS COLYNS DE NOLE AND HER DAUGHTER
_Munich Gallery_]
The artist is secretly much amused by the small young lady's
behavior. He has a shrewd insight into children's thoughts, and
sympathizes with their moods. He does not try to persuade her to sit
for him, but he catches her pose just as she stands here. The mother,
too, is wise enough to let the child alone, and the picture is made as
we see it.
As we compare it with the former illustration of the man with his
little boy, it is amusing to see the contrast between the two
children. The boy has such a grave sense of responsibility, while the
girl cares nothing for the portrait. She would doubtless think the boy
very tiresome.
We are apt to think of the children of past centuries as altogether
different beings from those of our own day. With few toys and books
and pictures such as we have now, they must have been, we fancy, very
sedate little creatures. A child portrait like this in our
illustration dispels these false ideas. This little daughter of a
seventeenth-century sculptor is as full of life and spirits as any
child of to-day. Barring her quaint dress and foreign tongue she would
be at home with children of her own age in any period or country.
The lady's dress is in a style similar to that which we have already
studied in the portrait of our first illustration. The stiff bodice,
with the long pointed front and square neck, the broad lace-trimmed
collar, the large sleeves, and the wide cuffs turned back from the
wrist, are details common to the two pictures. This costume, however,
is somewhat less elegant than that of the English lady and more
suggestive of every-day wear in the home. The collar is less
elaborate, and not stiff; the neck is entirely covered with soft white
material, fastened at the throat with a small brooch. A seal ring
adorns each hand, worn on the index finger.
We recognize the pillar in the background as a common setting in Van
Dyck's portraits. The taste of this time was rather artificial in such
matters, and inclined to stateliness. There is here no vista beyond
the pillar, no glimpse into another apartment, but the space is, as it
were, completely walled in.
VI
DAEDALUS AND ICARUS
In the distant past which we call the age of fable lived the cunning
craftsman Daedalus of Athens. One of his most curious inventions was a
labyrinth which he constructed for Minos, the king of Crete. Having at
length displeased this king he resolved to flee from the island with
his son Icarus. It was impossible to escape by way of the sea without
detection, but Daedalus was not discouraged.
"Land and wave,
He cried, deny me way! But Heaven above
Lies open! Heaven shall bear me home!"[6]
So saying he began to fashion some wings with which he might fly away.
Feathers of different lengths were bound together with thread and wax,
and shaped into arched pinions like those of a bird. As he worked, the
boy Icarus stood by watching his father, and sometimes handling the
feathers with his meddlesome fingers.
[Footnote 6: All the quotations are from Ovid's _Metamorphoses_, Book
viii., translated by Henry King.]
At last the final touch was given, and Daedalus, fastening the wings to
his body with wax, made a short trial flight. The invention was a
success; the artist rose triumphant in the air. Then he taught his
boy the use of the wings, warning him of every possible mishap:--
"'Midway keep thy course, he said,
My Icarus, I warn thee! if too low,
The damps will clog thy pinions; if too high,
The heats relax them. Midway hold thy flight.
* * * * *
By mine
Thy course direct.' And many a precept more
He gave, and careful as he bound the wings
Upon the shoulders of the boy, his cheeks
Were wet with tears, and in the task his hands
Paternal trembled."
Our picture illustrates this point in the story. Daedalus has just
fastened the wings upon his son and is giving the final directions.
The old man's face is full of anxiety, as he implores the lad not to
fly too high. Icarus listens to the advice with a shade of impatience,
pouting a little, like a wilful child who chafes under restraint. He
points forward, as if to show that he understands his orders. Already
the slender figure is poised for flight; he is eager to be off. In
another moment he will rise into the air, dropping his garment as he
ascends. A light breeze flutters the soft plumes of the wings and
blows the loose curls about the boy's head. His youthful beauty,
almost feminine in type, contrasts finely with the strong furrowed
countenance of the father.
[Illustration: DAEDALUS AND ICARUS
_Collection of the Earl of Spencer, Althorp_]
The story goes on to tell how the two started off together, the father
leading the way.
"And, as the mother bird
When first her offspring from the nest essays
The air, he hovered anxious, cheering on
The boy to follow, and with fatal art
Enjoining thus or thus his wings to ply
As he example gave."
For a while all went well, and they had covered a long distance, when
Icarus,--
"Elate
With that new power, more daring grew, and left
His guide, and higher, with ambitious flight
Soared, aiming at the skies!"
This was the very danger against which Daedalus had warned his son.
"Upon his wings
The rays of noon struck scorching, and dissolved
The waxen compact of their plumes:--and down
He toppled, beating wild with naked arms
The unsustaining air, and with vain cry
Shrieking for succour from his sire!
The sea that bears his name received him as he fell."
Daedalus, having buried his son on the island of Icaria, proceeded on
his way and came at last to Sicily, where he lived to finish some
important works of architecture.
Our illustration shows some phases of Van Dyck's art with which we are
least familiar. He rarely interested himself in mythological stories,
though such subjects were common among his contemporaries. The painter
has caught in this case the essential spirit of the myth. There are
few of his pictures also in which he expressed so well the sense of
motion. The inclination of the body of Icarus, the poise of the
wings, and the gesture of the right hand all contribute admirably to
this end.
Here, too, we see how carefully he studied the nude figure, and how
well he understood the principles of modelling. The foreshortening of
the right arm and hand of Icarus is a clever piece of technical
workmanship. The composition is well planned to fill the canvas.
VII
PORTRAIT OF CHARLES I
(_By Sir Peter Lely, after Van Dyck_)