Tenacious Anne

The Great Picture

Great pictures can come in all manner of shape and size.  What makes it great?  That definition is truly in the mind of the viewer, being that art appeals to everyone on different levels.  For myself, and this blog, there has to be more; history, villainy, obstacles overcome, the thread that weaves the Great Picture into the fabric of more than one instance.  I love finding these nuggets of time, studying the events and digesting the information for my readers.

Let Uther Pendragon do what he can

The Eden will run where the Eden ran.

This unusual triptych, commissioned by Lady Anne Clifford in 1646, celebrates a long battle that was settled through sheer determination, fortitude and the death of others.  The family estates, willed by her father, George Clifford, to his brother in 1605, were to revert to Anne only if the male line should fail.  Anne was George’s only surviving child.  In a tenacious battle, Anne fought to gain control of the estates, falling out with two husbands and resisting an order to relinquish her claim from King James himself.  Both of her husbands had to good grace to die long before she did, thus adding by degrees to her wealth.

The artist Jan van Belcamp painted The Great Picture to the Lady’s own design and specification, depicting three points in her life.  The left panel of the triptych shows Anne at age 15, the year her father died.  The central section depicts her parents and her two younger brothers that died in childhood.  The final panel is Anne at age 56, Countess of Pembroke, Dorset and Montgomery, standing in front of portraits of her husbands.  This final stage of the drama takes place when she finally gained her northwestern inheritance.

Though she did not succeed in asserting herself over her male relatives in their lifetime, Anne outlived them all, making her mark as a patron of charitable causes and as a family historian.  Her close relationship with her mother partly accounts for her dogged self-belief and formidable character.  Lady Clifford erected a monument to her mother’s memory on the spot where they last said goodbye in 1616.  The monument, erected in 1656, is located near Penrith, England.

Countess Pillar

One of the properties in this contested portfolio is Pendragon Castle.   According to legend, Uther Pendragon and a hundred of his men were killed here when the Saxon invaders poisoned the well.  The castle was attacked twice by the Scots, in 1360 and 1541, leaving it in a ruinous state, until extensively repaired in 1660 by Lady Anne.  She added a brewhouse, a bakehouse, stables and coach house.  It remained one of her favorite properties until her death in 1676.

Pendragon Castle

View from Pendragon Castle

Lady Anne’s successor, the Earl of Thanet, had no use for the castle and removed everything of value, including the lead for the roof.  By 1770 the second story had collapsed and gradual decay furthered the building to become the romantic ruin seen today.

Lady Anne Clifford 1590-1676

This little vignette of history is just a small entry, with many, many more to be offered on these pages.  Do you have a favorite story of history?  I look forward to chatting with you about the microcosms of history where you find inspiration!

Cheers,
Mary Jo

Tears Rendered in Silver and Gold

November 27, 2012

By Mary Jo Gibson

The Uffizi Gallery, that cradle of Florentine art in Italy, is home to the art collection of the Medici.  As titans of Renaissance patronage they have given commissions to such storied names as Titian, Botticelli, Tintoretto and Il Parmigianino.  The Medici dynasty originally built the Uffizi to house government offices and designed the top loggia as a picture gallery – a novel innovation at the time.  It is from that space, the galleria, that art galleries around the world take their name.  A chance to see this priceless art without visiting Italy is almost unimaginable; but on a cold autumn day with blustery winds blowing across the prairie, I made my way to Madison, Wisconsin, and the Chazen Museum to see “Offering of the Angels”, an exhibition from the Uffizi Gallery.

Chazen Museum of Art November 2012

Offering of the Angels

The Chazen offers the first visit to the United States for these works, rarely seen in public and selected for a special exhibition as a gift from the citizens of Florence.  The forty-three paintings and two tapestries span three centuries, from the late 14^th to the early 18^th.  The paintings were made for a wide range of purposes, from small works meant for private devotion in a home or palace, to large altar pieces made for a chapel.  “Offering of the Angels” includes two 16^th century tapestries designed from cartoons by Francesco De’Rossi, known as Il Salviati (Florence 1510 – Rome, 1563).   Close to seven feet wide, the tapestries depict Christ’s descent from the cross and the Resurrection.

Deposition From the Cross

The tapestries on view are something of a rarity.  They don’t travel well because of their weight and fragility, making them a challenge to transport.  The ‘Deposition from the Cross’, produced in Florence around 1546, is surprisingly detailed.  Christ’s mother, Mary, Mary Magadalene and Joseph of Arimathea are shown with Christ’s body.  Tears are rendered in the tapestry with silver and gold thread.

In the early 16^th century, Flanders was the center of tapestry production.  The Medici wanted Florence to be equally well known for this art and commissioned cartoons from celebrated Florentine artists.  Two Flemish tapestry experts were hired and the results are nothing less than spectacular.

The Resurrection 1546-1549

The first painting in the exhibition, “The Miracle of the Manna”, by Fabrizio Boschi, commands immediate attention due to its epic size.  Depicting manna falling from the sky, with biblical and secular figures; the participants show the continual overlap of time, centuries apart, showcasing this enduring story.

Miracle of the Manna, Fabrizio Boschi, 1594-1597

“Pieta with Saints John the Baptist and Catherine of Alexandria”, by Il Cappuccino Veronese, imagines St. Catherine at the crucifixion.  The painting was commissioned by Caterina de Medici, her namesake being Catherine of Alexandria, the Saint.  The community surrounding these paintings becomes an integral part of the art, in depiction as well as creation.

Pieta with Saints John the Baptist and Catherine of Alexandria, Il Cappuccino Veronese, 1621

These works may long be established as treasures, but the truth of the matter is that they are continually evolving.  Titian’s Madonna and Child with Saint Catherine contrasts with photographic stages of the restoration process.  The removal of varnish allows the colors to appear with the richness and depth the artist intended.

Workshop of Tiziano Vecellio,Titian, 1490-1576 Madonna and Child with St Catherine of Alexandria, 1550-1560

The most recognized painting in the Offering of the Angels is Botticelli’s Madonna and Child, or Madonna of the Loggia.  Having undergone multiple restorations, the only parts of the painting that are considered original are the red gown of the Virgin and the distant landscape.  One restoration was so disastrous that the faces were repainted entirely.  A prize of the Uffizi gallery, the painting has never been permanently finished, and looks entirely different now than in the 16^th century.

Sandro Botticelli, Madonna with Child, 1466

The Chazen Museum is one of the best kept secrets of the Midwest’s art institutions.  Their permanent collection of Renaissance art boasts a huge altar painting by Vasari, “Adoration of the Shepherds”, among other religious art and sculpture.  Well worth the trip on a cold autumn day, I expect many more visits in the future as the Chazen continues to showcase new exhibitions, the “Golden Age of English Watercolors” being the latest arrival.  Visual arts enrich the human experience and the knowledge of art is essential to understanding diverse cultures past and present.  This glimpse into the riches of the Medici certainly underscores that enrichment.

The Original Sin, Florentine Painter from the 16th century

The Last Supper, Luca Signorelli, 1523

Francesco Mazzola, Il Parmigianino, Madonna with Child, 1525

Alessandro Tiarini, Nativity of Jesus, 17th century oil on copper

Alessandro Allori, Madonna with the Symbols of the Passion of the Christ, 1581

Want more from the Uffizi Gallery?  They are part of the Google Art Project, and have an app for the iPad.

A great post by Hyperallergic on the Secret Life of Paintings reviews this exhibition while at the James A. Michener Art Museum, comparing some great writings of Machiavelli with the art, and the times.

Thank you joining me for “Offering of the Angels”, I look forward to chatting with you about this and future museum events.

Cheers,

Mary Jo