The Craftsman Revealed; Adrien De Vries, Scupltor in Bronze

by Jean Bassett; Peggy Fogelman; David Scott; Ron Schmidtling

• ISBN13: 9780892369195
• ISBN10: 0892369191
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-08-25
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Summary

The sculptor Adriaen de Vries (1556-1626) spent much of his life working for the most discerning royal courts of the age, including that of Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II in Prague. A master of composition and technique, de Vries was relatively unknown until the groundbreaking 1999 exhibition Adriaen de Vries: Imperial Sculptor, which firmly established the artist's reputation and afforded a rare opportunity to study in depth a large group of bronzes. This heavily illustrated volume presents the results of the technical study of twenty-five bronzes from the exhibition. Introductory chapters provide background on the artist and technical methodologies. Subsequent chapters present case studies of individual statues, revealing the methods and materials used in their creation. The book will be of great interest to conservators, conservation scientists, art historians, curators, and sculptors.

Author Biography

Jane Bassett is Associate Curator of Decorative Arts and Sculpture at the J. Paul Getty Museum.
Peggy Fogelman is Director of Education and Interpretation at the Peabody Essex Museum.
David Scott is Chair of the U.C.L.A./Getty Conservation Program.
Ron Schmidtling is a geologist in private practice in Los Angeles.

Table of Contents

The Sculptural Personality of Adriaen de Vries
Methodology
Project Method and Scope	p. 3
Casting Techniques	p. 11
Visual Examination and X-Ray Radiography	p. 17
X-Ray Fluorescence Alloy Analysis	p. 21
Core Analysis	p. 35
Thermoluminescence Dating	p. 45
Case Studies
Psyche Borne Aloft by Putti, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm	p. 53
Faun and Nymph, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden	p. 63
Crucifix, Kirchenstiftung Maria Verkundigung, Wullenstetten	p. 73
Venus or Nymph, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig	p. 81
Bust of Emperor Rudolf II, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna	p. 89
Bust of the Elector Christian II of Saxony, Skulturensammlung, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden	p. 97
Hercules, Nessus, and Deianeira, Musee du Louvre, Paris	p. 103
Allegory of the War against the Turks in Hungary, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna	p. 113
Rearing Horse, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles	p. 119
Horse, Narodni Galerie v Praze, Prague	p. 127
Vulcan's Forge, Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich	p. 135
Cain and Abel, University of Edinburgh, Torrie Collection	p. 141
Juggling Man, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles	p. 151
Farnese Bull, Schlossmuseum, Gotha	p. 159
Christ at the Column, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna	p. 169
Lazarus, Starens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen	p. 175
Putto with a Goose, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm	p. 181
Cain and Abel, Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen	p. 187
Laocoon and His Sons, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm	p. 197
Hercules Pomarius, Muzeum hlavniho mesta Prahy, Prague	p. 207
Mercury (Tetrode), Los Angeles County Museum of Art	p. 215
Mercury and Psyche (artist unknown), Huntington Art Collections, San Marino	p. 223
Christ Mocked (artist unknown), Los Angeles County Museum of Art	p. 231
Hercules, Nessus, and Deianeira (attributed to Crozatier), Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City	p. 239
Hercules, Nessus, and Deianeira (attributed to Crozatier), Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam	p. 251
Conclusion: Adriaen de Vries, Sculptor	p. 259
Glossary	p. 273
Summary Tables	p. 289
Signatures	p. 299
Bibliography	p. 301
Illustration Credits	p. 307
Index	p. 309
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.