FEATURES ARCHIVE

Elizabeth Nogrady joined Christie’s in June after a fascinating fellowship at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Here she tells us about her research, which is focused on a particular area of Dutch Old Master painting, namely the art and artists of Utrecht.

Can you tell us a little about your recent fellowship at the Met?
The J. Clawson Mills fellowship is a long-established position at the Met. Mills was a benefactor of the arts with a strong interest in Rembrandt, Rubens and Frans Hals who left his estate to the Met and the Architectural League when he died in 1940. As a Mills fellow, I spent my postdoctoral year at the Met preparing my dissertation for publication. I was based in the Department of European Paintings and I also participated in fellows’ events organized by the Education Department. Through this program, I met colleagues from throughout the museum as well as the other fellows, an international group whose specializations ranged from arms and armor to Southeast Asian art, to painting conservation.

When you mention ‘Dutch Old Masters’ to a present-day collector, this phrase probably conjures up images of Rembrandt’s portraits, Vermeer’s intimate interiors, Frans Hals’s Laughing Cavalier perhaps… How is this different to the work you were researching? Is the art of Utrecht just as popular?
My dissertation focused on the artistic community in the city of Utrecht during the seventeenth-century “Golden Age” of Dutch painting. Utrecht, which is located in the province of the same name, has an identity separate from the artistic centers of Amsterdam, Haarlem, and Delft in the province of Holland. I focused mainly on the work of Abraham Bloemaert and his students, including Hendrick ter Brugghen, Cornelis van Poelenburch, and Jan Baptist Weenix, to name a few. Historically, collecting in the US, particularly among public institutions, has focused primarily on certain segments of Dutch art, typified by the artists you mention, and Utrecht was relatively overlooked. This tendency, which occurred in Dutch museums as well, arose in part because works from Utrecht often depict more unconventional subjects which stand apart from the naturalistic landscapes, genre scenes, and still-lifes for which Dutch art is most well-known today. Of course there have always been a handful of private collectors and curators who have admired the art of Utrecht and sought it out, but only more recently has its inherent value and great appeal been appreciated more widely. I think individuals looking to expand their interest in Dutch art and broaden their collections are likely to be fascinated with works produced by this dynamic group of artists.

In a recent article in the “Now at the Met” section of the Museum’s website you mention that the art of Utrecht is ‘not for the faint of heart’. Can you describe to our readers what you mean by this? 
Art from Utrecht often possesses much more dramatic power than most people associate with Dutch Old Masters. Towards the end of the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries there was a strong Mannerist streak in Utrecht. The human form was taken to its limits, with recurring scenes of twisted, contorted bodies in which nudity and erotic undertones predominate.

Other distinctive features of art from Utrecht include the bright color palette that was popular among the city’s artists. There was also strong awareness of the art of Italy and Caravaggio in particular. Travel to Italy was greatly encouraged as part of an artist’s education in Utrecht. For instance, although Bloemaert didn’t travel to Italy, many of his students did, and returned home with an understanding of Italian art, which fostered an international outlook among the artistic community in Utrecht.

So what do I mean when I say it is not for the faint of heart? I suppose another way of putting it would be to say that the art of Utrecht is not subtle. It can be bold, gory, bright, erotic, raw...but it is definitely not subtle.

You mention the strong Catholic references in many of the works. What exact role does religion play in these works?
Although it belonged to the Protestant Dutch Provinces, Utrecht retained a large and active Catholic community. Artists in Utrecht produced major devotional works for Catholic patrons at home and abroad. Locally, a striking phenomenon occurred in this period. The dominance of Protestants in government meant that Catholics had to hide their faith in public and practice their religion ‘underground’. So it was not uncommon to find, hidden inside a regular and entirely unremarkable domestic building, a richly decorated Catholic church replete with altarpieces, sculptures, metalwork and liturgical objects. These churches served as repositories for incredible works of art by Utrecht artists and were quite spectacular.

And how were these artists received in their day?
Oh, extremely well. These artists had international appeal and acquired many important patrons from throughout Europe. Major figures, such as Frederik Hendrik, Prince of Orange, Charles I, King of England, and Christian IV, King of Denmark and Norway, commissioned works from Utrecht. Pastoral scenes in particular, which evoke an idealized, classical Arcadia, were specifically associated with Utrecht and very popular in courtly circles. 

So in light of these works regaining much of their earlier popularity, are we seeing more of them being offered at Christie’s?
Some very exciting paintings from Utrecht have been offered at Christie’s. One seminal painting, among the most important works by Bloemaert in an American museum, is his painting of The Four Evangelists, which sold in 1991 and now hangs at the Princeton University Art Museum. Among my favorites at more recent sales is Dirck van Baburen’s Achilles preparing to avenge the death of Patroclus, which sold in New York in 2007. The color, drama, and large-scale figures exemplify Utrecht painting. Finally, Jan Both’s Italianate landscape, which sold in London in 2000 and now hangs in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, is a magnificent painting. Its golden light evokes Both’s time in Italy, but if you compare his landscapes to those of other Utrecht artists, such as his teacher Bloemaert, compelling similarities begin to appear, revealing the unmistakable vibrancy that unites Utrecht paintings from this period.

Are there any upcoming exhibitions on this subject that would help our readers to gain a deeper understanding on the art of Utrecht?
Actually, there is a fantastic one coming up at the Centraal Museum, Utrecht. It will be the first extensive exhibition of Abraham Bloemaert’s body of work. There will be dozens of paintings from collections all over the world as well as numerous drawings and prints. During my fellowship I wrote an essay for the catalogue and have seen the list of works to be exhibited – it will be a truly spectacular show. The exhibition will also travel to the Staatliches Museum in Schwerin, Germany, in Spring 2012 so I would urge anyone who can to visit. I think it will be quite an eye-opening experience for many viewers.

Read Elizabeth’s article on the Met Blog > 

Exhibition:
The Bloemaert Effect: Colour in the Golden Age
Centraal Museum Utrecht
12 November 2011 - 5 February 2012
Staatliches Museum, Schwerin
24 February - 28 May 2012

Auctions: 
1 November, Amsterdam
Old Master & 19th Century Art

24 November, Milan
Old Master Pictures

6 December, London
Old Master & British Pictures, Evening

7 December, London
Old Master & British Pictures, Day

25 January 2012, New York
Old Master Paintings, Part I
Arts of France

26 January 2012, New York
Old Master Paintings, Part II

Inquiries:
If you would like to learn more about the art of Utrecht, or wish to discuss the possibility of buying or selling a work at Christie’s, Elizabeth would love to hear from you.

Elizabeth Nogrady
enogrady@christies.com
Tel: +1 212 468 7169