Dürer's 1504 Black Magus and a 1904 copy

The tradition of the black magus seems to be very much alive to this day. I was in Germany  last week attending my company’s Christmas Party, which gave me the chance to visit not only Dortmund’s wonderful Christmas Market but also most serendipitously an Antique Fare – Dortmunder Antik & Sammlermarkt. (Antique and Collectors Market)

In the Fare a vast shed full of stalls selling all things ‘antique’ from those of dubious origin and quality to exquisite sixteenth original century paintings and sculptures along with all the bric a brac in between.. A wonderful place to spend a morning browsing…but I only had an hour.

I was hoping to find a black magus - I wasn’t disappointed….

On Mr Klaus Hömberg (www.galerie-hoemberg.de) stand there was a seventeen piece nativity with a black magus. But not just any black magus this was after Dürer from his Adoration.

Albrect Dürer, (1504) Adoration of the Magi Oil on wood, 100 x 114 cm
Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence picture copyright Web Gallery of Art http://www.wga.hu/detail/d/durer/1/04/2adorat.jpg

The posture of the three kings was an exact copy of Dürer’s – the bald, kneeling older king crown on the ground ; the upright bearded, middle king and young, black magus – gift in their right hand with there cap in the other.

As for the date MrH said it dated from the early twentieth century so I took a poetic liberty and dated it at 1904.


The work is of really good quality as seen in middle king which was an image of Dürer as was Dürer’s self portrait in his original Adoration’s middle king.

Mr Hömberg offered me the complete 17 set piece at 180 Euro – with the exchange rate at 1.1 to the pound was little too much for me but really a small price to pay for such a wonderful piece of German/Black Magus history.

A Result and the Way Forward

Despite the fact the OU said the result would be posted on the 12th Dec they where actually posted today  9th Dec ’09 – a friend who works for the OU gave me the tip...........and yes I passed ....and the mark for the essay  was excellent, I’m really pleased ....so what’s next ?

I’ve signed up for AA318 but not really looking forward to it as I am troubled by much of post modern art..... Hurst, Emin et al as I’ve no desire to be shocked I want to be stroked, loved and cared for...as there’s enough angst in my life and the world for me not to need artist reproducing these themes in their  art for me. I’m trying to get on an OU  MA course where I can develop some of the ideas from the Essay.

Meanwhile I’m enjoying the pass and the  Essay mark!

Well that’s it …...

...............just posted the essay; three copies

first class to Milton Keynes.

I feel a bit empty now, as the essay has consumed all my spare time for the past few weeks. A voyage of discovery which I found very fore filling.


So what’s next ?

The result comes out in December and my next course starts next February AA318 Art of the Twentieth Century But that’s another blog….BFN

The Conclusion - ‘not one of us’

To conclude, this investigation set out to answer three questions: what was work’s function; how did its image reach England; how was that  image viewed? On one level there are quite straight forward answers. The work was part of a Devon roodscreen as seen by comparisons with extant roodscreens. The movement of the image of the black Magus across Renaissance Europe is best explained by Burke’s   ‘communicative events’ idea witnessed in twelfth century Holy Roman Empire’s encounter with Islamic Spain, and the Empire’s subsequent cultural, economic and artistic  encounters between Germany, the Netherlands and England. The Adoration image spoke of the relationship between Church and State, Christ and Gentiles. There is however a fundamental paradox here as the only blacks known at the time were stereotypically slaves yet here was the image of a flamboyant, fashionably dressed black Magus/King at the physical and spiritual heart of the church, the epicentre of village life. Perhaps this image was how a definition of whiteness crystallised in Renaissance Europe as white Europe defined itself in terms of a white civilised Aristotelian taxonomy in direct contrast to the black barbarian , who even as king the black was different, exotic, ‘other’ – ‘not one of us’.

Blacks In Renaissance England

Despite the fact that no black King visited England during the period there was a well understood iconography associated and attitude towards blacks.

Prof Kath Lowe in her article in Black Africans in Renaissance Europe (BTW this is the book the Blog takes its name from the acronym of the book’s title) looked at travel journals, costume books, legal documents, paintings, jokes and books to understand how blacks were viewed –to determine what was the instinctive cultural response to blacks at the time.

There were two broad areas of difference - blacks were seen as slaves as these were the only blacks known to the majority and that they were culturally inferior. Aristotle argued there were the civilised and the barbarians, he determined a list of criteria by which the former could be accessed. Black Africans fail on every count for example the civilised wore clothes according to Aristotle , and the style and quality of their clothing, through sumptuary laws, reflected status in society. Black African went around naked so they must be totally uncivilised - barbarians!

Culturally blacks were stereotyped:

• They had body marks and wore gold jewellery
  
• They lacked appreciation of civility and civilisation being: lazy, irresponsible, sexually promiscuous, drunk and prone to criminality..and seen laughing public!
  
• They could only do certain jobs: those requiring physical work , horsemen, swordsmen, guards, musicians, dancers.

Some of these attribute can be seen in the black Magus reflecting the dichotomy in the image of the Black Magus as King and the reality of the black as a barbarian and slave.

The Essay's Home Straight....

On the home strech now VIEWING and CONCLUSION to go. then the COLLATING….PRINTING and BINDING these latter tasks are not without effort and carry their own issues. So I’ve drawn up a timetable to finish by 16 giving 3 day buffer as the deadline’s 19th mid night - Yes, midnight the OU anticipate late arrivals!

06 Sat plan VIEWING
07 Sun write VIEWING..think about CONCLUSION
08 Mon review VIEWING
09 Tues read MAKING LOCATING, VIEWING edit
10 Wed draft CONCLUSION
11 Thu think about CONTENTS..what’s in the APPENDIX ?
12 Fri The draft CONTENTS – ILLUSTRATIONS, BIBLOGRAPHY, edit TMA 03, VISIT HISTORY, APPENDIX
13 Sat Draft of complete ESSAY printed
14 th Sun CONCLUSION
15 Mon Read
16 Tue PRINT PRINT……4 copies complete
17 Wed POST

The Black Arrives in England...

I've spent so much time looking and looking and looking at the piece I've forgotten that there are three themes I'm supposed to be writing about MAKING, LOCATING and VIEWING the piece with particular reference to the image of the black Magus. So enough of the MAKING for now I'll look at LOCATING......

How did the image of black Magus reach South West England at start of the sixteenth century ?

Well thanks to Kaplan's The Rise of the Black Magus and Ladailas et al's The Image of the Black in Western Art I was able to trace the origin of the image and how it moved across Europe. So with deep respect and paying homage to The Reduced Shakespeare Company here goes......

1 12th C Spain Islamic court had musicians black

2 France Norman court copies Spainish Islam's black musicians

3 13th C Italy German court copy Norman court's black musicians and retainers

4 14th C Germany Cologne Magi Relics, St Maurice, Prestor John, Queen of Sheba, Rogier van Weyden all conflated and amplified with much bible study and 'tradition'

5 15th Netherlands : Hans Memling Adoration copies Weyden but with black third king producing THE seminal Adoration much copied and copied

6 16th England image bought and then brought image in from Netherlands

.....or put another way .......The French Norman's first saw black court musicians trumpeting and drumming to announce the arrival of Islamic rulers from Spain they copied them the Normans were then copied the Haphusaphen a German Dynasty who at one time during the 13th century 'owned' Scilliy they took the idea back to Germany. In Cologne they had the remains of the Magi as well as a saint St Maurice as the city's patron saint. Also at that time Bible studies into the Queen of Sheba seemed to show she was black and studies of the legendary priest and king Prestor John the black Ethiopian. In the 14th century these ideas and images were inflated and amplified making one of the kings black. In the 15th century the definitive image of the Magi was Rogier van der Weydens St Columbia Altar Piece with three white magi, his student the German born Flemish painter made the third king black took the idea to Netherlands were it was copied by painters and engravers and copied and copied and copied. There were markets in Antwerp at the time in which English people. traded.... the image made it way back to England as work bought and brought right from the Antwerp market or in the head of craftsmen or artists who reproduced it here in England as we know many foreign artist were at work in the England at that the time.

There’s a problem

I just completed the part of my essay where I compare the piece to the Ugborough Adoration with the a view to showing how similar they are, ending with the claim that the Ugborough’s fourth panel should be a black magus looking a bit like the one in the piece. I was now about to go to talk about the quality of the painting or the lack of quality as Devon roodscereen paintings are universally condemned….

Pevsner said with the exception of Ashton…the standard of [Devon rood-screen] painting is deplorable

The V&A’s Gothic Art in England states Devon rood-screen panels ..can at best be called crude or vigorous

Edward Long the figure drawing in Devon is generally speaking rather clumsy

I would have agreed but there is small glimmer of some of the most delicate brash work creating a fine Gothic foliage in the cushion the V&C sit on in the Ugborough Adoration.

It’s shown in detail below and comapred with the throne that piece’s V&C sit on.

Ugborough Detail

The piece’s work shown below is crude with broad brush strokes lacking the subtly , flow and gentleness of the Ugborough’s floral work.

Piece's Same Detail

It could be argued that the piece was once as detailed and floral but when it was repainted in the 17^th century the artist brushed over the detail.

But what troubles me if the Ugborough artist had seen the piece or in deed was one and same artist why do such wonderful detail work and leave the rest of the piece looking so ‘deplorable’, ‘crude’ and ‘clumsy’ ?

Ugborough hides a secret!

Of the three Adorations I photographed in Devon Ugborough was in the worse condition – very damaged and very dirty . But this hid the most wonderful discovery the Ugborough artist had seen the Victoria & Albert (V&A) piece copying his style or the same artist could have done both. I say this after careful comparison of each of the five subjects – Virgin & Child (V&C) , star and three ‘kings’.

The one that first caught my eye was the odd pose of the second king in the V&A piece his legs stick out of his orange gown , through the Ugborough grime you can just make out the same legs and gown – same pose. Further looking and you can see the postures and gestures are identical – he looks to the third king and points to towards the V&C.


The first kings adopt similar poses along with red crowns respectfully place on the floor as they pay homage to the Christ the King of Kings. The Star is in the same place in both Adorations and share essentially the same physical presentations – a long comet like tail pointing to the baby Jesus.

The V&Cs are seated on similar thrones however while the V&A piece points to the Star to indicate Christ’s divine status , the Ugborough Virgin seems to point to the baby Jesus as if saying ‘Here is Christ the King’. The Virgins’ clothes are also similar.


The third kings’ comparison is problematic – in the V&A it’s the Black Magi , in the Ugborough it’s a Saracen sword in one head a cut off head in the other (according to a label on the panel).. I would believe that this panel is a replacement - it was originally a Black Magi like the V&A!

The Adoration's Traditions

Having spent the last month or so researching roodscreens I now plan to turn my attention to the Adoration and the presence of the Black Magi as the piece is an abstraction of The Adoration story – V&C, The Star of Bethlehem and the three Kings - in four panels.

One word that sticks out above all others in my readings on the Adoration aka The Epiphany aka The Story of the Three Kings aka The Nativity whatever you prefer to call it, that word is - tradition.

‘Tradition’ ,as I see it, is a euphemism for:

[W]e know the story isn’t really true or ever actually hppened, as we have no proof and if you stress us we believe it’s a total fabrication but can’t say so too loudly as this may offend too many people.

The Adoration has several traditions developed from the story in Mathew's Gospel (Mat 2:1 ff)

For the detail see the Encyclopaedia Britannica on the Magi

Here are the ‘traditions’ I’ve noted…..:

• The Star of Bethlehem

The star was only visible by those who knew where to look and what to look for as Herod asked the ‘wise men’ confidentially where the star was (Mat 2.4) despite the fact he knew the star was in the ‘east’ (Mat 2.2). Herod would have had his own astronomers so knowing the ‘star’ was in ‘east’ should have been enough as it would have been a new celestial event so, it wasn't very bright.

For the detail see the Encyclopaedia Britannica on the Star of Bethlehem

• There Wise men

There were three gifts gold, and frankincense, and myrrh (Mat 2.11) which through ‘tradition’ meant there were three wise men, the Eastern Orthodox church has 12 wise men - another 'tradition'.

• Magi

Magi - the plural of Magus - astrologers from the Persian court, for the detail on Magus see the Encyclopaedia Britannica

• Kings

They first became ‘kings’ in about 200 AD thanks to one of the Elders of the African Christian Church ,a Carthaginian called Tertullian who read Pslam 72 9:10 as foretelling of the Adoration (Trexler, pg12). It wasn’t until 6th century it became a ‘tradition’.(The Oxford Companion of Christian Art).

• Three Kings

It was difficult to reconcile three kings from one country so they became three generations as well as being given names : Gaspar (aka Caspar aka Jasper) - the old white bearded king ; Balthasar - the middle black bearded aged king ; the third Melchoir - the beardless, fickle, foppish youthful king. Al being in ornate attire.

• Symbolism (Hall’s Dictionary of Subjects and Symbols in Art)

Gold – Homage to Christ’s kingship
Frankincense – homage ot Christ’s divinity
Myrrh - used in embalming foreshadowing Christ’s death
Submission of temporal power (earthly kings) to divine spiritual power (Christ the King of kings)
Gentiles – the wise men were the first non Jews to visit Christ
Three kings – three parts of the known world (Europe Asia and Africa)

It’s that last symbol I’ll consider in my next post.

The Devon Panels and Adoration

I’ve now had a week or so to consider my photographs. Technically I’m very disappointed in the quality of my pictures when compared to the V&A’s photograph. My lighting is inconsistent, while my compositions leave much to be desired. If I have any saving grace it was the lighting conditions inside the churches were very challenging : flash was both inappropriate and when used produced poor results. I was far too keen to ‘see’ the Adorations - more attention should have been given to preparing the camera….next time I’ll be ready.

After much cropping I’ve reduced my 800 plus Roodscreen Adoration pictures to four – one each from Plymtree, Buckland and Ugborough and for comparison a panel from Brampton .

To compare them with the V&A piece see the video..........

So, you can see from the video I would argue that the piece was almost certainly once part of a Devon Roodscreen, well from just looking at it. Specifically, I would argue along the following lines to show it was in fact a Devon piece....

• Material and size
  

It’s oak – all the Devon screens were made of oak and there all 36 to 39inches wide and about 36 inches high ( a rectangle - a metre and a bit wide by just under a metre high!)

• Carving and Tracery

Taking the blank Brampton as the base the essential features are four ogee arches each with tri foil tracery on a quatrefoil predella with a leaf at its centre – each of the arches has these features as do all other three screens.

• Colours

The Brampton screen has had its colour removed, the others have varying degrees of polychromy. Looking carefully at the predella quatrefoil evidence of red and green alternating from one predella to the next can be detected particularly in the Buckland Adoration. However a word of caution should be noted as they have all be retouched restored reworked at some time so, sadly, one can be too sure what the original looked like. The piece was repainted in the seventeenth century according to its supporting documentation.

The carvings at least cam from the same late fifteenth early sixteenth century workshop or someone or group can be traced to a common source or tradition from Devon.

• Paintings

The common workshop style in the carvings cannot be detected in the paintings although they share common composition – V&C – Old King, Middle Aged King, Third King – their execution is sadly uniformly very poor and they share no common calligraphy. The paintings all appear to have been done by different – not very good – artists. All the my readings so far are uniformly scathing about Devon screen paintings ‘Deplorable’ - Pevsner ; ‘Crude’ ; V&A Gothic Exhibition and I must admit they are poor including the piece.

That’s all I want to say on the V&A piece my next posts will be about the Magi and that third King,

The Trip to Devon Jul '08

The trip to Devon was to see at first hand the three magi Tancred Borenius (1885–1948) the Finnish art historian ,mentions in his 1928 article for Apollo magazine which introduces the world to the piece. He mentions three churches with The Adoration and I visited all three (look on the right or see map):

• St Peter, Buckland–in-the Moor
• St John the Baptist, Plymtree
• St Peter , Ugborough

All share - as I'll show you - the compsition of the piece and they all delighted in different ways.

What I was not prepared for was the colour as up till I saw them in the flesh I’d had old , very old black and white pictures from Stabb. I also had the most ludicrous pencil drawing of the Buckland-in-the-Moor Magi (below copyright Apollo Magazine March 1928).


To see them in colour, in situ is an outstanding experience. Fully appreciate all have be touched up over the years – including the piece ( the V&A note in its files says it was repainted in the 17th century)- nevertheless there is just something wonderful being in front of a object over 500 years old still in its original location (well nearly, as many were moved about ...more of this later).

EAST v WEST aka Suffolk/Norfolk v Devon/Somerset

Have spent so much time in the west country I’ve ignored the east – Suffolk and Norfolk – where there are the most glorious roodscreens but it’s off topic as far as my essay goes. A mention in passing is all that they will have. Never the less there is the most wonderful site I’ve ever seen covering roodscreens of Suffolk and Norfolk.

It’s received many accolades not surprising when you see the depth and breath of its coverage of its eponymous subject.

There’s supposed to be over 200 churches with roodscreens in the Suffolk/Norfolk area while the Devon according to Pevsner there are 100. (Those figures are form memory so need to be accurately referenced).

So the east has twice as many churches as the west and a great site to promote its churches the west country seems to come worst off…….waiting for someone to create the definitive work on the net – the nearest the transcription of a 1908 book on roodscreens.

So there’s a opportunity for someone to create THE definitive site for Devon.

Roodscreen On ebay

Yes....that was what it said....a Roodscreen on ebay!

It went for £925.

But I not sure it was real roodscreen first it didn't look like any roodscreen I'd seen as the proportions and tracery just looked 'wrong'...and there were no panels with Saints. The thing that clinched it , for me, was where would you put the rood aka the Cross with Mary and John either side of the cross? For example there's a complete one a St Mary's In Charlton-on-Otmoor. So, you can see the ebay Roodscreen (for me) does not look substantial enough to be a 'proper' roodscreen.

Porlock’s church – St Dubricius

Devon is absolutely bristling with medieval artefacts before I share my work on Roodscreens I must share with you the most wonderful alabaster tomb and the remnants of a screen

In Porlock’s church – St Dubricius – there’s the Harington Monument.

The magnificent alabaster monument of John 4th Lord Harington (d 1417) and his wife Elizabeth. The monument is one of the finest of its period (so the plaques says!).

As for its roodscreen - on the North wall you can still see the entrance to the Rood Loft - see the Purlock pictures on the right

On the column opposite you can see were the beams of the Screen and Loft met the column.

A useful little guide to the church reports that the Roodscreen was taken down in 1789 for which one James Taylor was paid one shilling for his troubles...hmmm didn’t realise he was that old or worked for so little :-) .

Seems every small village church of which there are over 100 has some relevant piece often pieces. I’d argue anyone in Devon is spoilt for choice it’s bristling with the stuff!

Been quiet lately

It's been quite these past few days as I've been busy completing TMA 3 (OU speak for the third Tutor Marked Assignment in the course) .

This is glorified essay plan, in which I have to put flesh to the essay title. What I am going to write about and what are my sources, both primary and secondary.

I’ve modified the essay title:

An investigation into the making, locating and viewing of The Black Image in an early sixteenth century painted panel - The adoration and of the Magi Panel - Victoria and Albert Museum catalogue number W.54-1928.

Summary

This essay is an investigation into the Black presence on the early 16th century painted panel from the V&A collection W54.1928. It first sets out to establish that the panel was probably part of Devon Rood screen by comparison with the constructions of and the images on roodscreens still in their original Churches in Devon. From this analysis how the panel was made is discussed. Next the image of the Black Magi within The Adoration will be considered, how the image developed and moved across medieval Europe eventually reaching rural South –West England. Finally having established that the panel made a part of roodscreen and with some knowledge of where the image of the Black Magi came from the final part of the investigation will consider what the image of a Black Magi on an the Roodscreen may have meant to those who possibly have commissioned the panel and to those who might have viewed it.

This allows me to follow the structure of the course while building up to the final piece on viewing the image – what viewers might have a thought and why.

TMA 3 questions included:

Which of the three themes of the course do you plan to focus on, and how does it/do they relate to your essay topic?

Making
The west country roodscreen’s gothic construction the role of the carver and workshop
Locating
How the Black Magi in the Adoration of the Magi moved from Czechoslovakia through the Low Countries to England
Viewing
The Black Magi image its purpose its patron its part in Chipps-Smith ‘Well Dressed Church’

Key question(s) to investigate (here you should explain and develop the essay title from the initial proposal)

What was the purpose to the panel ?
An analysis of what the panel and its image was as part of an English roodscreen by comparing its construction and images with contemporary panels still in their original positions.
What was the role of the Black Magi ?
The image as part of a Devon roodscreen its didactic , social and possible patronial significance.

As it’s a TMA it’s marked in as much the tutor comments on it - in short is there enough (or too much) for a decent essay.

It had to be in by midnight 4th July. It’s in. I now await feedback.

The Rood Screen Villages

I'm planning a trip to Devon to see some real RoodScreens in their orginal locations. To plan the trip I've started using Google maps hence the map on the right. here Ive marked the most interesting Churches.....watch this map.

Roodscreen in Holne

Found a post on Flikr of a panel in Roodscreen in Holne. seems as though Devon's bristling with medieval roodscreens.

A Day at the National Art Library and the British Libary

Now I’ve the piece and the essay title sorted it’s down to the hard graft of research. I’ve joined the National Art Gallery (NAL) at the V&A and also have a British Library (BL)Readers card. Both institutions have on line ordering which means your books are ready when you arrive. Good as it means you start work instantly with the books once you arrive . Bad if you find another book as you read that would be good to refer to as it takes time to retrieve (if they have it on site) BL – 70mins, NAG up to 2hrs.

I had the opportunity to visit both in one day so it was a chance to compare them first hand.

Rules

NAG and BL are two very different institutions with their own idiosyncrasies. Neither allows bags in, both offer transparent plastic bags to carry your stuff. The BL is very formal – need your card to get in and bag check to get out of its reading room. The NAL just walk in obtain a seat and your off, you do need your card to get your books like the BL.
In the BL no eating (I was told off for chewing) and pencils only ( I saw a reader being told off for using a biro, by what can only be described as a floor walker whose job was make sure we readers were using the books appropriately). NAL not so rigorously policed – I’m sure they are watching you but not so obviously.

Photocopying and Photographing



The BL inspects all books before you can use the photocopier if they think it’s too big or small or delicate or whatever to copy you have to let them to do it for you and this takes time (days!). Absolutely no photographing at the BL, NAL is a bit more relaxed, you can photograph in fact they offer excellent stands, book supports and weights (see picture) to let you photography – photographing seems positively encouraged.



Book Covers



The BL only gives you the book only – no jacket , the NAL gives you the book with its jacket! This is real joy as this how I discovered the image of St Maurice in Cologne on the cover Vol2 of the Black Image in Western Art. Also makes the book more of a book when it has its jacket. Having said that the NAG doesn’t bind the cover in plastic so it’s taking a risk of the cover being destroyed by handling.

Lunch

Both have splendid out door spaces to have lunch – if you like water the NAG has a lovely paddling pool but it is surrounded by the weirdest green plastic things. The BL has a great plaza in front of it , very roomy.

Hard to say which is the best – BL has a bigger choice of course as it says this is ‘the world’s knowledge’ while the NAL is only about art. On balance I liked the NAL as you could photograph the books and take your stuff with you there and then!

Much closer to the final question

The making, locating and viewing the Black presence in an early sixteenth century Devonshire Rood Panel - The Adoration and of the Magi Panel catalogue number W.54-1928.

I like this as it follows the course and gives structure with a background. I'll present this at the IE outline review tutorial this morning to see if it works:

This outline should last a maximum of 5 minutes and typically covers your working title, your chosen work to be viewed first hand, the course theme(s) you will address and the key questions you will be investigating. You may also wish to comment on available literature. This will be followed by 5 minutes of feedback from myself and other students.

Themes

Making

• Panel painting
• Gothic structure cf altar pieces
• Devonshire Rood screens
  

Locating

• The origin of the black magi
• Movement of the idea across Europe
• Germany > Antwerp > England
  

Viewing

• purpose images on panel screen

That'll be the core essay structure upon which I'll build. I might even try writing the conclusion first then the introduction. That was a tip from the IE preparatory CD.

Still working on the question

I'm not happy with:

The making, locating and viewing of an early sixteenth century Devonshire Rood Panel - The Adoration and of the Magi Panel catalogue number W.54-1928

too dull, very boring, far too matter of fact but it does give the essay structure.

I'm leaning towards:

What is the purpose of Black Magi in the early sixteenth century Devonshire Rood Panel - The Adoration and of the Magi Panel V & A catalogue number W.54-1928?

Sets the scene right upfront. I'll think about it. My plan is to close on the question by tomorrow in time for the tutorial.

Off Topic But What the Heck...

I saw this face on the cover of The Image of Black In Western Art. It stopped me in my tracks. a black CRUSADER!!..that's like a black cowboy they simply don't/didn't exist as we never see them. Right? Wrong! They - the black crusaders and black cowboys - were there as blacks got and get everywhere. So, why not a Black Crusader? Great Picture.

It's St Maurice in Magdeburg Cathederal you can see him here and find out more about him here.

The Piece and the Question

Well I think I'm there here's my piece and my question.....sure of the piece however, the question looks a bit bland but it does cover the course which is the name of the game. I'll sleep on it. The piece I'm really sure I will use it - the four different leaves clinched it for me. The question I'm not so sure. So here's the piece (a bigger picture) and the question:

The making, locating and viewing of an early sixteenth century Devonshire Rood Panel - ‘The adoration and of the Magi Panel’ catalogue number W.54-1928.

The Ear Ring

I was so excited to see him face to face and to see his earring wasn't just a blob of paint but clearly recognizable as an ear ring - just fantastic.

This is my piece...now my IE question. I don't wont to compare it with anything as it's not a good picture but discussing how and why it was made , what it represents and it's purpose seems reasonable basis for the IE.
So, I was thinking of..

What was the function of the Black in the early sixteenth century Devonshire Rood Screen from the V&A collection ?

....or something thing like that as I'd like to link a discussion of Gothic Rood screens (LOCATING/MAKING Renaissance Art ) and the Black (VIEWING).

Alabaster Magi Out

At the AA315 V&C study day at the V&A I had the chance to have a close look at the Alabaster Magi. I don’t like it. Further there’s something not quite right about the polychrome. The worn gilding on the left edge looks real – aged by time and some mis-use but the green background and the black magi …..don’t look original to me. The colours perhaps were a later addition to enhance the piece and make it easier to sell.

That black – not only is his colour ‘wrong’ but the facial characteristics are too European. On the last point I know it may have been sculptured by someone who had never seen a real Black and was working within the Magi iconography in which a black is there to represent Africa. So, having not seen one he simply sculpts a European featured face and then paints it black. See for your self in the close up

So tomorrow’s the big day I get see the Rood Screen

All Turned Around

Suddenly its all come good on access to the work. The folks at the V&A have been outstanding; I’m seeing both pieces – The Screen and The Alabaster - next Monday!

With the Rood Screen I’m even getting to see the documentation before I see the work. I’m attending a Study Day at the V&A this Saturday so I’ve arranged for them to leave copes of primary and secondary source stuff on the Rood Screen at reception for me to collect.

So now I’ve two nice pieces to look at the challenge is to close on an essay title.

What purpose does the Black presence play in the form and function on the Rood Screen?

OR

What purpose does the Black presence play in the form and function on the Alabaster Piece?

Cold feet.......

I’m starting to get cold feet on the Rood Screen – no feedback fromV&A , not a great deal on Rood Screens and nothing on this particular one

Hmmmm so this could bring me back to the begining.

There again I could do Magnificence and the Moors head…….

What is the significance of the Moors head in The Martrdom of Saint Sebastian by the Pollaiuolo brothers

OR

What does the Moors head in The Martrdom of Saint Sebastian by the Pollaiuolo brothers reveal about 1thth century Florentine magnificence ?


I'll give it till the weekend then decide.

Some background on Rood Screens

The Rood Screen served to separate the clergy from the masses or really the non-elites aka them/not us / the unwashed etc. ect. Seems if you had the power and or money you could get beyond the screen. In fact Philip the Bold has his own prayer box beyond the screen.

Spent some time to trawlling JSTOR for artiles on the V&A piece - couldn't find any. Broaden the search ro Rood Screens in general found some even some pictures of one or two screens at a very informative site

Medieval Creation and Re-Creation

which produced a bibliography :

Lasko, P and Morgan, N.J., Medieval Art in East Anglia, Norwich 1974
Anderson, M.D., Drama and Imagery in English Medieval Churches, Cambridge 1963
Pevsner, N. and Wilson, B., The Buildings of England: Norfolk 1, London 1997
for further study.

News.....well sort of...

I received a reply form a very pleasant lady who told me subject to being 'safel accessible' I may be able to see it on the 18th June or 2nd July. Which is mixed news - GOOD I can see it BAD it's to late - my tutorial's 21st June so no time to prep.

Having said that the issue is documentation and provenance if I have both then I’m sorted.

She promised to get back to me on the amount of supporting documentation there is with The Rood Screen. I spent sometime explaining to her (and myself!) the IE is an investigation, it is not research it is not synthesis it’s more analysis so I will tread an established path.

She promised to get back to me Monday…. fingers crossed or thumbs pressed as they say I Germany.

Heard Nothing.....But Found Something...

Nothing back from the V&A as to whether or not I can see the Rood Screen. The lady on the phone who advised I need to 'write in' didn't insprie me with confidence. TMA 3 - the Independant Esay (IE) description with outline and biblography needs to be in by the end of the month and right now I've nothing.....

Hmmm...

Have I put too much trust in the V&A ?....

On the plus side found a great source.....

Journal of Medieval and Early Modern Studies

for the medieval black prescence - it had a whole issue on race so the day's not lost. The 'issue' now is what to write about!

Still not there...

I’ve been corresponding with the V&A, free lance author and an academic for more detail.

Asked the V&A to see the Rood Screen as it’s not on display. Received a prompt informative reply from the author. The academic also replied with some information, sadly not all I wanted. Finding a piece along with primary sources is proving to be challenging.

If the Rood Screen is the one then it’s The Back Magi still, I like the Black Servant as I admire the Carpaccio so much. Decision time is looming!

I could still do The Germany Stained Glass Black Magi and Attendant which would cover both - would this be a bit to much ??

Needs some thought....

And then there was one...

Sad to say I've been told I can't see the della Robbia quoting from an email redceived today from the V&A

I'm afraid to say that, at present, the Della Robbia altarpiece is in 12 sections having been dismantled from a previous location where it was set into the wall. It is now in an object store which is currently inaccessible to the public due to health and safety reasons as conservation work and treatments are being carried out there. It is due to have its second phase conservation later this year for the forthcoming Medieval and Renaissance Galleries, which will open in November 2009, but is sadly not possible to view until then.

So now I'm left with only the Rood screen

Now There's Two

Now it’s a two horse race – the della Robbia or the Rood screen I can’t help but express a preference for the former. Why?

Well The Rood screen has a well worn topic – the Magi – there is no ‘white’ magi piece I particularly like to compare it with it . Both Northern with the proliferation of Black magi and Italian Magi /Nativity are ,for me, a bit dull. There is however one Northern Black Magi I really like that’s the on a piece of stained glass in the V& A. I saw it the other day. The colours are truly magnificent. Colour ideally dramatic, vivid ,colour , is an important part of the art I like. Yes, I know as an historian one should be agnostic but this is my IE so, I’m going to have ‘colour’ in it in both senses of the word! That Magi has both two chances for me to use it

1 The Black Magi – the noble king complete with slave referencing earring
2 The Black servant or attendant - the little fellow at the front

As my essay is to be a comparison I want a counterweight to the piece I chose. So, this could be that counterweight. But that would mean comparing the Rood Screen to Black Magi possible but not so much fun as Rood Screen with Breughel’s Adoration or Gozzoli's magnificent fresco for the Medici place in Florence

I’m leaning towards the The Black Servant angle as I know the counterweight piece I want to use, it’s Carpaccio’s The Exorcism . There’s so much I like about this work. Firstly, the colours are just excellent lively, vivid saturated were needed and overall balanced and harmonious; follow the red around to see how Carpaccio uses colour so well. Next there’s the Black Gondolier centre stage and not the topic of the picture! Then there’s all those characters, I like pictures full of images there’s no shortage here. So,I’d love this is to be the counterweight to the piece I choose but I need to close on the main piece.

Out of Date

The portrait of Duke Alessandro de' Medici has elimniated itself as its too 'modern'- 1550 - the IE piece has to be before 1530 so, that leaves two.

Down to the last three....

Posted TMA 02 electronically last night so now I can focus on TMA 03 which is what’s called the pro Forma for the Independent Essay (IE) which is what this Blog’s all about. TMA 03 is the OU enquiring into the validity of your chosen subject and title do they fit with the courses times - 1440 to 1530 and objectives - making, locating and viewing art of the period.

I’ve reduced my piece to a selection from one of three – all from the V&A’s collections

1 A della Robbia altar piece

2 An English Rood 15th century Rood Screen with the three magi presenting gifts to the Virgin and child.

3 A portrait of Duke Alessandro de' Medici

Each has black presence, which I’ll explore over the next few days. At the same time I need to find a course object to compare them to for the sake a balanced question. As the question I have in mind is something like …

How representative is the Black presence in YYYYY’s XXXXXX during the Renaissance period compared with that in ZZZZZZZ’s WWWWWW?

A Day at the V&A

Had an excellent day there, met two very helpful people Helen and Janet who gave me lots of ideas to follow up. So, many in fact I've abandoned the Ashmoluem piece , just too difficult and not that attractive in contrast the V&A has some lovely works with a Black presence. I've almost decided on which piece but I want to use the posting exercise to examine a few more in a little more detail.

After the meeting I spent the day looking at some pieces and pictures, I'll post these over the coming days, before ending it in the V&A’s fabulous (or so I thought) library.

The afternoon in the library was very revealing. I ordered only two books one they didn't have - Paul Kaplan's seminal work The Rise of the Black Magus in Western Art - I need to go to the Bodleian in Oxford for which I need a letter from my tutor to see this book; the other Ladislas Bugner and Prof David Bindman's equally seminal The Image of the Black In Western Art - they had it BUT it was store the other side of the building which meant a two hour wait….hmmm..not a great introduction to V&A’s library. However the staff were great friendly and helpful, the system of finding a place and ordering books is a bit antediluvian hope I can get use to it.

The wait for The Image was worth it I spent a hasty 45 mins as it ws close to closing time leafing thru it. On the down side I ordered the wrong part – there are three! This covered Egypt, Greece and Rome the later centuries are covered in the other two books nevertheless some great images interestingly they did most of their research through pictures 6.5 million from 40 institutions worldwide. I was taught it was a cheat for an author to write about a piece they had not seen in the flesh, I guess the title of the book does not require they actually see the piece!

IE at the V&A

Bartolommeo degli Erri's St Vincent Ferrer preaching before a Pope (and detail above) Off to the V&A today to discuss my Independent Essay - a 4,500 word essay on a subject with the courses time frame 1420 to 1520. Mines's going to be on some aspect of Blacks in the Rennaissance (hence the title of the Blog) . I was looking at at an obscure work in the Ashmoluem - see above.

Looking at the Black in the lower left shown enlarged above, but having been to the V&A and visted its web site have found it to be a more fruitful source of documented works. They also have a very useful site on BARE...see my favourites.

The IE is to be an 'investigation' not research the Ashmoulem piece was poorly documented so, would have required far too much research in languages I don't know well at all aka Latin and Italian.

Let's see what the V&A produces...

Art Is The Thing

This is my very favourite photograph. I'd love to say I planned it but 'it just happened' ! Which is the great thing about digital photography as Lenin (or was it Stalin?) said 'Quanity has quality of its own' or photographically if you take n photos 1/n th of them will be any good.