Translation by Francesco Mazzaferro
CLICK HERE FOR ITALIAN VERSION
Giovanni Mazzaferro
Mary Philadelphia Merrifield in Italy.
Part One: Piedmont and Lombardy
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| Figure 1 One of the houses of Ms Merrifield in Brighton: 2 Dorset Gardens. Photo Alexandra Loske |
JUNE 2018: This post was published in 2014. Afterwards, an important set of letters were discovered in Brighton. They were sent by Mary Philadelphia Merrifield to her husband from Italy during the trip she conducted there between 1845 and 1846, in search of manuscripts evidencing the artistic techniques of the ancient Italian masters. Much of the information contained in this post may therefore be outdated, incomplete and sometimes incorrect. I published the letters in 2018 in La donna che amava i colori. Mary P. Merrifield. Lettere dall’Italia (1845-1846) – i.e. The Lady Who Loved Colours. Mary P. Merrifield. Letters from Italy (1845-1846) – Milan, Officina Libraria, 2018, isbn 88-99765-70-5. I would therefore like to point out this new publication to anybody interested. Nevertheless, I am keeping the old posts visible, as they testify what information was available before the letters were discovered and how the research on Mary P. Merrifield has evolved in recent years.
The journey: Spring-Summer 1846?
In the Fall of
1845 Mary Philadelphia Merrifield was commissioned by the British government
(headed by Robert Peel) to travel to Italy to collect, transcribe and translate
manuscripts that could help learn more about the artistic techniques of oil
painting of Italian masters. [1]
A year later Ms
Merrifield had already returned from her trip to Italy. She had sent Robert
Peel a copy of the manuscript she was about to publish, asking him whether she might
have the honour to dedicate him the work. On October 9, 1846, after having received
a positive response, Merrifield writes the Prime Minister from her home in
Brighton (4, Grand Parade [2]); she thanks him and asks him to forward the copy
of the manuscript to Sir Charles Lock Eastlake. She does not need it, for she already
possesses the original, on which she works on a daily basis [3].
Therefore, it is
between autumn 1845 and October 9, 1846 that the journey of Mary Philadelphia
Merrifield in Italy must have taken place. I am convinced, on the basis of simple
common sense considerations (i.e. at the time it was better not to travel during
winter months) that Ms Merrifield went abroad in the spring / summer of 1846.
There is (at the
moment) no other documentary evidence on Mary’s journey. Or, rather, what we were
able to learn on the expedition of the Brighton scholar is all written in its Original Treatises, published in 1849. Despite
what one would think (note, for instance, that Ms Merrifield choose to keep
anonymous the names of the "Professors" she had meet in Italy and
with whom she had discussed artistic techniques), expunging these data from
more than 1,000 pages of the work, and crossing them with third-party
testimonials we were able to find in the archives or in the literature, it is still
possible to get a pretty good idea of all stages touched in the journey and of the
interlocutors she met in Italy. That is indeed what we did, almost in investigative
spirit and in the full knowledge that researching across archives and among the
papers is a fun way to learn on the affairs of others without anyone grumbling
(indeed, at times, you will be even thanked).
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| Figure 2 One of the houses of Merrifield in Brighton: Devonshie Place. Photo Alexandra Loske |
To illustrate
the various stages, we have tried to write up some sheets, with references to
the people she met, the archives she visited, the works of art she examined. We
have established, in a totally arbitrary way, a geographical direction from
west to east (thus, we will move from Turin to Venice). It is not at all
certain that this corresponds to the route actually followed. It is just
obvious that the division of this two-part essay (the first with Piedmont and
Lombardy, the second with Emilia Romagna and Veneto) does not correspond either
in any way to the political situation of the time, when Piedmont was part of
the Kingdom of Sardinia, Lombardy and Veneto regions of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire, the Western Emilia was structured in various duchies, including that of
Parma, and the Eastern Emilia, from Bologna on, was then part of the Papal
States.
The purpose of the trip
Before we begin,
it is worth emphasising two points: the purpose of
the trip is to gain information on the oil painting of the masters of northern
Italy. [4] Among them, the Venetians, from Titian up to Veronese, dominate.
Wherever she goes, Ms Merrifield asks for information on the techniques of the
painters of Venice. She does not only feel committed towards those who sent it
into mission; it is a pure, genuine, authentic passion for the Venetian colouring.
As such, it reflects her taste, but also that of a whole era. In the individual
data sheets for each place she visited, we will try to summarize (and sometimes
really find out) who were the partners of Merrifield; we will see that on the
one hand it is the local aristocracy, often active in the field of collecting, and
certainly well-disposed hosting an official representative of the British
government. Then there are the scholars and those who trade in paintings; and
finally the painters and restorers. Ms Merrifield will approach all of them with
interest, but the most intense and sincere relations (as shown by the records
of the interviews she had with them, almost drafted to give the impression of a
direct reporting) are right with painters and restorers. With them Ms Merrifield
behaves with extreme freedom, not worrying about, for example, her possibly
perceived condition of inferiority as a woman. And it is indeed likely that –
seen from the other side - the questions Merrifield raised (questions of a
woman) were perceived as forms of stubborness and may have caused some
reluctance. At least one case is documented, the case of Mr A., met in Milan.
As we shall see below.
We will also
highlight the references to the works of art she definitely saw. To clarify: if
Ms Merrifield speaks of four paintings examined at Brera, I would dare to say it
is obvious she had visited the entire Pinacoteca. We stick to factual
references. The aim is also to note that the focus is always on the
manufacturing techniques and on the state of preservation of the works rather
than on attributions, for which the English scholar always sticks to the
official versions. In this sense, one could say that the spirit of Ms Merrifield
is much more similar to that of a restorer to that of a connoisseur.
TURIN
In Turin, it
does not seem that the examination of the Library of the King of Sardinia was
particularly fruitful, as the work does not host manuscripts coming from the
same. The only information we have about her stay in Piedmont are limited to
the thanks to Fr. X.
People met:
- Costanzo Gazzera, director since 1844 of the Royal University Library [5];
- Domenico Casimiro Promis, director of the Library of the King of Sardinia (Carlo Alberto of Savoy) [6];
- Count Galiteris: not identified [7].
Archives visited
- Library of the King of Sardinia,
- Royal University Library (I find unlikely that Ms Merrifield met Gazzera and did not visit his library).
NOVARA
The notes at page
103, which describe the baptistery of the Cathedral of Novara, seem so precise
and 'genuine' to lead me to believe that the monument was visited personally.
Visited monuments
- Baptistery of Novara: “The most remarkable example, probably now in existence, of the union of painting with statuary, is in the baptistery near the Cathedral of Novara. The building is circular, and supported by ancient columns: the recesses between the columns contain the events of the Passion. The figures in plastic work are as large as life, coloured; and in some cases the resemblance to life is completed by the addition of real hair. The wall behind the figures, which is painted in fresco, serves as a background to the figures; and the light aerial tone of the painting contributes much to the effect of the figures” (page 103). Ms Merrifield clearly refers to the fact that in the Baptistery were preserved sculptures in polychrome terracotta ("with the Additions of real hair") reproducing the Passion of Jesus, behind which frescoes had been painted in the mid 1600s. Those frescos were used to contextualize the statues.
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| Figure 3 Pier Francesco Gianoli, detail of the seventeenth-century frescoes in the niches of the Baptistery of Novara |
MILAN
Milan is one of
the three major stages of the journey of Merrifield (the others are Bologna and
Venice). In Milan the writer stops twice. [8] It is an opportunity to visit the
great collections of the aristocracy. But the visit is not for pleasure, and
the stay is characterized by the heated debate about the techniques of the old
masters (12 pages) with Mr. A. ("an artist who had practised many years at
Milan, and is esteemed as a skilful restorer of pictures "- page 117). We
think we know who he is. It is also the stage in which the largest number of
descriptions of works of art (rare, in two volumes) appears, always with an eye
to the manufacturing techniques and the state of conservation of the paintings.
People met:
- Mr. A.: initially we were led to believe that Mr A was none other than Giuseppe Molteni, the famous painter and restorer who in the early 1330s had opened a studio in Milan with Massimo D'Azeglio; this studio will be for decades the meeting place, the location for exchange of ideas but also the basis for commercial operations for all connoisseurs of Europe (from Giovanni Morelli up to Charles Lock Eastlake). In 1846 however Molteni is still primarily a painter rather than a restorer, and his success in the conservation of paintings is in the following decade. On page 846 (speaking of the stay in Venice), Ms Merrifield in fact betrays herself (despite her desire to maintain the anonymity of his technical interlocutors) and writes: " I have noticed Sig. Fidanza as having practised this art all his lifetime; and when I saw him he had been engaged in this employment at Milan for thirty-six years.” Thus, the suspicion that it is Antonio Fidanza (which at the time was a restorer at the Brera Gallery) is strong. The suspicion becomes certainty reading the manuscript notebooks of Charles Eastlake [10], in particular the notebook VI of 1854: “When at Milan Fidanza finding I was the author of a book (Materials [11]) which he studied much immediately confided what he fancied was a secret (and which Mrs. Merrifield tried to obtain from him in vain). He says that when young he found direction respecting the vehicle of the Venetian behind a picture by Giorgione…” [12]. And if ever there were any doubts, it should be noted that both with Ms Merrifield as well as with Eastlake Fidanza ends up talking with insistence on Correggio, whom apparently he particularly appreciated. Some considerations must be carried out: reading the lines of Eastlake, Fidanza’s reticence towards Merrifield becomes clear; I am personally convinced that this reticence was partly due to the fact that the artist faced a woman. However, we must not forget the different purposes of Ms Merrifield and Mr Eastlake: the former investigates artistic techniques, Eastlake is in Milan to purchase paintings and Fidanza wants to be credited as a potential intermediary; this might explain his greater talkativeness with Eastlake. Moreover, the restorer was known to Eastlake has coming from a famous family of forgers (he was one himself). [13] You might therefore think that Merrifield was totally helpless. Not at all: the scholar seeks just those technicians (who are often both restorers both counterfeiters) that are able to replicate perfectly the works of the old masters, because she believes that their ability was due to an intimate knowledge of their techniques [14].
- Count Gilberto Borromeo Arese: the Count Gilberto Borromeo Arese (1818-1885) was a painter firmly inserted in the circles of the Brera Academy (of which he was also president from 1859 to 1860) [15].
- Cavalier Filippo Rossi, deputy librarian of the Library of Brera [16].
- Dr Carlo Zardetti, custodian of the Numismatic Museum in Milan. [17]
- Dr Capelli: not detected [18].
- Dr Giuseppe Vallardi. The Vallardis were a family of publishers, typographers and printers in Milan. The creation of the art collection visited by Merrifield was mainly due to Giuseppe (1784-1861) (see below, Art work piece examined) [19].
- Count Gaetano Melzi [20].
- Count Pompeo Litta [21].
- Professor Francesco Longhena [22].
Museums, collections and archives visited:
- Brera Gallery [23].
- Library and collections of Marchese Trivulzio [24];
- Library of Count Pompeo Litta, page 10.
- Library of Professor Longhena, page 10.
- Library of Mr Vallardi, page 10.
Art work pieces examined
Carlo Crivelli, Altarpiece
of San Domenino in Camerino - Brera
The description
of the altarpiece of San Domenico di Camerino at the Brera Gallery (one of the
rare cases in which the scholar devotes herself not only to a description of
technical and coloristic features, but also to the subject of the picture,
while not citing its title) shows, in my opinion , that Merrifield had nothing
to envy to the proto-connoisseurs of the first half of the nineteenth century,
and emphasises the regret for the loss of her travel logs:
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| Figure 4 Carlo Crivelli, Altarpiece of San Domenico di Camerino, Brera |
“The most
remarkable picture decorated with these gems is one by Carlo Crivelli, in the
gallery of Brera, at Milan. The picture is highly interesting, not only on this
account, but because several portions of it are in relief. It is not less
remarkable for the extreme brilliancy of the colours, which are as bright as if
just painted. The picture is divided into three compartments. The centre
contains the Virgin and Child; on the right hand are St. Peter and St. Dominic;
and on the left St. Peter Martyr and St. Geminiano. The surface of each
compartment is slightly convex, rising about one inch or one inch and a half in
the centre of each compartment; it is quite perfect, without a flaw of any
kind. The figures are placed on a gold ground. St. Peter has on his head the
papal crown, the gilded ornaments of which are in high relief; and it is set
with precious stones, or rather imitations of such. The keys are in his hand,
and these are actually modelled, the stem-part of the keys being quite round,
and merely attached by a small part of the surface to the picture; the other
key lies on this, so that here the relief must be at least one inch and a half.
The keys are gilded. The mantle of the Virgin is fastened with a gold or gilt
ornament, in which a sapphire is set. The drapery of St. Geminiano is painted
to represent crimson velvet, on which is a collar of gold, set with real or
fictitious pearls, some of which having dropped off, show small holes made in
the panel to receive them” (page 88).
Carlo Crivelli,
painting near the Altarpiece of San Domenico - Brera
It is not easy
to determine what is picture next to the 'Altarpiece of Camerino' described by
Merrifield. I would dare to say 'The Coronation of the Virgin', well knowing I
can be refuted:
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| Figure 5 Carlo Crivelli, Coronation of the Virgin, Brera |
“The picture by
the same artist, placed next to this in the same gallery, is, in some respects,
a contrast to it. The colours are as brilliant as those in the former picture,
and the ground also is of gold; but the glories, instead of being in relief,
are indented, and the jewels, with which the mitre is decorated, are painted,
instead of being actually affixed to the picture. The artist has given as much
transparency and brilliancy to these as if they were actually inlaid, like
those in the picture above mentioned. The period of the birth of Crivelli is
unknown, but he was living in 1476” (page 89)
Andrea Mantegna, Altarpiece
of Saint Luke - Brera
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| Figure 6 Andrea Mantegna, Altarpiece of St. Luke - Brera |
“This picture is
now fresh and intact at Milan. On my second visit to Milan, Conte Pompeo
Litta obligingly procured me an order,
which enabled me to obtain a private view of this picture (which, with many
others, had been removed from the gallery of Brera, for the purpose of
re-laying the floors). The picture is divided into twelve compartments,
separated by columns. In the centre is an evangelist, and in the other
compartments are saints; those in the upper row are half-figures, while those
in the lower are whole lengths. The figures are painted on gold grounds, and
there are several dark-blue draperies, but the blue has turned black. All the
colours appear to have darkened, except the lakes, which are as good as ever.
The carvings and ornaments inlaid with blue are no longer with the picture.
Andrea Mantegna was in his 22nd year when he painted this
altar-piece“ [25].
Leonardo [follower of]
Madonna with Child - Brera
The painting is
attributed to Leonardo. Eastlake, which sees him in 1854, it is not certain about
the attribution and writes that the baby is definitely not by his hand. [26]
The importance of the work, for the Merrifield (as well as many others), is
largely in its incompleteness, which provides insight into pictorial techniques:
“This very
interesting picture has been mentioned by Mr. Eastlake (‘Materials’, page 392),
but as I have alluded to it several times, I shall give a description of it
from my own memoranda [Note of the editor: certain proof, if ever it were
needed, that Ms Merrifield held notebooks, which unfortunately at the moment
are lost]: - The picture represents the Virgin and Child with the Lamb. It is
painted on a white ground, which has a yellowish tint, apparently from being
covered with varnish. The ground is full of small hair-like cracks. The subject
is drawn with a black pencil. The sky and distance are finished with blue and
white, with a slight greenish tint. There is a rock behind the figures, the
colour of which, with the earth around, is of a very dark brown, probably
formed of black and majorica and a little lake. A space between the distance
and rocky ground is left quite blank, the white ground appearing. The face of
the Virgin is more finished than the rest of the picture; it was apparently
began in chiaroscuro with the usual brown – the gray shades incline to black, the
lights on the face to lake. The face of the Infant is nearly finished. The
hands are just sketched in lightly with the same water colours. The same may be
observed with respect to the toes: the black pencil-marks are visible on the
nails. The drapery, which is scarlet, appears to be formed of earthy reds, with
vermilion on the lights. The outer drapery is red also, and is lined with a
yellowish green, or perhaps this was to be a changeable drapery, since the
shades are red and the lights green. These were Lionardo’s favourite colours
for drapery. The sleeves of the Virgin, part of the mantle, indeed all that
part covering her knees, part of the Infant’s drapery, and the whole of the
Lamb are left quit blank, excepting that the outline of her knee is marked in
pencil. This shows that Lionardo sometimes finished portions of his pictures,
leaving the rest untouched, instead of beginning on all parts equally, or even
of painting the subject in chiaroscuro. The darks are raised higher than the
lights, and the foliage is minutely worked on the dark background. My
impression is that this picture was begun upon a non-absorbent white ground,
and that the yellowish tint is owing to the varnish with which it has been
covered”. [27]
Andrea Mantegna [Attributed
to] Martyrdom of Saint Simonino, Vallardi Collection
At the time it
was attributed to Mantegna. Seen in Vallardi collection. The description of the
work is typical of the perspective by Ms Merrifield: the attention is centred
on the techniques and not on the stylistic analysis (she just says that it is
generally a medieval painting). Appears a large debt with what was written by Giuseppe
Vallardi in his catalogue. In short, it seems to capture a greater focus on
technique that on the question of attribution.
“ One of the
very few medieval pictures reputed to be painted with wax at present known to
connoisseurs, is the Martyrdom of St. Simon the Younger, by Andrea Mantegna,
whose name is inscribed on the painting. It is in the possession of Signor
Giuseppe Vallardi at Milan, and belonged formerly to the Abbate Boni, of
Venice. The picture is very perfect, the colours bright, and the touches sharp.
The darks are laid on very thick, but the paint appears to have run into spots
or streaks, as if it had been touched with something which had disturbed the
surface. It is said, however, that it has never been repaired, and its
authenticity is stated to be undoubted. It is evident that the wax has been
used liquid, for if the colours had been fused by the application of heat, the
sharpness and precision of touch for which this picture, in common with other
paintings of this period, is remarkable, would have been lost and melted down.
The vehicle, whatever it was, appeared to me to have been as manageable as that
of Van Eyck. This picture was painted late in life by Mantegna.” [28]
Andrea Appiani, Cupid
asleep – Vallardi Collection
Also from the
Vallardi Collection. Modern example of an encaustic painting:
“The same
collection also contains a modern picture, which may with propriety be said to
be in encaustic, since the colours are melted in by the application of a hot
iron. This is a small picture of a sleeping Cupid by Appiani, painted by way of
experiment on a brick, the surface of which was properly prepared. The colours of
this picture were dull, and the effect like that of a fresco; it seemed to be
better adapted for decorative effect than for cabinet pictures. The lights were
poor, and did not bear out well.” [29]
Drawings by Leonardo
Da Vinci in the Vallardi Collection
The Vallardi library
was particularly appreciated for the presence of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci.
In fact the drawings were not by Leonardo, but by Pisanello. They are part of
the so-called Vallardi Code that, in 1856, was sold to the Louvre just as a
collection of works by da Vinci. The Merrifield must have definitely seen some of
them (and once again, she focuses on technical and non-attributive aspects):
“I am inclined
to believe that the red earth, called sinopia, was a finer colour than any of
the iron ores now in use as pigments. I have frequently noticed a red of this
description on old mural paintings in Italy, and I have also seen specimens of
a fine red colour in a dry state in a volume of drawings by Lionardo da Vinci,
in the possession of Sig. Giuseppe Vallardi, at Milan….” [30].
BERGAMO
In Bergamo the
world of scholars and collectors appears to be particularly lively. Ms
Merrifield meets two great aristocrats and reference collectors of that period,
i.e. Guglielmo Lochis and Pietro Moroni (united by love for art, but divided by
political beliefs: the first was pro-Habsburg, the latter joined the 1848
patriotic uprising). Do not underestimate the importance that this environment also
had on the formation of Giovanni Secco Suardo, a leading Italian restorer of
the nineteenth century (who studied the books of the writer of Brighton as well
as those of Eastlake).
People met:
- Count Guglielmo Lochis, President of the Carrara Accademy [31]. Much of his collection ended up at the same Carrara Accademy.
- Count Pietro Moroni [32].
- Agostino Salvioni [33].
- Prospero Arrigoni [34].
BRESCIA
The notes on Brescia
are certainly not many, but bear witness to the encounter with another
aristocratic family of collectors (not only of local tradition) and to the attendance
of the Public Library of the city, remembered by a curious episode.
People met:
- Count Lechi. I am not able to determine whom among the Counts Lechi Ms Merrifield met, although it is very likely that it was Luigi Lechi (1788-1867). In fact, the tradition of collecting comes at least from the father of Luigi, i.e. Faustino, who, however, had nineteen children. At least four of these, Giuseppe, Angelo, Teodoro e Luigi became interested in art collecting. [35]
Archives visited:
- Queriniana Library.
Art work pieces examined:
In the Library
Merrifield has the opportunity to observe two small images attributed to
Titian. The technical examination is extremely meticulous:
“At the public
library at Brescia I was shown, among other curiosities, two small miniatures
by Titian, painted one on each side of a piece of lapis lazuli, which served
for the ground of the painting, a head of Christ on one side, and of the
Madonna on the other. Two slight injuries on the painting showed that there was
no ground laid under the figures, but the surface round the parts injured
looked like glue or resin semitransparent at the edges. I examined the painting
with a powerful magnifying glass, and the surface, which was perfect, except in
these two places, showed the oil shrivelled as in many of Titian’s large
pictures, the wrinkles in this picture bearing the same proportionate size to
the miniature as those I have observed in his larger pictures.
I observed also
in the head of our Saviour another remarkable appearance when examined with the
magnifying glass. This was the impression or appearance (for we could not tell
which) of threads of silk, so that I almost fancied it had been painted on
silk, and cut out and then fixed to the lapis lazuli. The surface of the
painting had the usual yellowish brown cast, so frequently observed in Titian’s
painting” [36].
NOTES
[1] Mary
Philadelphia Merrifield, Original
Treatises, dating from the XVIIth to XVIII centuries on the Arts of Painting in
oil, miniature, mosaic, and on glass; of gilding, dyeing, and the preparation
of colours and artificial gems; preceded by a general introduction, with
translations, prefaces and notes, London, John Murray, 1849, page 5. For a
general introduction to the biography and work of Merrifield I would refer to
my Giovanni Mazzaferro, Mary Philadelphia Merrifield: The Lady from Brighton who loved colours, published on this blog.
[2] The house in
Grand Parade 4 no longer exists. Ms Merrifield had two other homes in Brighton:
the first in Dorset Gardens 2 (see Fig. 1) and the other in Devonshire Place
(see fig. 2). I would like to thank Alexandra Loske, who sent me the pictures
and provided the information.
[3] Please find
enclosed a transcript of the letter, which is preserved in the British Library.
The transcript is the work of Alexandra Loske:
Mary
Merrifield, to Sir Robert Peel
BL: MS 40553 item 175
No date,
but note on envelope: Oct/44
(page1, verso)
Sir,
I respectfully request the
favour of your acceptance of a copy of my translation of Cennino Cennini on
Painting, in which is contained much that relates to Fresco painting, as
practiced by the old masters, and which I cannot help thinking may be useful in
painting the proposed frescoes in the new Houses of Parliament.
I am fully aware that
(page 2,
recto)
you can
have no time to peruse works of this nature, but it may possibly allure (?) the
younger branches of your family, and I shall feel gratified by the honour of
your acceptance of the work.
With greatest respect , I
remain,
Sir,
Your very obed.t
Servant
Mary Philadelphia
Merrifield
[4] It is no
coincidence that the most southern location visited is Bologna; she did not go
to Florence or Rome. We have a clear programmatic choice: it is the nineteenth-century
triumph of Venetian colourism against the Florentine design.
[5] It is also
thanks to a presentation letter by Costanzo Gazzera that Ms Merrifield was able
to visit many Italian private libraries. Gazzera is explicitly thanked for this
reason. This fact, however, would militate for a tour itinerary from West to East
(from Turin to Venice). On Costanzo
Gazzera see http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/costanzo-gazzera_(Dizionario-Biografico)/
[6] Domenico
Promis should not to be confused with his brother Carlo, the famous architect
from Turin, but also an architectural historian (who was responsible for
pioneering studies on the manuscripts of Francesco di Giorgio Martini and
fortified architecture). On Domenico see http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/domenico-casimiro-promis/
[7] Not
identified. It is very likely a mispronunciation of the last name. No Galiteris
appears in the Dizionario
Storico-Blasonico delle famiglie nobili e notabili italiane estinte e fiorenti
(Historic dictionary of titles attributed to Italian extinct and flourishing, noble
and notable families) by Crollalanza (1886).
[8] “This
picture [n.d.r. the Polittico of San Luca in Brera]... is now fresh and intact at
Milan. On my second visit to Milan, Conte Pompeo Litta obligingly procured me
an order… (page 199).
[9] The most
recent study on Giuseppe Molteni is the very recent one by Jaynie Anderson, The Restoration of Renaissance Painting in
mid Nineteenth-Century Milan. Giuseppe Molteni in Correspondence with Giovanni
Morelli, Florence, Edifir, 2014.
[10] Susanna
Avery-Quash, The Travel Notebooks of Sir Charles Eastlake, London, The Walpole Society, 2011.
[11] Charles
Lock Eastlake, Materials for a History of
Oil Painting, Vol I, London, 1847.
[12]
Avery-Quash, The Travel Notebooks ...
cit., Vol. I, page 207. All the rest of the words of Eastlake dedicated to
Fidanza, starting with what the restorer would read behind the painting of
Giorgione, are reported hereafter:
“Balsamo di Cipro or in its stead olio
d’abezzo was expressly mentioned and the remainder of the direction was “guarda
che nel cuocerlo non prenda colore”. This was to be added to every colour, the
colour being first ground as usual in oil. Fidanza asserted that Correggio
used, instead, Trementina, but he was not aware that this is inferior to the
olio d’abezzo and does not dry so well.
He was present
[in Mantua] when Denon was rolling up Mantegna’s Madonna della Vittoria to be
sent to Paris. Fidanza’s father was in despair because the roller was so small
and persuaded Denon to unroll it again in order to transfer it to a larger. To
their surprize however it had not cracked in the least and Fidanza is persuaded
the reason was that the ground was prepared with the Terra di Vicenza, a white
earth which is arrendevole and, he says, never cracks when so used.”
[13] See, for example, Sergio Momesso, La
collezione di Antonio Scarpa (1752-1832), (The collection of Antonio
Scarpa), Cittadella (Padua), Bertoncello Artigrafiche, 2007, page 32.
[14] Merrifield
does not mention the refusal of Fidanza. But she did not include him in the acknowledgements
on pages 10 and 11, which she did however for other "anonymous professors."
[15] Gilberto
Borromeo Arese of the "Library of Brera" (page 10 note)
[16] Filippo
Rossi "of the Library of Brera" (page 10 note): he is the author of
some Cenni storici e descrittivi intorno
all’I.R. Biblioteca di Brera (Brief history and descriptive notes around
the Imperial Royal Biblioteca di Brera), Milan, 1841, in which appears to be
the vice-librarian.
[17] Carlo Zardetti (1784-1849), "of the Cabinet of Medals" (page 10 note)
[18]
"Dr. Capelli of Milan ... "(page 10 note).
[19] Giuseppe Vallardi published in 1830 a Catalogo di quadri appartenenti a Giuseppe Vallardi dallo stesso
descritti e illustrati con brevi annotazioni (Catalogue of paintings
belonging to Giuseppe Vallardi, described by himself, and illustrated with
brief annotations.)
[20] Quoted
three times as particularly valuable figure for scholarly research. “The Conte
Gaetano Melzi informed me that Michelino was a native of Besuzzo (a village in
the province of Milan), which forms part of the estates of the Borromeo family,
by whom he was much employed” (page 12). “The following biographical notice
respecting this painter is translated from a manuscript volume of Memoirs of
the early Milanese Painters, Architects, and Sculptors, kindly lent me by Conte
Gaetano Melzi of Milan, a nobleman distinguished for his literary attainments
and possessing an excellent library.” (page 13). “Memorie de’ Pittori, Scultori, e Architetti Milanesi, Opera MS.
dell’Abate Antonio Albuzzi, vol. I. This MS is now in
the possession of Conte Gaetano Melzi, to whom I am indebted for the loan of
it.” (page 67 note 2).
On Gaetano Melzi
http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/gaetano-melzi/
[21] A meeting
with the Count Pompeo Litta is based on hypotheses, more than certainty. In
addition to having visited the library (which by itself is not a conclusive
evidence), the following passage encourages us to think that the two made their
acquaintance: “This picture [n.d.r. il Polittico di San Luca a Brera]... is now
fresh and intact at Milan. On my second visit to Milan, Conte Pompeo Litta
obligingly procured me an order, which enabled me to obtain a private view of
this picture.. “(page 199).
[22] On Francesco
Longhena
[23] Visits to
Brera are quoted on pages 88-89, 199 and 298, 299 note 2.
[24] Despite the
mention of the visit to the library (page 10) and some objects of the Trivulzio
collection (pages 89 and 112), I think it unlikely that Ms Merrifield met in
person the Marquis Giorgio Guido Pallavicino Trivulzio, whose biographical can
be found at the link
http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/pallavicino-trivulzio-giorgio-guido-marchese_(Enciclopedia-Italiana)/
(Note that the biography is of 1935). Involved in events related to separatist
movements (as well as most of the Milanese nobility far above), Trivulzio had a
retired life at his villa in Codogno since 1838.
[25] Original
Treatises ... cit., page 199.
[26] Susanna
Avery-Quash, The Travel Notebooks ...
cit., The Walpole Society, 2011, page
219.
[27] Original Treatises ... cit,
pages 298, 299 note 2.
[28] In all
honesty, I cannot say which art piece is considered here. What is certain is
that the painting in question does not appear today in the catalogue of
Mantegna. However, to take note of what Merrifield owed to Vallardi, we report
the pace of the catalogue (cited cf. note 19) of the latter, when he speaks of
the San Simonino:
"N. 101.
Andrea Mantegna above mentioned. Painted on a panel. 6.3 feet high; 1,11,3 feet
wide; with golden frame, rich of carvings.
THE Martyrdom of St. SIMON OF TRENT, said
the little one. One sees the martyr child on his feet within a basin; four
people, two per side, are employed in the cruel office. On the right side,
another person, who does not take part in the action, but carefully observes it,
and seems to be portrayed from life, as his head is highly characterized; at
some distance from this comes a female carrying a large vase decorated with
bas-relief; at the bottom of the opposite side, another other female holds up a
dagger, with almost similar hair dressing and clothes (except the colour) to the
first one. Bottom of the picture, porch open on each side with ornate pillars, typical
of Venetian countries or neighbours in the fifteenth century. Different
backgrounds, with a view of the cultivated landscape.
This little
tablet is very valuable.
First: To document
a barbarous fact that occurred, as result of religion superstition, at the time
of the painter.
Second: To have
been executed in the last period of life of the craftsman; for whose reason,
although it is of a small size, this painting makes known the most beautiful
manner of the painter, as imposing, as daring in scoring with freedom, what he did
never in his works of other eras, nor when he resided in the Venetian state.
Third. To be
painted in the manner of the ancient painters, namely as encaustic painting, in
which the colours are softened with wax, a technology lost, or really overlooked
in the centuries of our painting.
Fourth. For the
artist marked this work with the name A. Mantinia [...]
Very few small
pictures remain of this master, so that they made of great value the few who
now are found.
Coming to me
from the collection of Abbot Boni of Venice, a great friend of the cel. Canova
"(pages 37-39).
[29] Original
Treatises ... cit., page 102. Also here we quote the version that appears in
the catalogue written by Vallardi:
"N. 66.
ANDREA APPIANI. Brick painted with encaustic painting. 3.10 inches high; 8.8
inches wide. With rich frame carved and gilded
AMOR SLEEPING,
stretched out over a long drape, in whose left hand is seen a dart.
Painting with
encaustic wax as said, performed according to the manner of 'ancient painters
"(page 25).
[30] Original Treatises ... cit., page 130 n. 1.
[31] Original Treatises ... cit. page 10 note. On
Guglielmo Lochis
[32] Original Treatises ... cit. page 10 note. Moroni
was Mayor of Bergamo and Director of IR High School of Bergamo.
[33] Original Treatises ... cit. page 10 note. Agostino Salvioni was secretary of the Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters of Bergamo
from 1818 to 1853.
[34] The
identification of "Mr. Arrigoni in Bergamo "(Original Treatises ...
cit., page 10 note) with Prospero Arrigoni is a working hypothesis from mine,
which is reflected in the fact that Prospero Arrigoni is defined as an
intermediary and "dealer" of art both in the contemporary literature
to Merrifield as well as in the modern one. See, for example http://www.lombardiabeniculturali.it/opere-arte/schede/C0050-00680/
for a painting sold to Count Lochis with the mediation dell'Arrigoni. See also what Moroni wrote in his Aggiunta a Bergamo o sia Notizie patrie
raccolte da Carlo Facchinetti. Almanacco per l’anno 1833 (Supplement to
Bergamo i.e. News from homeland collected by Charles Facchinetti. Almanac for
the year 1833 (page 16): "At the place of this honourable merchant we can
look a Madonna and Child by Cesare da Sesto, another [sic] in the style of
Innocenzo da Imola, a beautiful portrait of a woman by Paolo Veronese, another full
figure by Bassano, and some paintings of other genre, including of Guardi and Gozzi."
[35] Original Treatises... cit. page 10 note. On Luigi
Lechi see http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/luigi-lechi_(Dizionario-Biografico)/ That said, I cannot resist
recommending reading a lecture by Philip Gossett of 2009, which explains the adventurous
story that binds the fate of the Marriage of the Virgin by Raphael with Brera and with the Lechi
family: http://images.brera.beniculturali.it/f/bicentenario/co/conferenzagossett-1.pdf
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