Queensland Art Gallery Presscuttings Book 8 : Pressclippings, 1977-1981

QUEENSLAND'S ARTSCOOP treasures Brisbane's gallery A CALL from London late last year started the train· of events that led to the most ·spectacular art purchases in Qucensland's history. Weeks of patient negotiation in the touchy minefield of international art clinched the deal which will sec the arrival in Brisbane soon of paintings by Rubens, Tintorello and van Dyck. They were bought for n total of $772,000 through money raised by the Queensland Art Gallery Foundation. The first call from London gave the news to Queensland Art Gallery director, Mr Rnoul Mellish, that an important painting by Rubens, "Portrait of a young lady" was about to go on the market. The estimated price: $300,000. Mr Mellish knew the painting. It was by Sir Peter Paul Rubens, the Flemish master who lived between 1577 and 1642. Rubens had copied the painting from a work by Titian. who died the year before he was born. The Titian original. whi~h is in Vienna, was titled "Young womnn with fur. Rubens saw the original in the collection of King Charles I in England in 1620 and 1630 when he was in England on a diplomatic mission, for which he was later knighted by Charles. Rubens copied many of the great Vcnetinn musters like Titian, but the co11ies were not just imitations, but new interpretations of the subjects. There is tragedy in the history of the painting after its. completion. The original was owned by the English Blackwood family and remained with descendants of that family for 300 ycan. Two descendants, brothers named Cartwright, loaned the painting to the Royal Academy in London for an exhibition in 1953. Collecting the painting after the exhibition the two brothers were killed in a car smash. The painting was in the car with them, but not badly damaged. When Mr Mellish reported to the Art Gallery trustees that the Rubens was for sale they shared his enthusiasm and authorised him to go to London for the auction al Christies. Bui a lifetime interest in art and seven years as gallery director told Mr Mellish he would need to tread carefully. Mr Mellish sought the advice of a friend, Professor Michael Jaffe, professor of fine arts at Cambridge University and director of the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge. "It is essential 10 be advised by a lop scholar in the field when considering major art purchases," Mr Mellish said. Professor Jaffe authenticated the Rubens and it was confirmed by Mr Herbert Lang, head curator of the Hamilton Kerr Institute of Conservation at Cambridge, an expert in art restoration. Considering its age and its experience in a road accident, the Rubens w;1s in 1;1ood condition. The original ca nvas, however, had been remforccd by previous owners o~ two occasions and the extra layers had made the painting stiff. In the past it had been badly cleaned, but rebncking and expert cleaning using modern techniques will return the splcndor of its original paint. When he arrived in London, Mr Mellish learned 1hat two other magnificent paintin11s wc1 for sale: the Tintorcllo with an estimated price of $340,000 and a van Dyck at $400,000. The Tintorello painting was "The Resurrection," painted in the early I SSOs. Tintoretto was born in Venice m 15 I8 as Jacopo Robusti. He used the painter's name or Tintorello based on his lathcr·s protess,on which was dyer, or "tintorc." Tinlorello was innuenccd by a number Jf renaissance artists, including Michelangelo. In turn, Tintorctto was a great innucnce on the Spanish painter El Greco. The painting was coming on sale from a private family colleclion in England. The van Dyck painting was or a Spanish gentleman, the Marchese Filippo Srinola. whll was the son uf General i\rnbrogiu Srinola, who nccertcd the surrender of the Netherlands forces at the balllc of Breda in the 171h century. Van Dyck. who was born in i\ntwcrr in 15'>9, raintcd in the Netherlands, Italy and England until he died in IMI. fie w_as knighted ~y Cha rles I in Eniiland in_ 1(,32 and was described as "prmc,pallc payntcr m Ordm;,ry lo their majesties al St. James." The original of his Spinola portrait was lirsl owned by the Spinola-Grimaldi family in Genoa and was bought in 1827 by Andrew Wilson, of England. Its arrival in England caused a sensation. It remained with descendants of the Wilson family until its sale to Queensland. Inspecting the paintings after his arrival in London, Mr Mellish decided they would be splendid works for the new Queensland gallery, which will be part of the Brisbane cultural centre complex. "Each one would be a purchase of national importance for Australia," he said. "I saw them not only as fitting exhibits for the new Queensland gallery but they were important links with collections in other parts of Australia." "I was confident that they would be excellent purchases both in the quality of the paintings as well as the prices that we could gel them for." The Rubens went to auction in London in December last year and was passed in with an undisclosed reserve. The negotiations with Queensland began then and the price finally paid was $120,000. The Tintorctto was acquired for $307,000 and the van Dyck for $345,000, the highest price ever paid by the Queensland Art Gallery for a painting. "By buying on good advice and at a favorable time we were able to save $268,000," Mr Mellish said. "None of the money used was government money. It was all money donated lo the gallery by companies and individuals for the purchase of art works." The Tintorctto and the van Dyck will arrive in Brisbane within the nexl few weeks and will be exhibited al the temporary art gallery in the MIM building in Ann Street shortly afterwards. The Rubens will arrive in September. • s-;nday Mail COlCltl MAGHINI CONTENTS Sund•yAf•IICo/or, Af•rch l, 1981 1 'PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG LADY' Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577-1642) on canvas 91.8 by 68.3 cm. Painted about 1630, this Is one of a number of copies of Titian paintings made by Rubens. This painting later was the prototype for Rube,,s· portrait of his second wife, Helene Four– ment, whom he painted in 1638 wearing a fur wrap similar to the one In this picture. The eyes of this young lady. her hands, shoulders, mouth and the ear- rings are all typically Rubens.