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Thursday, November 19, 2015

Initiation of a member of the Bentveughels (the Schildersbent)

Initiation of a member of the Bentveughels (the Schildersbent)
The original painting (RKDimages)
Print after a painting by Domenicus van Wijnen (1661-1698) (private collection), reduced in measures and mirrored in respect to the first copy by Matthijs Pool (1676-1740). According to Johan van Gool, Bonaventura van Overbeeck entrusted Pool with the engraving after a set of three paintings by van Wijnen, to ensure the immortality of the brotherhood and to please the lovers of the art of print. According to Tania De Nile (I Bassifondi del Barocco: La Roma del vizio e della miseria, exhib. cat., 2014, p. 164-165) this explains the precision with which faces of the participants and the features of the staged spectacle are reproduced. The present print reproduces the first painting of the series: a sort of 'tableau vivant' taking place in an inn, where the bentbrothers are dressed in antique attire, each of them playing a different role in the curious staged mythological pantomime preceding the initiation ceremony. The 'Veltpaap' (countryside priest) stands on the top left of the composition, crowned with laurel, pointing with his long sword in the direction of the newcomer, or 'Nieuwling' or 'Groentje' (literally 'the green youngster') introduced by a pander and another character holding a long halberd (the 'Switzer', or the Swiss). 
On the bottom two columns of text in Dutch: 'De Roomsche Achilderbent, de Waareld door vermaart... Wort hy verwellekomt, met eerchooten aan den dis'; on the bottom address of Pool:'M. Pool exc: Amstelod: op de Leydse Graft by de Heeren Graft'.
Soon after the master of ceremonies had pronounced a series of precepts concerning the art of painting and the sacred statute of the company, the young artist would have sworn his loyalty in front of the other brothers. These would have replied with: 'Viva, viva, viva onzen nieuwe Medebroer!'. Bacchus would have been present to the ceremony, seated on a barrel, as he was the protector of the brotherhood. Below on the right one brother is lighting a firecracker which refer to one of the tests the newcomers had to take to enter the brotherhood. (De Nile).


Wednesday, November 18, 2015

From the Sistine Chapel in Rome...

Niccoló della Casa after Michelangelo (Nr. 60423)
For the upcoming Jubilee 2015 here is a bit of Michelangelo's Last Judgement: Seventh of the twelve plates engraved by Nicoló della Casa after 'The Last Judgement' by Michelangelo: angels blowing their trumpets announcing the Judgement while two in the front, holding books are choosing the destiny of souls. Group just below the Judging Christ. For a view of the complete series see Metropolitan Museum of New York, inv. 62.602.652(1).
When the 'Last Judgement' by Michelangelo was uncovered in 1541 not everyone was allowed to see such painted wonder. Print dealers and publishers felt that perhaps print buyers that could not see the original might have welcomed printed copies. As Anne Dillon puts it '[print buyers] would have heard of [the fresco], talked about and would be keen to have as close a depiction of it as possible. The printers did not disappoint. They ensured that their engravers fulfilled these commercial demands and followed the original as closely as possible. This was the approach adopted by Nicoló della Casa when he engraved Michelangelo's Last Judgement in eleven [sic!] plates.' (A. Dillon: Michelandelo and the English Martyrs, 2012, p.150). All the plates of the set have irregular shapes, however this impression has been deeply cut within the platemark until the bell of one of the trumpets.
Bury (Michael Bury, Niccolò Della Casa’s Last Judgement Dissected, Print Quaterly, XXVII, 2010, 1, pg.3-4) maintains that besides the plate with 'Caron's ship' and other three, the present plate, 'Judging Jesus' and 'The Resurrection of Death' were printed to be sold as sigle sheets. Bernadine Barne shares this same opinion (Bernadine Barne, Michelangelo in print, 2010, pg. 106) confirmed by the presence on the print of the inscription recalling that Michelangelo painted the fresco, the source of this print. The inscription disappears when set up with the other plates.
Lettered below on the right:'MICHEL ANGELVS FLORENTINVS PINXIT IN VATICANO / EXCVDEBAT ANT. SALAMANCA 1548' more at http://www.antiquariaatvandersteur.nl/Webwinkel-Product-131297423/The-Last-Judgement.html

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Halloween is here!




Today is ‪Halloween‬, so we treat you with these beautiful books about ‪Ghosts‬! For sale at www.vandersteur.nl, EUR 736.

It's meant for "Allen, welken het bestrijden en afleggen van ontrustende vooroordeelen, met opzicht tot het aanwezen van geesten ernst is.....'.
Here is a list of some of the remarkable ghost stories in this book:
1. Van een spook, hetwelk eene deur, die niet alleen gesloten, maar ook van binnen gegrendeld was, van buiten opende, en eenen openbaaren lochenaar van spooken verbaasd.'
2. Bewys, dat een mensch zig in de daad zomwylen op twee plaatzen teven kan laten zien.
3. Van een brommend spook, hetwelk eens eene andere spookgedaante op het middagtsuur eenen vreeselijken schrik aanjoeg.
4. Van eenige honderd spooken, die in eene kerk, in West Pruisen, hunne zeer wonderlyke en nogthans natuurlijke rol speelden.
5. Van eene wezenlijk overledene matroone, welke, onmiddellyk na hare begraafnis weder levende in haar sterfbed lag.
6. Bewijs dat sommige mensen zich zelven dubbel zien.
8. Van een spook, het welk in eene oude ridderzaal, met veel geraas zyne spokerijen dreef, en veeltijds het licht uitblies.
15. Van een spook, het welk na dertien jaaren tusschen vier muren gemetsels te zijn geweest, nog zingende spookte.

Monday, May 18, 2015

In... Leuven

Prachtige rondleiding gekregen van Garrelt Verhoeven  Universiteitsbibliotheek Leuven. Zeer interessant gebouw dat Garrelt met zijn team weer helemaal op de kaart gaat zetten! En terecht! zie voor meer info: https://bib.kuleuven.be

Tuesday, May 5, 2015

Bevrijd!


"Bevrijd. Het knellende zware juk viel af. Menigvuldige gebeden waren verhoord. Nu paste slechts vreugde en dankbaarheid". Aldus de laatste woorden van dit interessante opstel over de bevrijding door wijkzuster Kosters-Maardijk te Almelo, mei 1945. Over de bevrijding door de Canadezen te Almelo op 4 april 1945, het Diaconessenhuis, de opgeblazen brug over Kanaal Amelo-Nordhorn en een bevalling. Te koop bij Antiquariaat Van der Steur vandaag in de aanbieding van EUR 79,50 voor EUR 69,50. Zie voor meer interessante stukken over de bevrijding www.vandersteur.nl (voer bij search "bevrijding" in).


Saturday, April 4, 2015

Travel report of Bontekoe to Garrelt Verhoeven

Photo of the celebration
Together with the friends of the Bijzondere Collecties UvA, Antiquariaat Van der Steur donated the very rare travel report of Bontekoe to the leaving head curator Garrelt Verhoeven. Garrelt formerly worked at Antiquariaat van der Steur and is now going to the KU Leuven.

The book is the very rare travel report "het Journaal van Willem Ysbrants Bontekoe van Hoorn", dated 1725. It has beautiful woodcuts among which the portrait of Bontekoe on the titlepage.


Wednesday, March 18, 2015

ILAB POP UP BOOK FAIR - Haarlem

Antiquariaat De Vries & De Vries, Veilinghuis Bubb Kuyper and Antiquariaat A.G. van der Steur are welcoming you from 15.00 - 18.00 in the waiting room of Haarlem Central Station. From 17.00- 18.00 free valuation of rare books and prints!

ILAB poster