Royal Collection Research Articles

Luigi Balugani l’esplora(pit)tore alle sorgenti del Nilo

In the second half of the 18th century, the Bolognese draftsman Luigi Balugani joined the explorer James Bruce in an expedition aiming to document the antiquities of North Africa. Having been the first to utilize a “camera obscura” on the field, Bruce and Balugani can be considered pioneers of photoreportage, since they created the first visual documentation of this kind in history. Today these drawings are housed in the Royal Collection at Windsor. Later, the expedition ventured into the Middle East before shifting its focus toward the source of the Nile river. Travelling through Egypt, Arabia, and Abyssinia, Balugani produced over 300 drawings of plants and animals, which are now preserved at the Center for British Art at Yale University. Bruce and Balugani reached the source of the Blue Nile on November 4th, 1770, but in March 1771 the untimely death of Balugani left all the honors to Bruce, who did not fully recognize the talent and contributions of the Bolognese draftsman.

Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann, Constantinople 1869–70: The Harem

Abstract Polish-born, trained in Germany, with a studio in Rome and a second home in Denmark due to her marriage to sculptor and academician Adolf Jerichau, Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann (1818–81) was a true nineteenth-century cosmopolite. She painted Europe’s elite and counted Princess Alexandra, Hans Christian Andersen, Henrik Ibsen, the Grimm brothers, and Charles Dickens among her well-wishers. She was invited by Queen Victoria to Buckingham Palace, and her portrait of Alexandra remains in the Royal Collection to this day. Her travelogue Brogede Rejsebilleder (Motley Images of Travel;1881) is centered around two journeys to “the Orient,” undertaken in 1869–70 and 1874–75. While these journeys to Constantinople and Smyrna constitute almost half of the travelogue, other chapters describe journeys to Athens, Cairo, St. Petersburg, Capri, and the Alps. The present chapters, translated by David Possen and introduced by Julia Kuehn, are the second part of Jerichau-Baumann’s record of the first of two journeys to Constantinople, in 1869–70. The painter vividly describes a visit to a Constantinople harem. Jerichau-Baumann’s temporary friendship with the young Princess Nazlı Hanım would lead to a number of paintings by Jerichau-Baumann now considered emblematic of and unique in (female) Orientalist art. Nazlı became a well-known literary salon hostess and arts supporter in Istanbul, Paris, Cairo, and Tunis, as well as an important figure in the Ottoman Empire’s political reform, modernization, and cross-cultural endeavors.

Los retratos políticos de los Grandes Anales de quince días de Quevedo

This article examines the literary portraits of key political figures, including three Spanish kings – Philip II, Philip III, and Philip IV – and their prime ministers, the Duke of Lerma, the Duke of Uceda, and Friar Luis de Aliaga, as presented by Quevedo at the conclusion of Grandes anales de quince días. The study focuses on both aesthetic and iconographic perspectives, drawing connections between Quevedo’s literary depictions and the known painted portraits of these individuals. Many of these artworks can be viewed in the Museo del Prado, which houses a significant portion of the Royal Collection – paintings that Quevedo likely had access to. The primary objective of this article is to explore the affinities between Quevedo’s literary descriptions and the visual representations of these figures in the corresponding portraits.

The Royal Treatment

The Royal Treatment

Assumption of the Virgin by P.P. Rubens: On a Modello from 1611

An Assumption of the Virgin (c. 1611˗13) was painted by Rubens for the High Altar of Antwerp Cathedral and is now part of the collections of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna. On 22 April 1611, Rubens (successfully) submitted two modelli. One modello in the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg is widely accepted as one of the two. The second has not been convincingly identified yet. Rubens’ Assumption of the Virgin in the Royal Collection in London (c. 1613 or later) has been the subject of much discussion. The (previously unpublished) panel that emerged in Antwerp a few years ago is therefore most interesting. Dendrochronological research (KIK-IRPA) has shown that its wooden panel (consisting of three oak planks) came from a tree cut down in about 1590. Our modello differs from the London version, for instance, in the Virgin’s right palm (turned upwards) and in two angels holding each other’s arm who appear to the right in a cloud. The question of Rubens’ Assumption of the Virgin of 1611 drew the attention of several art historians, many of them rejecting the London panel as clearly being of a later date. The comparison of the Hermitage modello with our picture supplies interesting analogies, like the representation of the young women on the left. Similarities in the faces of the angels carrying the Virgin and especially the angel with blonde hair are striking.

Alı Şır Nevaı’nın “Hazayınü’l-ma’anı” dıvanı şırlerının umumı alfabettık dızımlı el yazmaları hususunda

The content of Ali Şir Nevai's Khazā'in al-ma'ānī, as written in its preface, consists of Badāyi' al-bidaya' and Nawādir al-nihaya' divans and poems. After Ali Şir Nevai passed away in 1501, it was aimed to collect the lyrical legacy of the poet as a whole composition in a book in his memory. The general alphabetical syntax of the poems in the Khazā'in al-ma'ānī divans is inscribed in miniature. It will be beneficial for the poet's lyrical heritage to be used in the preparation of his next scientific publications. It is clear that Khazā'in al-ma'ānī is one of the rare sources that conveys Ali Şir Nevai's poems as a whole composition to future generations. The result of our research is the digital copy of the cover of the aforementioned divan and 22 pages, created in miniature, which were sourced from the site of the Windsor Castle Library, where the manuscript was found. One of the manuscripts used for this article is the Khazā'in al-ma'ānī poems, which is estimated to be the oldest copy in a complete alphabet system. The British Royal Collection catalogue, which contains the promotional information of the work, has been obtained. The manuscript comprises twelve miniatures, four of which were seriously damaged. The miniatures, which were handwritten in the 16th century, were repainted in 1605 in India (Mughal court). Another copy of the poems Khazā'in al-ma'ānī from the 16th century, copied in the complete alphabet system, is preserved in the collection of the Uzbekistan Academy of Sciences Institute of Oriental Studies named Abu Reyhan Biruni (H.S. 7580). One of the important aspects of this writing is that the author's poems are cited according to meaning groups. This means that the theme of love sung in the poet's ghazals can be understood in the sense of both divine and human love.

The Prince, the Noblemen and the Painter: Collectionso Works of Art in Copenhagen Between 1800 and 1848

The history of collecting in Denmark and Norway in the 19th century is intimately connected with the history of the painters and sculptors active during that period. Only in Copenhagen were the Royal and private collections accessible to the artists, for whom copying paintings by Old Masters formed an important part of their curriculum. Major collectors of the Age were Prince Christian Frederik (later King Christian VIII of Denmark), who mainly acquired paintings and sculptures by contemporary artists, and the portrait painter Christian Albrecht Jensen, whose preference was to buy and sell the works of Old Masters. In Copenhagen, the collections of the Counts Moltke, which mainly consisted of works by Dutch painters, was open to the public, while the Royal Collection (today a part of Statens Museum for Kunst) could only be visited from 1827 onwards. None of the three collections dealt with in the present article have survived until today, while the works of art and the antiques belonging to the sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen are at present housed in the museum bearing his name.

Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann, Constantinople 1869–70: Public Spaces

Abstract Polish-born, trained in Germany, with a studio in Rome and a second home in Denmark following her marriage to sculptor and academician Jens Adolf Jerichau, Elisabeth Jerichau-Baumann (1818–81) was a true nineteenth-century cosmopolite. She painted Europe’s elite and counted Princess Alexandra, Hans Christian Andersen, Ibsen, the Grimm brothers, and Dickens among her well-wishers. She was invited by Queen Victoria to Buckingham Palace, and her portrait of Alexandra remains in the Royal Collection today. Her travelogue Brogede Rejsebilleder (Motley Images of Travel; 1881) is centered around two journeys to “the Orient” (Constantinople and Smyrna), undertaken in 1869–70 and 1874–75. The present chapters, translated by David D. Possen and introduced by Julia Kuehn, are Jerichau-Baumann’s record of the first of two journeys to Constantinople, in 1869–70. The chapters are published in two parts—“Public Spaces” and “The Harem”—in consecutive numbers of the VIJ. The painter vividly describes the sites of and life in Constantinople. Jerichau-Baumann’s temporary friendship with the young Princess Nazlı Hanım would lead to a number of paintings now considered emblematic of and unique in (female) Orientalist art. Nazlı would become a well-known literary salon hostess and arts supporter in Istanbul, Paris, Cairo, and Tunis.

From the Editor

From the Editor Dominic Rainsford Whether David Copperfield was the hero of his own life is a matter for inexhaustible debate–for him and the rest of us. He is now, however, the hero of his own issue of Dickens Quarterly. This has happened, like so many things in life, quite by chance. In other words, this is an "unofficial" special issue. While Bleak House has been, for some time, the most written-about Dickens novel, it is very good to see that Dickens's "favourite child" also continues to attract strong interest, resulting in essays of the caliber of those included here, all of which, I think, have something new and important to say about the novel. Like almost all of Dickens's writing, Copperfield has the paradoxical merit of being both sweet and disturbing, as we can see in the two pictorial interpretations of David meeting Betsey Trotwood shown below: the first by Phiz, in a delicately tinted version; the second by the obscure Danish modernist and Aunt Betsey-obsessive, Christian Kongstad Petersen.1 [End Page 5] Click for larger view View full resolution "I make myself known to my aunt". Frontispiece by Hablot K. Browne ("Phiz") to David Copperfield, London Edition, Caxton Publishing Company, undated, c. 1900. [End Page 6] Click for larger view View full resolution Christian Kongstad Petersen (1862–1940), David Copperfield opsøger sin tante, Miss Betsey Trotwood i Dover (David Copperfield Seeks out his Aunt, Miss Betsey Trotwood, in Dover), pen and ink, scraped paper, 421 x 313 mm, 1925 and 1927; The Royal Collection of Graphic Art, National Gallery of Denmark, KKS1992-156. [End Page 7] Dominic Rainsford Aarhus University Footnotes 1. For many more reproductions of Kongstad Petersen's Dickens-inspired art, see my article on him in Dickens Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 4 (2017). Copyright © 2023 The Dickens Society

Men, plants and gardens between Mauritius and the Petit Trianon in the XVIIIth century1

Remarkable studies have been conducted on the movement of plants from the Indies to France and the Jardin du Roi at Paris (today Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle). Researchers have seldom focused in detail on the links between the Île de France (now Mauritius) and the Gardens of Trianon during the reign of Louis XV. 2 Scholars interested in bio-prospecting have established how France’s colonial ambitions informed this trade; however, less attention has focused on alternative networks of botanists, collectors, and members of the medical community who pursued their passion for plants. Botanical enthusiasts at the court of Versailles, inspired by the Louis XV’s patronage of his own botanical garden at the Petit Trianon, collaborating with the king’s gardeners, pursued a botanical exchange with planters in the Île de France. Focusing on a diverse set of documents, this essay reconstructs the networks of travelers and naturalists who were sufficiently enthusiastic about exotic plants to have sponsored a collection of them in expensive greenhouses, and examines their collective wish to enrich the royal collection with seeds and plants drawn from the first plant collection gardens set up in Mauritius at the time of the French East India Company.

When a King of Norway Became a King of Russia

When a King of Norway Became a King of Russia

Front Cover

Next article FreeFront CoverPDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmailQR Code SectionsMoreTop: Jean-François Cousinet, candelabrum, Stockholm, 1695. Silver; 52 cm high. Royal Collection, Stockholm. © The Royal Court, Sweden/photo Alexis Daflos. Middle: Mahren family cabinet and memorial card album, late 1880s or early 1890s. Cotton velvet, ivory or celluloid, and paper; 11 × 8 ½ in. Private collection, San Francisco. Photo courtesy Randy Dodson. Bottom: Ambroise Duval (d. 1683) (founder), after Claude Ballin (designer), vase with handles decorated with lions’ heads, Paris, late seventeenth century. Bronze; 119.5 × 91 × 75 cm. Versailles, châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, MR3423. © RMN-Grand Palais (Château de Versailles)/Didier Saulnier. Next article DetailsFiguresReferencesCited by West 86th Volume 29, Number 2Fall–Winter 2022 Sponsored by the Bard Graduate Center, New York Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/725980 © 2022 The Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, and Material Culture. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

‘A Very Curious Series of Paintings’: Marco Ricci’s Paintings on Leather

Abstract “A very curious series of paintings in tempera on leather… are to be found at Buckingham Palace.” (Blunt 1946, 267). The 2017 Royal Collection Trust exhibition ‘Canaletto and the Art of Venice’ necessitated the examination and conservation treatment of eight paintings by the artist Marco Ricci (1676–1730). Marco’s artworks were unusually catalogued as ‘tempera on kidskin leather’, however it became apparent that internationally widespread confusion and inconsistency existed in the cataloguing of these artworks, complicating the understanding of these ‘curious’ paintings and the development of a conservation treatment approach. As in-depth material analysis was not possible, multi-collection and art historical research were combined with close observation to better understand the material nature and condition of this unusual group of paintings. The Royal Collection’s group of Marco Ricci paintings on leather is the largest in existence, with all 32 artworks presented in their original frames and it is suggested here that some exist in their original mounted format. This group is therefore the basis of much of the author’s current understanding. Despite presenting a consistent framed visual appearance, the project unearthed surprising variation amongst the Royal Collection works, serving to significantly supplement previous understanding of these paintings.

The King George V Gensuitō: An Imperial Japanese rarity in the Royal Collection

In 1918, a Marshal’s sword (Gensuitō) was introduced into the Japanese honours system, to be presented to specially recognised admirals and generals of the Imperial Japanese military who had been awarded the honorific title of Gensui. Later that year, a very fine example of such a sword was presented to King George V at Buckingham Palace, on behalf of Emperor Taishō. These swords were made to the highest standards by master swordsmiths, with no more than 24 produced before the abolishment of the rank of Gensui in 1945. Very little has been written about Gensuitō in Japanese, much less in English. The King George V Gensuitō, today held in the Royal Collection, is recognised for its aesthetic value, but has been the subject of only limited scholarship. Drawing on primary sources held in the Royal Collection, Royal Archives, and National Archives of Japan, as well as secondary sources published in limited-circulation journals that have not been digitised, the author presents herein an overview of this important Gensuitō—believed to be the sole example held in a collection outside of Japan.

Museums and Renewed Relations: Choctaw-French Nations of the Eighteenth Century and Present

In a recent exhibit, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Musée du quai Branly-Jacques Chirac, and Bibliothèque Municipale de Versailles worked together to learn more about the museum’s royal Americas collection which features items from numerous Indigenous communities. Collected by French explorers during the eighteenth century and later displayed in royal curiosity cabinets, these items have not been seen by Choctaw communities since they left the continent. This collaboration has culminated in the “La Curiosité d’un Prince” exhibit, which features a room curated by Choctaw Nation. This article shows how a joint initiative to study the collection gave voice to the relationships and material histories inherent in the items. Reflecting on this less-known historical period, this collaboration has reinvigorated Choctaw-French relations and allowed Choctaw Nation to showcase the richness and complexity of its sovereignty—which is often narrowly understood through its relationship with the United States. By providing an example of true collaboration that has spurred new research and writing on both the cultural and political knowledge contained in the objects held in France, we demonstrate the potential for relationships and knowledge inherent in museum collections to act as a platform for new expressions of Indigenous sovereignty.

A Study on Personal Color and Costumes in the Portrait of Elizabeth I

이 연구에서는 지난 1천년간 최고의 지도자이자 자기이미지를 철저하게 관리한 엘리자베스 1세 초상화를 국립중앙박물관 “시대의 얼굴”의 초상화를 중심으로 그녀의 퍼스널 컬러를 살펴보고자 한다. 아울러 엘리자베스 1세의이미지 연출 방안을 고찰해 보고자 한다. 엘리자베스 1세의 초상화에 대한 선행연구는 다른 주제에 비해 부족한실정이며 실질적으로 그녀의 초상화를 관람하고 퍼스널 컬러를 분석한 연구는 미비한 실정이다. 이 연구를 통해 엘리자베스 1세는 영국의 르네상스를 확립한 여왕이며 여왕은 초상화를 활용해 자기 이미지를통제하기 위해 궁정화가를 중심으로 원형초상화를 제작하여 따르도록 하였다. 이 초상화 원형에 대한 의견은 연구자마다 견해가 달랐으며 소장지 자료를 검토한 결과 제작년도와 제작자에 대한 오류도 발견되었다. 런던 박물관들의 엘리자베스 1세 관련 소장품 현황을 파악한 결과, 런던 대영박물관에 1,954점, 국립초상화미술관에 135점, 로얄 컬렉션에 451점, 빅토리아 앤 앨버트 박물관에 247점의 소장품을 확인할 수 있었다. 엘리자베스 1세 초상화를 연도별로 살펴보는 과정에서 선행 연구의 제작연도나 제작자 및 소장지에 대한 오류를 발견할 수 있었다. “시대의 얼굴” 특별전 엘리자베스 1세의 ‘불사조 초상화’는 특별전의 전시 상설 포스터와 도록의 표지가 될 정도로 중요한 초상화이었다. 엘리자베스 1세 초상화를 통해 퍼스널 컬러를 어도브의 포토샵을 통해 비교해 보니 피부색도흰색보다는 푸른 빛이 되는 경우가 많았으며 헤어, 눈동자, 입술의 색도 조금씩 차이가 있음을 확인할 수 있었다. 이 연구를 통해 초상화 원형에 대한 견해 차이와 엘리자베스 1세의 퍼스널 컬러를 확인한 것은 의의가 있다고본다. 또한, 국외 연구대상을 연구할 때는 좀 더 국외 자료의 포괄적인 조사가 필요함을 인식하게 되었다. 부족한연구이지만 앞으로 퍼스널 컬러 연구의 기초자료가 되기를 희망한다.In this study, the portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, who was the best leader and thoroughly managed her self-image for the past 1,000 years, is to examine her personal color, focusing on the portrait of “Icons and Identities” at the National Museum of Korea. In addition, I would like to consider the method of directing the image of Queen Elizabeth I. Prior research on the portrait of Queen Elizabeth I is insufficient compared to other subjects, and studies that actually look at her portrait and analyze her personal color are insufficient. Through this study, Elizabeth I was the queen who established the Renaissance of England, and the queen made a prototype portrait mainly from a court painter to control her self-image using portraits. Opinions on the prototype of this portrait differed from one researcher to another, and as a result of examining the materials in the collection, errors regarding the year of manufacture and the creator were also found. As a result of examining the current status of Elizabeth I-related collections in London museums, 1,954 pieces were found in the British Museum, 135 pieces in the National Portrait Gallery, 451 pieces in the Royal Collection, and 247 pieces in the Victoria and Albert Museum. In the process of examining her portrait of Elizabeth I by year, it was possible to find errors in the year of production or the creator and collection of previous studies. The “Face of the Ages” special exhibition “Portrait of the Phoenix” of Queen Elizabeth I was so important that it became the cover of permanent posters and catalogs for the special exhibition. When comparing personal colors through Adobe’s Photoshop through her portrait of Queen Elizabeth I, her skin color was often blue rather than white, and it was confirmed that there were slight differences in the colors of her hair, eyes, and lips. Through this study, I think it is meaningful to check the differences of opinion on the prototype of the portrait and the personal color of Elizabeth I. In addition, it was recognized that a more comprehensive study of foreign data was necessary when researching foreign subjects. Although insufficient research, I hope that it will serve as a basis for personal color research in the future.

The Laws and Customs of the Yorùbá People by E.A. Ajisafe Moore (Undated, M. A. Ola Fola Bookshops, Abeokuta, Nigeria. 87 pages. Price $21.95 on Amazon.com)

The Laws and Customs of the Yorùbá People chronicles the prevalent customary practices and native laws of the Yorùbá people who have their ancestral home in South Western Nigeria and descendants in several cities around the world by virtue of forced and voluntary migrations. The book draws from extensive research – including painstaking collection of materials from several sub-groupings within the Yorùbá ethnic group. Ajisafe Moore acknowledges in the preface that the laws and customs of the Yorùbá people vary within the different Yorùbá sub-groupings. The book however sought to address customs and laws that are generally applicable across the entire Yorùbá ethnic group. It is not clear when The Laws and Customs of the Yoruba People (henceforth Laws and Customs) was actually published. The author’s reference in the preface to 1906 as the time when he commenced his research efforts for the book provides a first pointer to possible publication of the work in early twentieth century. Other sources such as the LitCaf Encyclopedia list laws and customs as being published in 1924, eight years after the publication of the first edition of Ajisafe Moore’s self-published work, History of Abeokuta in 1916 (reissued in 1948 and 1964 and now part of the United Kingdom’s Royal Collection Trust). James S. Coleman’s Nigeria: Background to Nationalism (1958) cites Laws and Customs as one of the “tribal and national histories of major ethnic groups” published in English in 1946 (Coleman, 1958: 327). Kash and Klare Bookshop, Lagos, Nigeria was listed as the publisher. Tis latter 320 Akinloye Ojo and Kingsley Opia-Enwemuche publication date of 1946 meant that Laws and Customs was a posthumous publication for Ajisafe Moore who passed away in 1940.

Afacerea artei. Piața de artă în Marea Britanie în secolele XVII -XVIII

While the royal houses and the aristocracy of Italy, Low Countries, France and Spain had already an history in collecting pieces of art, Great Britain adopted this “fashion” only under Charles the 1st reign, in 17th century. Charles the 1st understood that his painted portraits, sculpted busts and a royal collection of art could bring a higher value to his royal status and this practice was representing the power, the authority and the virtues of a king. He was a prodigious collector and made numerous acquisitions of paintings and statues. He collected the artworks of more than 1750 artists; that formed the basis of Royal Collection, the greatest private collection nowadays. The reign of Charles the 1st was highly significant for the appearance of “Court Painters”, who also had the quality of diplomats at various European courts. Peter Paul Rubens and Antoon Van Dyck have been highly appreciated at the court of Charles the 1st. In his artworks Van Dyck captured the “flamboyant” spirit of the time; he gave brilliance to his characters and transformed significantly the image of the King, providing him a special refinement, as it can be seen in the portraits he painted to Charles the 1st. The next century was marked by painters such as William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough. Hogarth was considered „the most famous painter in London”, and he brought his important contribution to the establishment of a copyright law. His printed graphic series and satirical paintings have been inspired from the social and political reality of his time. Aristocracy’s and bourgeoisie’s emancipation in the 18th century led to the flourishing of the portraiture. Reynolds and Gainsborough were the most desired painters when it came about making portraits and their fame transcended their time. Keywords: collection, Great Britain, Royal Painter, portrait, art power

The Technical Development of Oil Painted Photographs on Canvas in the United Kingdom Between 1850 and 1890, with a Case Study of Paintings by Georg Koberwein from the Royal Collection

ABSTRACT Painting with oil over photographs on canvas was a widespread practice in the nineteenth century, mainly for the production of portraits and copies of oil paintings. It flourished in a context where both photographers and traditional painters were trying to innovate and adjust to new technological advances and demands of their time. However, despite the popularity of oil-painted photographs, they have not been the subject of substantial technical and historical study, which resulted in most of these photo-paintings not having been properly identified. Therefore, this research looks at the photographic processes used for printing on canvas in the UK between 1850 and 1890, knowledge of which is necessary for the identification of photo-paintings. It also looks at how the practice of the Austrian painter and photographer Georg Koberwein (1820–1876) fits within this context, including the examination of four paintings by the artist in the Royal Collection.

Madrid-Mallorca-Barcelona. Furniture for a Royal Union

In 1802 the heir to the Spanish crown and his sister María Isabel married their cousins, the prince of Naples and Sicily and his sister María Antonia. Being the wedding in Barcelona, the court had to move there, with the logistical problem that this represented. Part of the magnificent furniture that was made for the occasion in Madrid is largely known. However, some years ago I brought to light some furniture designs that seemed to have been made in Mallorca for this event and I was able to identify with some furniture from the royal collection. Fortunately, all the documentation related to this order has appeared and confirms many of the suggestive aspects of this unknown production system, confirming who commissioned it, why in Mallorca, what cabinetmaker, under what conditions, with what deadlines, for what price and even by what criteria some of them were rejected.