DOI article:
Wouk, Edward H.: Frans Floris and disegno: a return to the question
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51714#0066
discussed above.83 The depiction of Christ with one
arm heavily planted on the ground beneath him and
the helmeted soldier with his right hand raised and
ready to strike with the whip all appear on the left
inner shutter of the Arnstadt triptych, although the
unusual angle of the cross is spécifie to this image.84
The procession to Calvary in the triptych takés place
before a gâte that is reminiscent of a Roman arch;
in the grisaille the procession appears to be set be-
fore a loose interprétation the Castel SanťAngelo
much as it appears on the left outer shutter of the
triptych at Léau.85 The posture of the soldier with
the whip is one that appears frequently in Floris’s
œuvre: in the executioner on the left inner shutter
of the Léau triptych,86 and in other Contemporary
works such as Hercules and the Hydra of Lerna painted
for Nicolaas Jongelinck.87 88 The groups of horses
leading up the rear of the procession are markedly
similar to those other Floris compositions, and the
bound thieves and their executioners also derive
from Floris’s muscular types, such as those in his
Mucius Scaevola before ForsennaF Because many of
the éléments of this successful pastiche of motifs
originate in different treatments of the same subject
in Floris’s workshop, it is perhaps possible to im-
agine that a panels such as this assumed a function
in the development, présentation, modification and
ultimately recording portions of those successful
variations on a theme.
Floris’s oil-on-panel head studies have been docu-
mented for their important role in the functioning
of the artist’s studio.89 According to Van Mander,
‘ ‘Frans sei his journeymen to do the dead-colouring after he had
indicated to them his intention somewhat with chalk, letting
them get on with it, after having said: Fut in these or those
heads;for he always had afew of those to hand on panels?™
Although painted on an entirely different scale, the
Christ Carrying the Cross is équivalent in size to many of
Floris’s head studies.91 In the absence of any techni-
cal examination to assess the extent of Floris’s chalk
drawing on the substrate itself,92 the Christ Carrying
the Cross may offer a glimpse into another way in
83 Mark 15.21; Luke 23.26-31; John 18.17; see RÉAU 1957 (see
in note 52), pp. 463-469. Floris painted a Way to Calvary dated
by Van de Velde to 1553 — 1554 (oil on panel, 114 X 81 cm,
signed on the cross: FFF FT IV, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches
Museum, Inv. No. F. 7). See VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see in
note 3), Vol. 1, p. 197, No. S48; Vol. 2, fig. 17. A drawing
attributed to Floris’s circle depicts on its verso the Way to
Calvary in horizontal format (pen and brown ink with brown
wash, 153 x 207 mm; Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz Museum,
Inv. No. Z.198). The recto depicts the Arrest of Christ.
84 Oil on panel, 286 X 76 cm. See VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see
in note 3), Vol. 1, p. 204, No. S54; Vol. 2, fig. 21.
85 The Haising of Ea^arus, left half, 270 X 101 cm. See Ibidem,
Vol. 1, p. 233, No. S84; Vol. 2, fig. 33.
86 The Martydom of Saint Catherine, oil on panel, 270 X 101 cm.
See Ibidem, Vol. 1, p. 231, No. S80; Vol. 2, fig. 33.
87 Lost. VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see in note 3), Vol. 1, p. 222,
No. S73, known from the print by Cornelis Cort. Engraving,
224 x 283 mm; The New Hollstein... Cornelis Cort (see in note
56), No. 176; which itself is derived from a print of the same
subject that Floris must have known by Caraglio after Rosso
Fiorentino; see BARTSCH 1803 — 1821 (see in note 67), Vol.
15, pp. 85-86, No. 46.
88 Engraving, 329 X 422 mm; The New Hollstein T)utch and Tlemish
Etchings, Woodcuts and Engravings. Philips Galle. Ed. M. SEL-
LINK - M. LEESBERG. Rotterdam 2001, Vol. 3, No. 487.
Preparátory drawing in red chalk, 441 X 556 mm; Vienna,
Albertina, Inv. No. 15.121. See VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see in
note 3), Vol. 1, p. 382, No. T50; Vol. 2, fig. 149. Van de Velde
notes that the drawn composition predates the print, seeming
more in keeping with Floris’s style of the mid-1550s.
89 See SUTTON, P. - WIESEMAN, M.: Drawn by the Brush: Oil
Sketches of Peter Paul Hubens. New Haven — London 2004, pp.
24-25.
90 VAN MANDER 1604 (see in note 31), fol. 242v; MIEDEMA
1994 - 1999 (see in note 31), p. 229.
91 Numerous recorded head studies and copies are of nearly
the same dimensions as this panel. See, for instance, the
head study for the Vienna Christ Hearing the Cross at Schwerin,
Staatliches Museum, Inv. No. 1098; oil on panel, 48 x 35 cm
(VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see in note 3), Vol. 1, pp. 196-197,
No. S47; Vol. 2, fig. 16); or the Head of a Sea Goddess, original
lost but recorded in copies at Berlin, Gemäldegalerie; oil on
panel, 52 X 36 cm (Ibidem, Vol. 1, pp. 276-277, No. S137)
as copy 1; Friedrichshafen, Coll. Grzimek; oil on panel, 49
x 36 cm (Ibidem, Vol. 1, pp. 276-277, No. S136) as copy 2;
and in Martin, Slovák National Museum, Inv. No. KH 526;
oil on panel, 45 X 25.5 cm (CIULISOVÁ 2006 (see in note
51), pp. 60-63, fig. 6).
92 On techniques of design transfer to panel and canvas support,
see VAN DAALEN 2006 (see in note 62), pp. 212-217.
60
arm heavily planted on the ground beneath him and
the helmeted soldier with his right hand raised and
ready to strike with the whip all appear on the left
inner shutter of the Arnstadt triptych, although the
unusual angle of the cross is spécifie to this image.84
The procession to Calvary in the triptych takés place
before a gâte that is reminiscent of a Roman arch;
in the grisaille the procession appears to be set be-
fore a loose interprétation the Castel SanťAngelo
much as it appears on the left outer shutter of the
triptych at Léau.85 The posture of the soldier with
the whip is one that appears frequently in Floris’s
œuvre: in the executioner on the left inner shutter
of the Léau triptych,86 and in other Contemporary
works such as Hercules and the Hydra of Lerna painted
for Nicolaas Jongelinck.87 88 The groups of horses
leading up the rear of the procession are markedly
similar to those other Floris compositions, and the
bound thieves and their executioners also derive
from Floris’s muscular types, such as those in his
Mucius Scaevola before ForsennaF Because many of
the éléments of this successful pastiche of motifs
originate in different treatments of the same subject
in Floris’s workshop, it is perhaps possible to im-
agine that a panels such as this assumed a function
in the development, présentation, modification and
ultimately recording portions of those successful
variations on a theme.
Floris’s oil-on-panel head studies have been docu-
mented for their important role in the functioning
of the artist’s studio.89 According to Van Mander,
‘ ‘Frans sei his journeymen to do the dead-colouring after he had
indicated to them his intention somewhat with chalk, letting
them get on with it, after having said: Fut in these or those
heads;for he always had afew of those to hand on panels?™
Although painted on an entirely different scale, the
Christ Carrying the Cross is équivalent in size to many of
Floris’s head studies.91 In the absence of any techni-
cal examination to assess the extent of Floris’s chalk
drawing on the substrate itself,92 the Christ Carrying
the Cross may offer a glimpse into another way in
83 Mark 15.21; Luke 23.26-31; John 18.17; see RÉAU 1957 (see
in note 52), pp. 463-469. Floris painted a Way to Calvary dated
by Van de Velde to 1553 — 1554 (oil on panel, 114 X 81 cm,
signed on the cross: FFF FT IV, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches
Museum, Inv. No. F. 7). See VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see in
note 3), Vol. 1, p. 197, No. S48; Vol. 2, fig. 17. A drawing
attributed to Floris’s circle depicts on its verso the Way to
Calvary in horizontal format (pen and brown ink with brown
wash, 153 x 207 mm; Cologne, Wallraf-Richartz Museum,
Inv. No. Z.198). The recto depicts the Arrest of Christ.
84 Oil on panel, 286 X 76 cm. See VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see
in note 3), Vol. 1, p. 204, No. S54; Vol. 2, fig. 21.
85 The Haising of Ea^arus, left half, 270 X 101 cm. See Ibidem,
Vol. 1, p. 233, No. S84; Vol. 2, fig. 33.
86 The Martydom of Saint Catherine, oil on panel, 270 X 101 cm.
See Ibidem, Vol. 1, p. 231, No. S80; Vol. 2, fig. 33.
87 Lost. VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see in note 3), Vol. 1, p. 222,
No. S73, known from the print by Cornelis Cort. Engraving,
224 x 283 mm; The New Hollstein... Cornelis Cort (see in note
56), No. 176; which itself is derived from a print of the same
subject that Floris must have known by Caraglio after Rosso
Fiorentino; see BARTSCH 1803 — 1821 (see in note 67), Vol.
15, pp. 85-86, No. 46.
88 Engraving, 329 X 422 mm; The New Hollstein T)utch and Tlemish
Etchings, Woodcuts and Engravings. Philips Galle. Ed. M. SEL-
LINK - M. LEESBERG. Rotterdam 2001, Vol. 3, No. 487.
Preparátory drawing in red chalk, 441 X 556 mm; Vienna,
Albertina, Inv. No. 15.121. See VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see in
note 3), Vol. 1, p. 382, No. T50; Vol. 2, fig. 149. Van de Velde
notes that the drawn composition predates the print, seeming
more in keeping with Floris’s style of the mid-1550s.
89 See SUTTON, P. - WIESEMAN, M.: Drawn by the Brush: Oil
Sketches of Peter Paul Hubens. New Haven — London 2004, pp.
24-25.
90 VAN MANDER 1604 (see in note 31), fol. 242v; MIEDEMA
1994 - 1999 (see in note 31), p. 229.
91 Numerous recorded head studies and copies are of nearly
the same dimensions as this panel. See, for instance, the
head study for the Vienna Christ Hearing the Cross at Schwerin,
Staatliches Museum, Inv. No. 1098; oil on panel, 48 x 35 cm
(VAN DE VELDE 1975 (see in note 3), Vol. 1, pp. 196-197,
No. S47; Vol. 2, fig. 16); or the Head of a Sea Goddess, original
lost but recorded in copies at Berlin, Gemäldegalerie; oil on
panel, 52 X 36 cm (Ibidem, Vol. 1, pp. 276-277, No. S137)
as copy 1; Friedrichshafen, Coll. Grzimek; oil on panel, 49
x 36 cm (Ibidem, Vol. 1, pp. 276-277, No. S136) as copy 2;
and in Martin, Slovák National Museum, Inv. No. KH 526;
oil on panel, 45 X 25.5 cm (CIULISOVÁ 2006 (see in note
51), pp. 60-63, fig. 6).
92 On techniques of design transfer to panel and canvas support,
see VAN DAALEN 2006 (see in note 62), pp. 212-217.
60