DOI issue:
No. 2
DOI article:Białostocki, Jan; Muzeum Narodowe w Warszawie [Contr.]: The Weyer Collection and the beginning of the Warsaw Art Museum
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17137#0045
had he to do with other Cologne collections, specialized as they were in various special fields,
as that of Ramboux — in the early Italians or tliat of the Boisserees in Rhenish, early German
and Flemish paintings. Weyer collection, accessible to every art-lover (it was visited by Sulpiz
Boisseree in 1847°) got soon published catalogues6 and a great renown. Thus its sale was a uni-
que opportunity, indeed, to acąuire a good set of paintings for the new museum.
Karnicki tried to do his best. Out of the sixteen pictures named by the catalogue as the most
interesting, Karnicki could secure four (nrs 17, 18, 41. 77 of the sale catalogue); out of the se-
cond group of 89 pictures he bought five. In this way his acquisitions placed themselves very
well, although he could not buy everything he wished. Among some pictures which escapcd
him was the Rubens Madonna, bought for 700 Thalers for the recently organized Wallraf-Ri-
chartz Museum7. In generał we must say, Karnicki thought he was buying better pictures than
it in reality was, as the attributions of many works changed sińce from the top nąmes to the
less importem ones. For instance Gentile Bellini appeared to be by one of the followers of Gio-
vanni Bellini, probably by Mansueti; Griinewald is now considered to be by an anonymous
painter of the Frankfort school, Holbein turned into Brosamer, van der Weyden into Belle-
gambe, Mosteert into Benson, Metsu is now called Cornelis de Man — all of these new attribu-
tions, except perhaps Bellegambe, being still subject to change. But on the other hand nume-
rous attributions turned out to be the right ones — as those to Tiepolo, Maes, Schalcken,
Helt-Stockade; some of them, to be sure, were based on existing signatures. In one case the
value of a picture inereased as a result of the more recent attribution: Alberto da Ferrara (Weyer
sale nr 17) turned out to be a Madonna by Pinturicchio. This picture must have been espe-
cially admired by J. P. Weyer, as it appears in the background of his portrait done in litho-
graph by Osterwald and appended to the commemorative publication issued after the sale
(Fig. 4). It has been also reproduced in the sale catalogue. among 8 reproductions only (Fig. 5).
Karnicki. bought altogether 1 picture attributed to the Byzantine school,. 11 belonging to
to the Italian school, 5 to the German, 5 to the Early Flemish and Farly Dutch, 3 to the French,
1 to the Spanish, 1 to the Flemish and 9 to the Dutch school. He got very weak or indeed faked
Early Italians, but the second half of the Quattrocento had good examples (Pinturicchio, Man-
sueti). Italian barocme was limited to Desiderio, to a landscape — probably Genoese — attri-
buted at that time to Rosa, and to a good picture by Tiepolo. Early Germans included a strange
smali diptych by the Master of the Life of the Virgin, a Rhenish triptych, one portrait by Bro-
samer and another by a Frankfort school painter, finally a good panel by Master of Messkirch,
belonging to the set painted for the church at Messkirch, South Germany. Of the French school
only the beautiful early triptych by Jean Bellegambe (bought as Rogier van der Weydcn)
counted, the two pictures by Prud' hon (now lost) having been probably fakes. Early Flemish
school included a fragment by Engelbrechtsz., a triptych by a master close to Massys, pictu-
res by Benson, Neuchatel and Cornelis van Haarlem. The Flemish school was represented by
an excellent example of early Jordaens whereas a good set of Dutch XVIIth century works
included Hermann Saftleven, Cornelis de Man, A. Begeijn, N. Maes, G. Schalcken, Cornelis
Decker and Nicolaes van Helt-Stockade. Picture called Teniers turned out to be a fake, done
probably with the intention to imitate the style of Hellemont.
5. Eduard Firmenich-Richartz, Sulpiz und Melchior Boisseree, I, Jena 1916, p. 522.
6. Beschreibung des Inhalls der Sammlung von Gemiilden dlterer Meister des Herm Johann Peter Weyer in Koln, Koln, 1852
(mit Erlauterungen iiber einen Teil der Bildersammlung von M. Unger). Another catalogue: James Weale, Catalog der
Sammlung von Gemiilden iilterer Meister, Koln, 1859; tinally also by James Weale: „Notice sur la collection de tableaux an-
ciens faisant partie de la galerie de Mr, J. P. Weyer', in: Messager des Sciences Historiques, 1862, p, 64. Sale catalogue:
Jllustrierter Katalog der reichen Gemalde-Gallerie des Herrn J. P. Weyer.., icelche den 25. August 1862 und folgende Tage...
unter Leitung von J. M. Heberle (f/. Lempertż) in Koln... ersteigert tcerden soli, Koln (in the same book is printed also the
French test). ■ *' .
7. Lorentz, op. cit., p. 4. The picture: Wallraf-Richart.•Museum, op. cit., nr 1038, p. 150.
41
as that of Ramboux — in the early Italians or tliat of the Boisserees in Rhenish, early German
and Flemish paintings. Weyer collection, accessible to every art-lover (it was visited by Sulpiz
Boisseree in 1847°) got soon published catalogues6 and a great renown. Thus its sale was a uni-
que opportunity, indeed, to acąuire a good set of paintings for the new museum.
Karnicki tried to do his best. Out of the sixteen pictures named by the catalogue as the most
interesting, Karnicki could secure four (nrs 17, 18, 41. 77 of the sale catalogue); out of the se-
cond group of 89 pictures he bought five. In this way his acquisitions placed themselves very
well, although he could not buy everything he wished. Among some pictures which escapcd
him was the Rubens Madonna, bought for 700 Thalers for the recently organized Wallraf-Ri-
chartz Museum7. In generał we must say, Karnicki thought he was buying better pictures than
it in reality was, as the attributions of many works changed sińce from the top nąmes to the
less importem ones. For instance Gentile Bellini appeared to be by one of the followers of Gio-
vanni Bellini, probably by Mansueti; Griinewald is now considered to be by an anonymous
painter of the Frankfort school, Holbein turned into Brosamer, van der Weyden into Belle-
gambe, Mosteert into Benson, Metsu is now called Cornelis de Man — all of these new attribu-
tions, except perhaps Bellegambe, being still subject to change. But on the other hand nume-
rous attributions turned out to be the right ones — as those to Tiepolo, Maes, Schalcken,
Helt-Stockade; some of them, to be sure, were based on existing signatures. In one case the
value of a picture inereased as a result of the more recent attribution: Alberto da Ferrara (Weyer
sale nr 17) turned out to be a Madonna by Pinturicchio. This picture must have been espe-
cially admired by J. P. Weyer, as it appears in the background of his portrait done in litho-
graph by Osterwald and appended to the commemorative publication issued after the sale
(Fig. 4). It has been also reproduced in the sale catalogue. among 8 reproductions only (Fig. 5).
Karnicki. bought altogether 1 picture attributed to the Byzantine school,. 11 belonging to
to the Italian school, 5 to the German, 5 to the Early Flemish and Farly Dutch, 3 to the French,
1 to the Spanish, 1 to the Flemish and 9 to the Dutch school. He got very weak or indeed faked
Early Italians, but the second half of the Quattrocento had good examples (Pinturicchio, Man-
sueti). Italian barocme was limited to Desiderio, to a landscape — probably Genoese — attri-
buted at that time to Rosa, and to a good picture by Tiepolo. Early Germans included a strange
smali diptych by the Master of the Life of the Virgin, a Rhenish triptych, one portrait by Bro-
samer and another by a Frankfort school painter, finally a good panel by Master of Messkirch,
belonging to the set painted for the church at Messkirch, South Germany. Of the French school
only the beautiful early triptych by Jean Bellegambe (bought as Rogier van der Weydcn)
counted, the two pictures by Prud' hon (now lost) having been probably fakes. Early Flemish
school included a fragment by Engelbrechtsz., a triptych by a master close to Massys, pictu-
res by Benson, Neuchatel and Cornelis van Haarlem. The Flemish school was represented by
an excellent example of early Jordaens whereas a good set of Dutch XVIIth century works
included Hermann Saftleven, Cornelis de Man, A. Begeijn, N. Maes, G. Schalcken, Cornelis
Decker and Nicolaes van Helt-Stockade. Picture called Teniers turned out to be a fake, done
probably with the intention to imitate the style of Hellemont.
5. Eduard Firmenich-Richartz, Sulpiz und Melchior Boisseree, I, Jena 1916, p. 522.
6. Beschreibung des Inhalls der Sammlung von Gemiilden dlterer Meister des Herm Johann Peter Weyer in Koln, Koln, 1852
(mit Erlauterungen iiber einen Teil der Bildersammlung von M. Unger). Another catalogue: James Weale, Catalog der
Sammlung von Gemiilden iilterer Meister, Koln, 1859; tinally also by James Weale: „Notice sur la collection de tableaux an-
ciens faisant partie de la galerie de Mr, J. P. Weyer', in: Messager des Sciences Historiques, 1862, p, 64. Sale catalogue:
Jllustrierter Katalog der reichen Gemalde-Gallerie des Herrn J. P. Weyer.., icelche den 25. August 1862 und folgende Tage...
unter Leitung von J. M. Heberle (f/. Lempertż) in Koln... ersteigert tcerden soli, Koln (in the same book is printed also the
French test). ■ *' .
7. Lorentz, op. cit., p. 4. The picture: Wallraf-Richart.•Museum, op. cit., nr 1038, p. 150.
41