DOI Heft:
No. 3
DOI Artikel:Walicki, Michał: The " Ecce Homo" by Hans Hoffmann in the Radziwill Collection at Nieborów
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17138#0090
lost, is sliown by tlie fact tliat evcn in the XIX-th century paintings and drawi ngs by Hoffmann,
which had been kept in Nuremberg and Prague were taken for works by Diirer. Among the
works the artist left, a whole series of paintings bave been kept which are close to the theme
of the pieture Nieborów, and which formally approach the works of the master. Here we should
mention the pieture from the Nostitz gallcry (now in Prague) on which Durer's false signature
can be seen (fig- 2) with the date 1520, and pictures from the gallery in Brno, from the Germanie
Museum in Nuremberg (fig. 3), from the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest (fig. 4), from the
Suermondt-Museum in Aachen (fig. 5), from the Museum in Stockholm, and the Eccc Homo
from the collection of Thiire von Cederstrom (fig. 6) (knewn from the Helbing sale of 1913,
formerly from the collection of Chancellor Oxenstierna).15 Two of these pictures — namely
those from the Nostitz gallery and the Cederstrom collection — should be considered as a compi-
lation of the styles cf Diirer and Massys.10 Such an osmosis does not seem strange in the case
of a born imitator (or even a bom copyist) and tlie more so if we take into account the Ncther-
landish background of Hoffmann, although it has been recently doubted by Piltz; it was in
the Netherlands during the XVI-th century that the cult and knowledge of Diirer's art reached
unexpected heights.17
I venture to attribute the Nieborów painting to Hoffmann on the basis of comparison with
the painting from the Budapest museum. That painting is closest to ours both with respect
to the conception of tlie head of Christ and as regards the ąualities of the brushwork. It shows
important differences from the known drawings of Diirer on this theme, and it also differs
from the major work by Diirer, now lost which was painted for Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg
in 1523 and is known today only from the graphic work by Caspar Dooms.18
Perhaps with time other works by Hoffmenn will be found in Polish collections.19
15. Gltick-Scharf, op. cii. 242, Kuetgens, op. cii., Piltz, op. cii.
16. Kuetgens, op. cii., p. 214.
17. Cf. Pilt/., op. cit.. p. 236. Sec also J. Held,Durers Wirkung auf dic niederlandische Kunst seiner Zcit, Haag, 1931.
18. F. Schneider, ,,Durers Tafelgemalde 'Barinherzigkeit' ehem. in Dom zu Mainz", Mainzer Zeitschrift, II, 1907, p. 75 — 77
The painting in Pommersfelden is a repetition of this lost work, sec Kuetgens, op. cit., p. 213.
19. I do not think that tlie work from the Warsaw collection of Kolashiski (68 X 57 cm) with tlie falsc monogram of Diirer is.
his work (fig. 8); sec: Sammlung des verstorbenen Herm A. v. Kolasiński, Berlin, 1917 (R. Lepke), II. n° 186, p. 25, pl. 5.
which had been kept in Nuremberg and Prague were taken for works by Diirer. Among the
works the artist left, a whole series of paintings bave been kept which are close to the theme
of the pieture Nieborów, and which formally approach the works of the master. Here we should
mention the pieture from the Nostitz gallcry (now in Prague) on which Durer's false signature
can be seen (fig- 2) with the date 1520, and pictures from the gallery in Brno, from the Germanie
Museum in Nuremberg (fig. 3), from the Museum of Fine Arts in Budapest (fig. 4), from the
Suermondt-Museum in Aachen (fig. 5), from the Museum in Stockholm, and the Eccc Homo
from the collection of Thiire von Cederstrom (fig. 6) (knewn from the Helbing sale of 1913,
formerly from the collection of Chancellor Oxenstierna).15 Two of these pictures — namely
those from the Nostitz gallery and the Cederstrom collection — should be considered as a compi-
lation of the styles cf Diirer and Massys.10 Such an osmosis does not seem strange in the case
of a born imitator (or even a bom copyist) and tlie more so if we take into account the Ncther-
landish background of Hoffmann, although it has been recently doubted by Piltz; it was in
the Netherlands during the XVI-th century that the cult and knowledge of Diirer's art reached
unexpected heights.17
I venture to attribute the Nieborów painting to Hoffmann on the basis of comparison with
the painting from the Budapest museum. That painting is closest to ours both with respect
to the conception of tlie head of Christ and as regards the ąualities of the brushwork. It shows
important differences from the known drawings of Diirer on this theme, and it also differs
from the major work by Diirer, now lost which was painted for Cardinal Albrecht of Brandenburg
in 1523 and is known today only from the graphic work by Caspar Dooms.18
Perhaps with time other works by Hoffmenn will be found in Polish collections.19
15. Gltick-Scharf, op. cii. 242, Kuetgens, op. cii., Piltz, op. cii.
16. Kuetgens, op. cii., p. 214.
17. Cf. Pilt/., op. cit.. p. 236. Sec also J. Held,Durers Wirkung auf dic niederlandische Kunst seiner Zcit, Haag, 1931.
18. F. Schneider, ,,Durers Tafelgemalde 'Barinherzigkeit' ehem. in Dom zu Mainz", Mainzer Zeitschrift, II, 1907, p. 75 — 77
The painting in Pommersfelden is a repetition of this lost work, sec Kuetgens, op. cit., p. 213.
19. I do not think that tlie work from the Warsaw collection of Kolashiski (68 X 57 cm) with tlie falsc monogram of Diirer is.
his work (fig. 8); sec: Sammlung des verstorbenen Herm A. v. Kolasiński, Berlin, 1917 (R. Lepke), II. n° 186, p. 25, pl. 5.