DOI Heft:
Część III. Badania atrybucyjne i technologiczne nad dawnym malarstwem i rysunkiem / Part III. Attribution and Technological Research on Old Master Paintings and Drawings
DOI Artikel:Borusowski, Piotr: Zaginiony i odnaleziony. Rysunek Klęcząca Joanna d'Arc Petera Paula Rubensa w Muzeum Narodowym w Warszawie
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.45362#0333
332
Attribution and Technological Research on Old Master Paintings and Drawings
sketch. McGrath rightly regarded the Raleigh painting not as a portrait but a historical scene
(or rather a painting depicting a historical figure) and as such included it in her volume of Corpus
Rubenianum. Therefore, the composition of the Warsaw drawing can be compared - and jus-
tifiably so, in my opinion - with a much broader group of drawings, rather than just portraits.
In short, the question of the authorship of Joan of Arc should be reopened given that it is surely
an original composition and not a copy. Even though the manner of its execution might ap-
pear in some ways problematic, I believe that the circumstances of the creation of the work
speak against the authorship of any artist other than Rubens himself. The idea of honouring
the heroine originated with and was implemented by a small group of people. Rubens could
have been aware of the planned publication as early as 1619, when he began his correspond-
ence with Peiresc - maybe even earlier, through his friend Gevartius. During the following
years, Rubens and Peiresc frequently exchanged letters, not only - as mentioned before - on
scholarly and artistic matters. The correspondence concerning the poem by Gevartius is proof
that the artist was aware of the circumstances surrounding the publication. In this context,
commissioning an image of Joan from Rubens seems only too natural, if not self-evident. It
is difficult to imagine the artist entrusting someone else with the intellectually challenging
design in the situation when it was so deeply associated with the circle of his closest friends.
Further research by specialists may focus on stylistic matters, perhaps allowing the master’s
hand to be more generally recognized.
I am sincerely grateful to Bert Watteeuw (Rubenianum) for his support and invaluable help in acquiring
materials for the article, Prof. Elizabeth McGrath (The Warburg Institute) for the inspiring e-mail dis-
cussion and Dennis P. Weller (North Carolina Museum of Art) for information on the Raleigh painting.
Translated by Aleksandra Szkudlapska
Attribution and Technological Research on Old Master Paintings and Drawings
sketch. McGrath rightly regarded the Raleigh painting not as a portrait but a historical scene
(or rather a painting depicting a historical figure) and as such included it in her volume of Corpus
Rubenianum. Therefore, the composition of the Warsaw drawing can be compared - and jus-
tifiably so, in my opinion - with a much broader group of drawings, rather than just portraits.
In short, the question of the authorship of Joan of Arc should be reopened given that it is surely
an original composition and not a copy. Even though the manner of its execution might ap-
pear in some ways problematic, I believe that the circumstances of the creation of the work
speak against the authorship of any artist other than Rubens himself. The idea of honouring
the heroine originated with and was implemented by a small group of people. Rubens could
have been aware of the planned publication as early as 1619, when he began his correspond-
ence with Peiresc - maybe even earlier, through his friend Gevartius. During the following
years, Rubens and Peiresc frequently exchanged letters, not only - as mentioned before - on
scholarly and artistic matters. The correspondence concerning the poem by Gevartius is proof
that the artist was aware of the circumstances surrounding the publication. In this context,
commissioning an image of Joan from Rubens seems only too natural, if not self-evident. It
is difficult to imagine the artist entrusting someone else with the intellectually challenging
design in the situation when it was so deeply associated with the circle of his closest friends.
Further research by specialists may focus on stylistic matters, perhaps allowing the master’s
hand to be more generally recognized.
I am sincerely grateful to Bert Watteeuw (Rubenianum) for his support and invaluable help in acquiring
materials for the article, Prof. Elizabeth McGrath (The Warburg Institute) for the inspiring e-mail dis-
cussion and Dennis P. Weller (North Carolina Museum of Art) for information on the Raleigh painting.
Translated by Aleksandra Szkudlapska