DOI Heft:
No. 110 (May, 1902)
DOI Artikel:Singer, Hans Wolfgang: A German painter: Robert Sterl
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19875#0256
Robert Sterl
Besides essays in these different lines, Sterl hasalso than profound—published in the "Gazette des
done interesting studies of the peasants about him. Beaux Arts " a series of articles on the artists who
Perhaps we ought not to rail him a commanding had had relations with Isabella d'Este, the
artist, but nevertheless he is more catholic in his directors of South Kensington were content to
interests than many of the strong men; more, indeed, rely on the researches made by the writer in
than most painters are nowadays. Moreover, it is question, and had the ''Studiolo" reconstructed
surely full of promise that whatever problem lie turns accordingly. The late M. Yriarte had presented
to he always displays earnestness of study, and that an old hypothesis to the effect that there were
he is gifted enough to attain in the very beginning paintings on the upper part of the walls, near the
a higher standard than so many reach at the end ceiling, including one by Costa, and two by
of their patient efforts. H. W. S. Mantegna, now in the Louvre, representing
-- Parnassus and Virtue triumphing over Vice.
A curious question was lately raised by M. Thus, the South Kensington model was enriched
Patricolo, conservator of the Ducal Palace of with representations of these pictures. No one
Mantua. It concerns the clay model of the questioned the accuracy of all this until M.
celebrated "Studiolo" of Isabella d'Este, exhibited Patricolo came to the front, and, armed with
in the South Kensington Museum. In 1887, the irrefutable documentary evidence, pointed out the
directors of that institution desired to add to the error of M. Yriarte, and the consequent error of
existing series of models in relief, representing the the South Kensington authorities. For the accuracy
most remarkable examples of polychrome decora- of the model is belied by the "Studiolo" itself,
tion in Italy, a model of one of the most ex- In fact, M. Patricolo remarks that, precisely in
quisitely beautiful rooms, once occupied by Isabella the spaces where the pictures by Costa and Man-
d'Este, in the Ducal Palace at Mantua, and known tegna should be were revolving machines, while
as the " Studiolo of Isabella," or the " Marchesana." the spaces between the columns were covered by
As this most precious portion of the famous canvases which could not be replaced by pictures,
palace was in a dilapidated condition, it was especially pictures such as those of Costa and Man-
necessary to have recourse to historical and literary tegna. The machinery consisted of a cylinder, tier-
research, and when, some years since, Charles minated at one of the extremities by a huge pulley,
Yriarte, the French art critic—a writer more genial acting simultaneously with a smaller pulley above.
All this excludes the possi-
bility of pictures having
."'*!£• recently - discovered docu-
^^^-^garaMMtftfj^EHEBu^ ment dealing with the apart-
^mmm^I;' §B&BB^^BSB$BK>^ ments of Isabella d'Este in
1 were found the pictures sup-
posed to have been in the
"Studiolo" of the Ducal
Palace. It should be added
that the paintings were nine
in number, according to an
! . . . inventory made in 1542,
while the blank spaces
available in the "Studiolo"
are only six, this again
serving to fortify M. Patri-
^^^^^SjB^JJ^JHpgl^^^ colo's contention that at
original arrangement of
each picture had not been
"a pond" by rohert sterl respected.
243
Besides essays in these different lines, Sterl hasalso than profound—published in the "Gazette des
done interesting studies of the peasants about him. Beaux Arts " a series of articles on the artists who
Perhaps we ought not to rail him a commanding had had relations with Isabella d'Este, the
artist, but nevertheless he is more catholic in his directors of South Kensington were content to
interests than many of the strong men; more, indeed, rely on the researches made by the writer in
than most painters are nowadays. Moreover, it is question, and had the ''Studiolo" reconstructed
surely full of promise that whatever problem lie turns accordingly. The late M. Yriarte had presented
to he always displays earnestness of study, and that an old hypothesis to the effect that there were
he is gifted enough to attain in the very beginning paintings on the upper part of the walls, near the
a higher standard than so many reach at the end ceiling, including one by Costa, and two by
of their patient efforts. H. W. S. Mantegna, now in the Louvre, representing
-- Parnassus and Virtue triumphing over Vice.
A curious question was lately raised by M. Thus, the South Kensington model was enriched
Patricolo, conservator of the Ducal Palace of with representations of these pictures. No one
Mantua. It concerns the clay model of the questioned the accuracy of all this until M.
celebrated "Studiolo" of Isabella d'Este, exhibited Patricolo came to the front, and, armed with
in the South Kensington Museum. In 1887, the irrefutable documentary evidence, pointed out the
directors of that institution desired to add to the error of M. Yriarte, and the consequent error of
existing series of models in relief, representing the the South Kensington authorities. For the accuracy
most remarkable examples of polychrome decora- of the model is belied by the "Studiolo" itself,
tion in Italy, a model of one of the most ex- In fact, M. Patricolo remarks that, precisely in
quisitely beautiful rooms, once occupied by Isabella the spaces where the pictures by Costa and Man-
d'Este, in the Ducal Palace at Mantua, and known tegna should be were revolving machines, while
as the " Studiolo of Isabella," or the " Marchesana." the spaces between the columns were covered by
As this most precious portion of the famous canvases which could not be replaced by pictures,
palace was in a dilapidated condition, it was especially pictures such as those of Costa and Man-
necessary to have recourse to historical and literary tegna. The machinery consisted of a cylinder, tier-
research, and when, some years since, Charles minated at one of the extremities by a huge pulley,
Yriarte, the French art critic—a writer more genial acting simultaneously with a smaller pulley above.
All this excludes the possi-
bility of pictures having
."'*!£• recently - discovered docu-
^^^-^garaMMtftfj^EHEBu^ ment dealing with the apart-
^mmm^I;' §B&BB^^BSB$BK>^ ments of Isabella d'Este in
1 were found the pictures sup-
posed to have been in the
"Studiolo" of the Ducal
Palace. It should be added
that the paintings were nine
in number, according to an
! . . . inventory made in 1542,
while the blank spaces
available in the "Studiolo"
are only six, this again
serving to fortify M. Patri-
^^^^^SjB^JJ^JHpgl^^^ colo's contention that at
original arrangement of
each picture had not been
"a pond" by rohert sterl respected.
243