The tale behind our new acquisition

Albrecht Dürer, The Virgin and Child with a Monkey, c1498, engraving, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2013

In my previous post I introduced our recent acquisition, a splendid early impression of Albrecht Dürer’s engraving The Virgin and Child with a Monkey, c1498 (state: Meder a). I now want to explore the remarkable provenance (history) of this object.

After leaving Dürer’s studio, this impression of The Virgin and Child with a Monkey circulated among collectors and the art market for upwards of 300 years before being acquired by the London-based collector the Reverand Clayton Mordaunt Cracherode (1730-99). Cracherode combined private wealth with a discerning eye and established a collection of several parts, notable among which was a large number of fine prints. Our print carries Cracherode’s mark on the verso (back) at lower left:

Only the finest or most significant of Cracherode’s prints were marked with his initials and the print scholar Antony Griffiths has suggested that he reserved his mark ‘as a sign of special approval or attachment.’ As we know that Cracherode only had a small number of northern prints from the period (compared to his extensive holdings of 16th-century Italian prints, for example), we can be confident that our print was highly prized by the famous collector.

Having served as a Trustee of the British Museum since 1784, Cracherode left his several collections to the Museum on his death. But in 1806 it was discovered that over the course of a year or more, the caricaturist and amateur art dealer Robert Dighton (c1752–1814) had stolen a large number of Cracherode’s prints from the Museum. The scandal was soon picked up by the newspapers and the Trustees struck a deal with Dighton to recover as many as possible of the prints in return for not bringing a prosecution against him.

Recent research by An van Camp (Curator of Dutch and Flemish Drawings and Prints at the British Museum) has revealed the lengths Dighton went to in order to obscure the provenance of his stolen prints. The stamps and inscriptions of previous owners were scratched out and bleached as well as being obscured with false marks invented by Dighton. By obliterating the legitimate provenance of these prints (recognisable through the various marks of previous collectors) and falsifying new histories for his ill-gotten wares, Dighton hoped to sell them without raising suspicion.

Our print shows Dighton’s owner’s mark on the recto (front) at lower right:

This stamp is a tell-tale sign of Dighton’s theft. Combined with the trace of Cracherode’s own mark on the verso we can identify our print as one of those stolen from the British Museum by Dighton and not subsequently recovered. (The British Museum no longer pursues the prints that Dighton stole, and the Gallery has acquired good title to this important work.)

Our print no doubt circulated among private collectors in the years after 1806 before appearing in a commercial exhibition in London at P & D Colnaghi & Co Ltd in 1971, marking the 500th anniversary of Dürer’s birth. A private collector purchased the print from that exhibition for £2000.

In July 2012 our print resurfaced during the filming of the popular television programme Antiques Roadshow during its visit to Stowe School in Buckinghamshire, United Kingdom. While the owner realised that her late father had acquired the print at Colnaghi’s in 1971 she was keen to learn more. London-based dealer Philip Mould examined the print and it became one of the highlights of the day’s visit to Stowe. The print features in episode 13 of series 35 of the Antiques Roadshow (Stowe House) which screened in the United Kingdom in January of this year.

In addition to being an important and beautiful work of art, our print has a most extraordinary story to tell. We hope that Aucklanders will enjoy this delightful addition to their collection.

- Mathew Norman, Assistant Curator

Further reading:

• An Van Camp, ‘Robert Dighton and his spurious collectors’ marks on Rembrandt prints in the British Museum, London’, in The Burlington Magazine, 155, 2013, pp88–94.
• Antony Griffiths (ed.), Landmarks in Print Collecting: Connoisseurs and Donors at the British Museum since 1753, The British Museum Press, London, the Parnassus Foundation, Ridgewood, NJ, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, 1996, pp43–51.

New acquisition

Albrecht Dürer, The Virgin and Child with a Monkey, c1498, engraving, Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki, purchased 2013

The Gallery recently acquired a superb early impression of Albrecht Dürer’s engraving The Virgin and Child with a Monkey, c.1498. (An early impression is pulled from the copper plate early in its life before the engraved lines deteriorate through repeated printing. This impression is also in the earliest state: Meder a.)

Albrecht Dürer was the leading artistic personality of the Northern Renaissance and his work was highly prized in the succeeding centuries. Dürer dramatically improved the standard of printmaking through the influential work produced at his studio in Nuremberg and his many prints were in wide circulation, making him famous throughout Europe. Importantly, Dürer acted as a conduit for many of the artistic advances of the Italian Renaissance which he encountered in person during his two trips south of the Alps.

The impact of Dürer’s first visit to Italy in 1494-95 is particularly evident in the classicising of the drapery of the Virgin’s costume seen in this composition. The simpler lines of the falling cloth reveal that Dürer had cast off much of the weight of the earlier Gothic tradition. We need only look to an earlier depiction of the same subject by the artist in which the heavy, stylised folds of the cloth are more reminiscent of carved stone or wood than actual fabric.

The close observation of incidental detail is found throughout Dürer’s work, whether it be in his paintings and prints or in the preparatory works, including his drawings and luminous watercolours. A fine example of the latter is the watercolour depicting the Weierhaus (pond or fisherman’s house) seen in the background of this print, and which is now in the British Museum, London.

It is useful to recall that Dürer created the visual effects of the wide range of textures and surfaces found in this print with only the tip of the engraver’s burin. The burin is a metal instrument with a sharp v-shaped tip which the artist uses to engrave the lines of the design into the copper plate. (A very thick ink is then rubbed into these grooves before the surface is wiped clean prior to printing.) In order to differentiate between the surfaces depicted, the artist needed to vary the depth, number and variety of marks he made in the copper. Compare the short and velvet-like fur of the monkey’s nose with the smooth skin of the fleshy Christ-child; while the rough wood of the low and rustic fence is in marked contrast to the softly waved and loosely worn hair of the Virgin.

The monkey (perhaps a Wolf’s mona monkey – Cercopithecus Wolfi) adds an exotic note to this composition. It seems that monkeys were kept as pets in the period and this poor creature may be seen chained for just that reason. However, the animal is also loaded with meaning and Erwin Panofsky pointed to the monkey as a symbol of base, immoral behaviour linked to Eve and the doctrine of Original Sin. Freighted with the weight of human failings, the monkey stands in contrast to the purity of the Virgin.

The Gallery did not previously hold an example of Dürer’s compositions of the Virgin and Child, so this acquisition fills a gap in our representation of the artist’s work. (Indeed, there does not appear to be another impression of this print in any of the other public collections in New Zealand.) For obvious reasons, this particular print was enormously popular in Dürer’s own time and later and a number of copies were produced by printmakers who were keen to cash-in on Dürer’s success.

- Mathew Norman, Assistant Curator

Further reading:
Erwin Panofsky, Albrecht Dürer, two vols, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1945, p67.

Professional Learning and Development

Search no more! Auckland Art Gallery Professional Learning and Development art making courses are now being offered every school holiday.

Learning Through the Creative Process -

WOODCUT PRINTMAKING

APRIL 2013

Eleven teachers participated in our latest PLD art making course on the first Monday of the term 1 holidays. As for the screen printmaking course earlier in the month, we learnt through the creative process. We began by exploring woodcut prints from our collection in the printroom, with Assistant Curator Mathew Norman, then exploring other examples of woodcut prints from our collection in small groups back in the studio.

Some examples of woodcut prints from our collection: 

Crayfish 1953
May Smith
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki



Kingfishers 1953
Robert Gibbings
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki



Philip Clairmont: Tribute 1984
Nigel Brown
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki



Kowhai 1930s
John Moore
Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki

We experimented with woodcut tools and techniques to create a variety of styles and effects, explored and experimented with a selection of design ideas (pattern, animals, text, shapes, portraits, etc) and finally created a design and then a woodcut block for printing.

We inked up the printing blocks, experimenting with colour mixing and texture.

We shared our design ideas, use of colour and cutting techniques.

Some of the work produced:

At the conclusion of the course we discussed:

• how we could implement these new skills and processes in our own classrooms
• how we would adapt the materials, skills and techniques to suit the age level and needs of the children we teach?

How would you teach this process in your classroom?

Useful links:

• Read our blog from the Auckland Art Gallery screen printing course
• View woodcut prints in our collection
• Learn about woodcut tools and where to get them
• Another blog, outlining the woodcut printmaking process

Next PLD at Auckland Art Gallery is Learning Through the Creative Process - LINOCUT printmaking on Monday 15th July

Dr T L Rodney Wilson CNZM

Senior Curator Ron Brownson was a long time friend and colleague of former Director Dr T. L. Rodney Wilson, he recalls the significance that his distinguished mentor had for New Zealand's art and culture:

When I learnt of the passing of Rodney Wilson a few days ago, it was not unexpected news but it was still a shock as he has always seemed to me one of my most vital and vigorous friends. He was an unforgettable man, blessed with an incisive intelligence. Rodney brimmed with ambition for all of the museums that he transformed with his redoubtable energy. I worked closely with him while he was at Auckland Art Gallery (7 March 1981–26 February 1988) and I remember him with warmth and affection.

Rodney was firstly a scholar – he was an erudite art historian. He revivified the reputation of Petrus Van der Velden, writing two exceptional books on the artist. He initiated an unpublished catalogue raisonné on Frances Hodgkins, which he gifted to the E H McCormick Research Library here at the Gallery.

Upon his arrival at Auckland Art Gallery, he initiated a research, acquisition, exhibition and publication programme that revolutionised this institution. He established an education service, enlarged the conservation laboratories, brought more resources to the Research Library and employed more staff.

Opening in stages between August 1982 and June 1984 the redeveloped art gallery building project which he initiated resulted in: a rebuilt wing for artwork storage, workshops and a new services wing; an auditorium; new basement security room; expanded loading; two additional conservation labs; an education suite; two lounge areas; a book shop and café; and the conversion of the reference room of the old City Library into the Wellesley Gallery (now the Grey Gallery). With 12 galleries, Rodney almost doubled the exhibition space.

Some of the significant exhibitions that he enabled at Auckland Art Gallery warrant recall as they introduced blockbusters to Auckland on a regular basis: Still Life in the Age of Rembrandt, Aspects of New Zealand Art, Paul Klee, Leonardo da Vinci: Nature Studies, Chance and Change: A Century of Avant Garde, Claude Monet: Painter of Light, The Buried Army of Qin Shihuang and Te Maori. Te Maori, in particular, became the most influential art exhibition to ever leave New Zealand and its many initiatives have transformed the way that taonga (treasures) are researched, displayed and published on.

When Rodney planned for transformation, it was always comprehensive. He established the New Zealand Maritime Museum in Auckland; I think that this may well be the first time that a director has been responsible for innovating a new museum in New Zealand.

Rodney could speak with a beguiling gravitas. As an advocate for museums he had more than convincing charm – he had palpable charisma. In speaking to civic and government politicians and managers, he convinced them of the merit of museums and gained more support for his institutions than such organisations had previously attracted. He would go into battle for change and this was driven by an ambition for his institutions that would not buckle under resistance. His drive, insight and future building was infectious, and his staff enjoyed the reality that they all had to help produce the results that he very clearly articulated the need for.

A characteristic that I cherished about Rodney is that he could make his projects one’s own. I think that I edited more art catalogues and publications for Rodney than before or since. He never wanted to see two publications a year but four, or even six. He was competitive in the very best way, he wanted more New Zealand art seen at Auckland Art Gallery than ever before and he wanted to tour it as well.

Rodney was also warm-hearted. When he was at Auckland Museum, Rodney assisted my father in gaining access to archive material relating to his military service in North Africa, Italy and Japan during World War Two. To personally help a visitor on a one-to-one basis was characteristic of this very busy, very energetic man. He gave every museum that he renewed his perseverance, loyalty and commitment.

We send to his wife Maureen and his family our aroha at this time.

Professional Learning and Development

Learning Through the Creative Process - SCREEN PRINTMAKING.

Professional Learning and Development for teachers has started up again at Auckland Art Gallery!

Learning through the creative process we explored examples of screen prints in the collection, experimented with techniques and styles, created paper and fabric screen prints and then shared ways these techniques could be implemented successfully in our classrooms. Junior and intermediate teachers and a teacher of students with special needs participated enthusiastically in a busy 5 hour session - so enthusiastically nobody wanted to stop for lunch!

We began by exploring the Auckland Art Gallery Print Room with Assistant Curator Mathew Norman. Mathew showed four different examples of screen prints from our collection and spoke about the time they were made, the  techniques used and the style of the work.

Mathew explained the use of the room, the storage of artworks on paper and the precise conditions that need to be maintained in the space to ensure the artworks would be safe and well preserved for the future.

Back in the studio, we explored other screen prints on paper and fabric from our collection. In groups, we tried to work out the process. How had these works been made? What would need to have been considered? How has colour been used?

Focusing on screen printing on paper, we discussed possible backgounds for the print such as collage, paint, sprayed dye, brushed on dye or coloured inks. We then experimented with different designs, materials and techniques to create a backgound on paper and a design to go on top. The designs were photocopied and made into a number of different stencils.

Some problems needed to be solved before moving to the next stage!

Then the screen printing on paper creating began!

Followed by screen printing on fabric.



Finally, we came together and shared our reactions to the process, how we learnt through the creative process, how we problem solved, made modifications and refined our ideas. This lead to great discussion on exactly how we could follow this process and teach screen printing in our own classrooms.

Feedback from the teachers:

• 'A wonderful environment to create without the fear of failure. A perfect mix of talking and sharing paired with creating, exploring and experimenting. A fabulous day that seemed to zoom through - a great example of a fun day!'  Year 1 classroom teacher.
• 'The content was awesome! I've gathered many ideas to use in class. I enjoyed being allowed to work at my own pace and problem solve my own artwork.'  Intermediate art specialist teacher.
• 'I achieved my goals. Great facilitator, very welcoming and plenty of opportunity to explore. I will definitely build these techniques into term 2 and 3 planning.' Teacher of 5-21 year old children with special needs.

How have you implemented screen print making in your classroom?

Useful links:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wogKeYH2wEE

Find out how silk screens are made and watch a number of different screen printing processes.

www.visual-arts-cork.com/printmaking/screen-printing.htm

The process and history of screen printing. Famous screen print artists.



Drop in Drawing - Here to Stay!

Drop in Drawing is now a permanent programme at the Auckland Art Gallery!

Session times:

Tuesdays 12-1pm

Sunday 2-3pm
FREE with all materials provided, no booking needed

Ask at the front desk for locations on the day.

http://www.aucklandartgallery.com/learning/adults

Lots of people ask me why we are doing Drop in Drawing. It's a really good question. Drawing in a gallery is not a new concept or idea by any means. You can walk through galleries all over the world and see people sketching or even painting. But the purposes behind why we do this programme is something I think is unique. Some of the reasons we do this programme are:

• Because it is not about learning to draw, but about drawing to learn
• Because it helps people connect with the artwork
• Because it is purposeful and flexible
• Because it is about a process as well as a product
• Because it celebrates and validates our visitors experiences 

A Visitors idea of what happens next in one of the Victorian paintings.

Through Drop in Drawing visitors experience each element of the Creative Process. They...

EXPLORE an artwork more closely

EXPERIMENT with mark making, and the process of drawing

CREATE something of their own

SHARE the experience with others taking part
 

What visitors saw above eye level in our North Atrium.

Prompts we have challenged visitors with so far have been:

• Draw something above eye level
• Draw with your pencil in your other hand
• Draw what you think happens next in the artwork
• Memory game - look at the artwork for 20 seconds then turn around and draw from memory
• Never take your pencil off the paper
• Clothe the nudes
• Caption this artwork
• Hold your pencil in your elbow
• Guess my scribble
• Change the background
• Reconfigure the composition of an artwork

We have used historic works, contemporary installations, modernist paintings, and the architecture and spaces to provide inspiration to visitors.


A visitors work who took on the challenge of continuous line drawing.

As you can see from the prompts, the focus is on being social, close looking, engaging with the artwork, and a process, not a polished end product. We have very consciously decided that these are not technical drawing sessions.

Visitors have expressed appreciation of the challenges, because sitting in front of an artwork and just being told to 'draw' can be overwhelming and intimidating. Two feelings we want to eradicate from peoples experiences with art making! If there is a prompt,challenge, or type of artwork you would like to experience in Drop in Drawing let us know, we love suggestions on how to further push and extend this concept.

Thank you to everyone who has taken part in this programme so far and for all the positive feedback and suggestions you have given us. So far over 260 people have taken part in these drawing sessions in the past eight weeks! We cannot wait to watch this programme grow and are really excited to have it in our Learning Programmes family. 

A creature that began as a scribble and morphed into something the artist never predicted.

The Creative Process: Share

The final element of the creative process in the Creative Learning Centre is 'share'. This is where visitors, and the artist, leave lasting impressions in the space. constantly reflecting on, and contributing to, the process of Tiffany's work, other visitors' work, and the physical space.

Tiffany Singh opens up the process of making her work, her philosophies and beliefs about her practice, and her art. She does this through a silent film showing her collecting materials, melting wax and creating her artworks. She shares objects that inspire her and reflect her work on shelves throughout the room. These objects range from books about spirituality, jars full of pigment and spices, and raw beeswax and honeycomb. There is text opening up and sharing ideas about the symbolic use of colour in her work, the symbols and nature that feature heavily in her practice. A nostalgic collection of View-Masters share images of past installations that are reflected in her work on display, Dusted with the Spices of a Million Flowers.
 

For our visitors, there are shelves where they can leave their drawings or their sculptures for other people to appreciate in response to the activities. It was important to have a space where the visitor’s voice could be valued; therefore, the shelves where they can put their works are not segregated but are a part of the room. They are the first and last thing you see in the space, they are mixed with the objects Tiffany has left, they are not relegated to an isolated corner.

When children in particular ask me, ‘What do I have to do to get my picture up on the shelf?’ it's so fun to see them burst with excitement when you tell them that they can put whatever they like up there and choose where it goes. Sometimes the enthusiasm to leave their masterpiece fades and they awkwardly hover by it for a moment while a proud parent takes a photograph; they just cannot bear to leave it! Still, the fact that they had the choice to do what they wanted is powerful. The shelves are heavy with the pipe cleaner creatures and the colourful compositions visitors have created.

We have a response wall where visitors share their ideas about the focus colour in the room. The initial focus colour of the room was yellow, and the responses to what yellow reminded people of ranged from funny, touching, and thoughtful. There are the popular options like the sun, flowers, bees, paper, happiness, and summer. Then there are the ones like 'my Grandma's teeth', 'a colour I should wear more', and 'my mum's hugs', which are more personal.

When the room shifted into orange, the responses began to vary. Orange reminded people of Dutch football, Holland, oranges, lollies, traffic cones and high visibility vests, or that the word does not rhyme with anything.

Currently the prompt is ‘Red reminds me of…' What is interesting is of the three colours explored so far, red has prompted the most emotive responses. The ideas are abstract and intangible, less object or nature focused. The board is filled with words like: love, passion, blood, anger, life, fear, fury, equality and revenge. 

Red seems to encompass polarities of emotions for people. People linger at this space for long periods of time, reading other people's ideas, contributing their own, and reflecting on the connections between the responses. It is the part of the room where I have seen the most opportunity for bridging to manifest. 

The elements where people can share in the room have resulted in a space that is changing and evolving with each person who participates here. The Creative Learning Centre therefore feels constantly refreshed and revised, as Tiffany’s artwork and ideas are in conversation with the artwork and ideas of our visitors.  

Sharing creates a balance between the artist's voice, the visitors' voices, and the Gallery's voice. It is through the avenues where people can share, that the Creative Learning Centre exhibition space differs from a traditional exhibition and gallery context.