MARTEN VAN CLEVE - THE MASSACRE OF THE INNOCENTS

Comparative Study of Different Versions of the Subject and the Function of

Drawings in Flemish Workshops During the 16th-Century

Ellionore Schachnow

Department of Culture and Aesthetics, Stockholm University

Spring 2020

ABSTRACT

Department: Department of Culture and Aesthetics,

Stockholm University, Art History

Address: 106 91 Stockholm University

Supervisor: Maria Beatrice De Ruggieri

Title and Subtitle: Marten van Cleve - The Massacre of the Innocents:

Comparative Study of Different Versions of the

Subject and the Function of Drawings in Flemish

Workshops During the 16th-Century

Author: Ellionore Schachnow

Author’s Contact Information: Midskeppsgatan 1, 120 66, Stockholm,

ellionoreschachnow@gmail.com

Essay Level: Master’s Thesis

Ventilation Semester: Spring 2020

This thesis examines Marten van Cleve’s painting the Massacre of the Innocents from the

Stockholm University Art Collection through technical examinations that were conducted at

Spökslottet in January 2020 (X-ray, UV, IRR). The aim of the thesis is to examine Marten

van Cleve’s painting technique, style and composition by comparing the painting with 5

similar versions of the subject the Massacre of the Innocents. Moreover, the thesis

compares the underdrawing of the painting from the Stockholm University Art collection

with the drawing from Göttingen that are similar in composition and signed by Marten van

Cleve. Additionally, this thesis examines the relationship between preparatory drawings and

the underdrawings in the artists environment in order to learn more about Marten van

Cleve’s painting process as well as achieve an insight into contemporary 16th-century

Flemish artists.

Keywords: Marten van Cleve, Maerten van Cleve, Marten van Cleef, The Massacre of the

Innocents, Technical Art History

Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1

Aim and Research Questions ................................................................................................. 2

Theoretical Framework .......................................................................................................... 2

Previous Research .................................................................................................................. 3

Material and Method .............................................................................................................. 5

Disposition ............................................................................................................................. 6

Delimitations .......................................................................................................................... 6

Technical Entry .......................................................................................................................... 7

Support ................................................................................................................................... 7

Ground Layers ........................................................................................................................ 8

Underdrawing ....................................................................................................................... 10

Underpainting ("Abbozzo") ................................................................................................. 11

Paint Layers .......................................................................................................................... 11

Varnish ................................................................................................................................. 12

Comparative Study of The Massacre of the Innocents ............................................................ 16

Copies of the Massacre of the Innocents .............................................................................. 16

Preliminary Notes About the Compared Paintings .............................................................. 17

Index of the Compared Paintings ......................................................................................... 19

Comparison .......................................................................................................................... 20

Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents (Christie’s version) ........................ 20

Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents under the Snow (Monaco version). 23

Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents (Ader version) ................................ 24

Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents (Private collection Switzerland) .... 25

Der Bethlehemitische Kindermord, Kunstsammlung der Universität (Göttingen) .......... 26

Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 28

The Signed Drawing by Marten van Cleve from Göttingen .................................................... 29

Technical Notes About the Drawing .................................................................................... 30

Comparative Study Between the Drawing and the Painting ................................................ 31

Drawings in the 16th-Century Antwerp Workshop .................................................................. 33

Drawings and Underdrawings in Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Workshop .............................. 35

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 38

Bibliography ............................................................................................................................. 40

Literature .............................................................................................................................. 40

Internet Sources ................................................................................................................ 41

List of Illustrations ................................................................................................................... 43

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Introduction

The story of the Massacre of the Innocents derives from the Bible (Matthew 2: 16-18). King

Herod ordered the assassination of all the male children in Bethlehem under the age of two

after being informed by the wise men that Jesus was born. In the painting The Massacre of the

Innocents, the biblical scene is set in a snow-covered Flemish village. The motif has been

interpreted as containing political connotations where the roman soldiers in the painting

represents the Spanish army and German soldiers were ordered to regain control over Phillip

II’s rebelling provinces.1 The captain on the horse in the foreground to the right is surrounded

by a group of people who begs for mercy, in the centre of the painting there is a man that

hands over a petition to a soldier on a horse. To the right a soldier leaves the house with a

child under his arm and to the left there are two soldiers who tries to break into the house by

force. There is a child that is murdered and bleeds in the snow in the foreground to the right

and there is a woman with a child being chased by an armed soldier in the foreground to the

right.

The Massacre of the Innocents in the Stockholm University Art Collection has been attributed

to the Flemish artist Marten van Cleve, but the painting is not signed. Previously the painting

was attributed to Pieter Bruegel the Younger. Although, there is a drawing that is signed by

Marten van Cleve in the copperplate collection of the university in Göttingen with a similar

composition and figurative themes that indicates that the painting may be of the same old

master.2 The Massacre of the Innocents by Marten van Cleve have been a part of the Huss

collection3 and the Berg collection in 1882 and since 1884 the Massacre of the Innocents has

been a part of the Stockholm University Art Collection.4 The Flemish artist Marten van Cleve

(1527-1581) became a master in the Antwerp Guild of St Luke during 1551-2. Van Cleve

studied under Frans Floris. In 1556 Marten van Cleve set up his own studio with apprentices

that were recorded from 1558 and onwards, his sons Gillis II, Marten the younger, Joris

and Nicolaas also used the studio. During the 1560s and 1570s the workshop of Marten van

Cleve was productive, creating a vast amount of copies of van Cleves original paintings,

although the chronology of his original works are unclear. The low-life scenes that depicts

peasant weddings, festivities or plundering soldiers were influenced by the work of his

1 Christie’s, https://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5813550, retrieved 05/02/2020. 2 Karling, Sten, The Stockholm university collection of paintings: catalogue, University of Stockholm

[Stockholms univ.], Stockholm, 1978. 3 As Pieter Bruegel the Younger. In the Huss collection catalogue, it says that the painting came from

Löwenhielm’s collection although the painting is not mentioned in the Löwenhielm catalogue from 1857. 4 Weibull, Nina & Olausson, Magnus (red.), Mästerverk från Spökslottet: den Bergska samlingen,

Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 1995, pp 51–52.

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contemporary Pieter Bruegel the Elder.5 There are at least 20 paintings with a similar

composition that depicts the Massacre of the Innocents, although many have been attributed

to Pieter Bruegel the Younger.6 The attribution of the different version have been disputed

among scholars.

Aim and Research Questions

The aim of the thesis is to examine Marten van Cleve’s painting technique, style and

composition by conducting technical examinations of the painting the Massacre of the

Innocents from the Stockholm University Art Collection and by comparing the painting to

similar paintings. This thesis will compare the painting and underdrawing of the Massacre of

the Innocents from the Stockholm University Art collection with the drawing from Göttingen

that are similar in composition and is attributed to Marten van Cleve. The aim is also to

outline how the artist worked with the underdrawings. Additionally, this thesis aims to

examine the relationship between preparatory drawings and the underdrawings in the artists

environment in order to learn more about Marten van Cleve’s painting process as well as

achieve an insight into contemporary 16th-century Flemish artists.

• What compositional and stylistic variations appear in the 5 compared versions of

the Massacre of the Innocents?

• What is the relationship between the drawing from Göttingen and the

underdrawing of the painting from the Stockholm University Art collection?

• What function did drawings have in the artist environment (Flemish, Antwerpen,

16th-century, in the same workshop or for other contemporary artists)?

Theoretical Framework

In the essay Toward a Fusion of Art History and Material Culture Studies (2011), Michael

Yonan says that material culture studies originally emerged from fields such as anthropology,

archaeology and sociology. Objects that originated from ancient cultures lacked textual

sources which caused scholars within these fields to turn to material artefacts in order to

understand long-lost cultures. The use of material culture within scholarly research were

originally used for research about ancient societies but has been widely broadened in recent

years. Today, material culture studies are an interdisciplinary space within different academic

fields. Yonan discusses the relationship between art history and the widely defined

5 ‘Cleve, van Family (ii)’, Oxford Art Online, Grove Art Online, https://www-oxfordartonline-

com.ezp.sub.su.se/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-

7000018159?rskey=KB1GKl#oao-9781884446054-e-7000018159-div1-7000018163. retrieved 06/03/2020. 6 Marlier, Georges, Pierre Brueghel le jeune, Bruxelles, 1969.

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interdisciplinary material culture and he explains why they have been poorly integrated.7 In

the article Materiality as Periphery (2018) Michael Yonan further examines how materiality

forms a periphery within the interpretive structures of art historical writing. Yonan outlines a

shift in the perception of meaning. During the 1960s, art historians may have claimed that

meaning was possessed within an artwork and the purpose of the art historians was to uncover

that meaning. Thereby, the art historian was a keen observer who tried to uncover lost ideas.

During the 1990s the idea that an artwork possessed inherent meaning was no longer the

common belief. Instead, new perspectives emerged and the belief that meaning does not exist

in the work of art but can be found in critical and interpretive interpretation. Thereby meaning

is created through interpretation and scholarly activity. The consequence of this approach is a

wider range of critical perspectives and meanings applied to an artwork. Although, the wide

range of interpreting and interpreters creates disadvantages due to the lack of consensus

regarding meaning or how to produce meaning. As an example, Yonan refers to the Palette of

King Narmer at the Egyptian Museum of Cairo since it plays several roles within the

academic study of material culture and he examines how the Palette has been interpreted in

different texts by scholars with a focus on materiality. This thesis applies Yonan’s theory

about materiality by basing the examination on material studies of the painting from the

Stockholm University Art Collection.8

In the article From Connoisseurship to Technical Art History: The Evolution of the

Interdisciplinary Study of Art (2005), Maryan W. Ainsworth writes about how the

interdisciplinary studies within art history, conservation and conservation science has evolved

into the fast-growing field of technical art history. She argues that conservators and art

historians should know more about the other profession and that this is lacking in their

education. Art historians does not have the experience of dealing with objects and the

condition of works which is problematic when working as a curator.9 This thesis is based on

the object and uses both technical methods as well as traditional art historical research within

the field of technical art history.

Previous Research

There has been a limited amount of research about the painting Marten Cleve – The Massacre

of the Innocents from the Stockholm University Art Collection at Schefflerska palatset In

Mästerverk från Spökslottet: den Bergska samlingen, Nationalmuseum (1995), Nina Weibull

and Magnus Olausson mentions two versions of the Massacre in of the Innocents by Pieter

Bruegel the Elder, one in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna and one in Queen

7 Yonan, M., ‘Towards a Fusion of Art History and Material Culture Studies’, West 86th 18, 2011, pp. 232– 248. 8 Yonan, M., ‘Materiality as Periphery’, Visual Resources, 2018, pp. 1–17. 9 Ainsworth, M., ‘From Connoisseurship to Technical Art History: The Evolution of the Interdisciplinary Study

of Art’, Getty Conservation Institute Newsletter 20, 2005, pp. 1-8.

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Elizabeth II’s collection in Hampton Court, London. The authors compare the Massacre of the

Innocents in the Stockholm University Art Collection by Marten van Cleve with Bruegel the

Elder’s versions. In the painting from Stockholm the composition is depicted closer and the

numbers of figures are reduced, and the figures bodies are thicker. The faces are rough and

characterized by individual, indifferent expressions as well as expressions of deep despair.10

In the Stockholm University collection of paintings catalogue (1978) Sten Karling describes

the theme of the painting and draws parallels between Marten van Cleve and Pieter Bruegel

the Elder’s painting technique and composition. Karling says that Van Cleve was influenced

by Bruegel the Elders paintings the Massacre of the Innocents and the Cencus in Bethlehem

and that details in van Cleves painting can also be found in the works of Bruegel.

Furthermore, Karling says that there are at least 20 paintings that are similar to van Cleve’s

painting in the Stockholm Univesrity Art Collection but that deviates in style and quality.

Additionally, Karling mentions a drawing that is signed by van Cleve in the Copperplate

collection of the University in Göttingen. The drawing indicates that the painting in the

Stockholm University Art Collection is a work by Marten van Cleve due to its similarities in

composition and figurative themes. Thereby, Karling says that the common view, as held by

Marlier, that the painting was made by Pieter Bruegel the Younger, is no longer supported.11

In the book Pierre Brueghel le jeune (1969) George Marlier lists 2 signed and 18 unsigned

paintings that are similar in style and composition to the painting in the Stockholm University

Art Collection. In Pierre Brueghel le jeune, Marlier mentions Hulin de Loo who wrote Peter

Bruegel l’Ancien (1907) in collaboration with René Van Bastelaer where they devoted

substantial pages to Martin van Cleve and emphasised the connections with the work of Pieter

Bruegel the elder. Additionally, Marlier mentions the drawing from Göttingen.12 Giorgio T.

Faggin argues in De genre-schilder Marten van Cleef (1965), that Marten van Cleve is the

most radical Flemish genre painter of the 16th-century. In this paper, Faggin lists works that

can certainly be attributed to Marten van Cleve and four copies of lost originals.13 Faggin

argues that the drawing justifies the attribution to Marten van Cleve as the artist of the

original painting of the similar versions.14

Osvald Sirén argues in Beskrifvande förteckning öfver Stockholms högskolas tafvelsamling

jämte konsthistorisk inledning (1912) that the Massacre of the Innocents in Stockholm is

10 Weibull, Nina & Olausson, Magnus (red.), Mästerverk från Spökslottet: den Bergska samlingen,

Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 1995. 11 Karling, Sten, The Stockholm university collection of paintings: catalogue, University of Stockholm,

[Stockholms univ.], Stockholm, 1978. 12 G. Marlier, Pierre Brueghel le Jeune, Brussels, 1969, p. 338, no. 13. as 'Pieter Brueghel II'. 13 G. T. Faggin: ‘De genre-schilder Marten van Cleef’, Oud-Holland, 80 (1965), pp. 34–46 (fig. 9 and 8). 14 G. T. Faggin: ‘De genre-schilder Marten van Cleef’, Oud-Holland, 80 (1965), pp. 34–46 (fig. 9 and 8).

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made by Pieter Bruegel the Younger.15 Hulin de Loo argues in Pieter Bruegel l'Ancien (1907)

that a smaller version of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s the Massacre of the Innocents could be

attributed to Marten van Cleve.16 De Loo claims that several versions by Pieter Bruegel the

Younger are based that van Cleve’s painting.17 In La galerie de Tableaux de la Reine

Christine de Suède ayant appartenu auparavant à l'empereure Rudolph II plus tard aux ducs

d'Orléans: recherche historique et critique (1897), Olof Granberg says that the Massacre of

the Innocents in the Stockholm University Art Collection as well as a similar painting in the

collection are varying copies of a famous painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in the ‘Musée

impérial de Vienne’.18 Moreover, Granberg claims that these paintings were probably a war

booty from Prague that had been a part of the art collection of queen Christina in the royal

palace of Stockholm.19

Material and Method

The painting Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents from the Stockholm

University Art Collection was examined using non-invasive technical tools (UV20, IRR21,

Macro/ Micro Photography22, Raking light and X-ray23) at the Stockholm University Art

Collection.24 The results from the technical examination are presented in the technical entry

that is included in the thesis. Visible images are used in the comparative study of the different

versions of the Massacre of the Innocents. A high-resolution image of the drawing from

Göttingen University will be compared with the visible image and the IRR-image of the

underdrawing. Subsequently, the research questions are discussed using relevant secondary

sources.

15 Sirén, Osvald, Beskrifvande förteckning öfver Stockholms högskolas tafvelsamling jämte konsthistorisk

inledning, Stockholm, 1912. 16 De Loo claims that he might have seen the original painting in Beusdael Castle in Belgium. Pieter Bruegel

l'Ancien, p 378. 17 Hulin de Loo, Pieter Bruegel l'Ancien. Brussels 1907. 18 There is no similar painting in the Stockholm University Art Collection, although Granberg might refer to the

Attack (Inv no. 17). 19 Granberg, Olof, La galerie de Tableaux de la Reine Christine de Suède ayant appartenu auparavant à

l'empereure Rudolph II plus tard aux ducs d'Orléans: recherche historique et critique, Stockholm, 1897. 20 UV fluorescence. Nikon D800, Micronikkor lens 55mm, filters 2B+85B. 21 Infrared Reflectography. Osiris, Opus Instruments, InGaAs (1700nm). 22 Microphotography. Nikon D800, 12 cm extension tube, Micronikkor lens 55mm. 23 Radiography. X-ray tube: Gilardoni – Radio Light; digital scanner HD-CR 35 NDT, digital paltes HD-IP Plus

30/40 cm. 24 The technical examinations were conducted during 20/1-24/1 2020.

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Disposition

The thesis begins with the introduction chapter and is followed by the second chapter which is

the technical entry which will be based on the results from the technical examinations of

Marten van Cleve- The Massacre of the Innocents that were conducted at The Stockholm

University Art Collection.25 The support, ground layers, underdrawing, underpainting, paint

layers, and varnish are discussed in subheadings based on the resulting images from the

technical examinations. The third chapter is a comparative study of several versions of the

painting with the same compositional motif. Subsequently, the fourth chapter examines the

relationship between the painting, the underdrawing and the drawing from Göttingen. The

fifth chapter examines the role of the drawing in Antwerp’s workshops during the 16th-

century.

Delimitations

There is a limited amount of research material regarding the painting in the Stockholm

University Art Collection and there is a limited amount of written material about Marten van

Cleve and his workshop. There are no published technical examinations of Marten van

Cleve’s other paintings which excludes the possibility to compare the results from the

technical examination conducted at Spökslottet with published examination of Marten van

Cleves other paintings. The topic is complex and there are many different versions of the

Massacre of the Innocents in both Museums and in private collection. There are many

different opinions about the copies of the Massacre of the Innocents and the attribution of the

original would require an extensive research.

25 The technical examinations were conducted during 20/1-24/1 2020.

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Technical Entry

Marten van Cleve (Cleef)

The Massacre of the Innocents

76 x 108 x 0,5 cm

Oil on panel

Stockholm University Art Collection

Inventory nr 18

Support

The support is probably an oak panel and Northern European painters often favoured oak.26 It

is possible to see the fibres of the wood on the surface and on the reverse and the wood grains

are horizontal. The panel is relatively thin and on the surface of the painting it is possible to

see two joints which indicates that the panel consists of three joined boards. The panel is

reinforced on the reverse to the right with smaller battens and on the left side there is a crack.

On the reverse of the panel there is a stamp which says Stockholms Universitet and a sticker

with the number 16853 (Figure 11). Moreover, there are small holes on the reverse which may

be a consequence of woodworms and there is a cradle on the reverse of the support.

Previously, the support may have been thinned when the painting was restored, and the cradle

was applied in order to flatten the surface and to prevent warping and splitting of the support

due to changes in humidity and/ or changes in the temperature. The boards of the panel are

held together by two joints which is evident in the X-ray image, UV image, IRR image as

well as in the visible image. In the X-ray image it is possible to see two dowels in the area of

the connection of the boards. The first dowel is visible slightly to the left of the roof of the

house that is furthest to the right and the second dowel is visible between the balcony and the

window, on the edge of the roof of the house that is furthest to the left (Figure 1). Even

though it is not possible to see dowels in the bottom joint panels it is probable to assume that

there are two there as well.

26 Doherty, Tiarna. & Woollett, Anne T., Looking at paintings: a guide to technical terms, Rev. ed., J. Paul Getty

Museum, Los Angeles, 2009.

8

Figure 1. Dowels are visible in the X-ray image

Ground Layers

The ground layer is most visible in areas where the paint layer is thin or in the contours of the

figures. In the foreground to the right it is possible to see the ground layer in the contours of

the logs which appears to be a beige colour (Figure 2). Additionally, it is possible to see the

colour of the ground in the contours of the branches of the tree to the left in the painting

(Figure 3). The snow is painted in a grey or light blue tone where the beige colour of the

ground layer creates an effect on the painted layer due to its transparency. Some areas of the

snow seem to be painted with a thicker layer and in some areas the snow seems to be left

without paint which reveals the underlying ground layer which may be an intention of the

artist.

Figure 2. The beige ground layer is visible in the contours of the logs

9

The colour has flaked on the clothes of the man

in the red clothes to the left, thus revealing a

white colour (Figure 4). If this is a recent loss,

the white colour that appears in the colour loss

is not aged and might propose the possibility

that the ground originally was more whiteish.

Consequently, the light brown tone of the

ground could be due to the aging process of the

painting, although this is a hypothesis. Further

examinations of this hypothesis would require

cross-sections.

In the IRR-image there are brushstrokes that are

not uniform to the forms and contours of the

figures in the visible image which can indicate

that the brushstrokes belong to the ground

layer. In the X-ray image it is evident that the

ground layer is painted with broad brush strokes that fills in the holes of the fibres. The

preparation of the ground may have been made using light preparation such as calcium

carbonate or lead white. The ground appears to be light in the X-ray image because dense

elements prevents the penetration of the X-rays which is contrary to less dense elements that

will appear to be darker in the X-ray image.27 To summarize, the painting was probably

primed with a white ground layer followed by a light brown imprimatura containing lead

white. The wide brushstrokes of the imprimatura are most evident in the X-ray image. The

beige ground layer that appears through the painted layer in the visible image could be due to

earth pigments in the layer or possibly due to yellowing of the oil medium.

27 Doherty, Tiarna. & Woollett, Anne T., Looking at paintings: a guide to technical terms, Rev. ed., J. Paul Getty

Museum, Los Angeles, 2009. PP 87-88.

Figure 4. Colour loss, revealing the whitish

ground layer

Figure 3. The beige ground layer is visible in the tree

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Underdrawing

The lines of the underdrawing look bold, consisting of dark grey lines and probably executed

in a dry medium. In the IRR-image the faces of the figures seem to be painted without

underdrawing lines, for example the woman holding a child and running to the right (Figure

5).

When looking at the IRR-image it is evident that the

underdrawing is uniform to the forms and there are

no visible changes in the composition. This may

indicate that the composition was pre-established and

that the artist used a drawing or painting as a

reference during the painting process. In the visible

image there are some lines in the brown pants of the

man in the foreground slightly to the right. These

lines appear in the IRR-image and may have been

drawn with a wet medium. The reason that it is

possible to see the underdrawing in the visible image

may be due to the increased translucency which is a

consequence to the aging process of the oil medium

although it could also be the intention of the artist. The bricks on the houses to the left seems

to have been painted directly with a brush and there are no underdrawings that are seen in the

visible image and in the IRR-image. The figures and houses in the background are blurrier in

the visible image and drawn with less detail which may be the intention of the artist in order

to create an effect of depths in the painting. There are some black lines that are visible in the

IRR-image in the shadows of the footsteps (Figure 7). The shadows could have been sketched

perhaps with charcoal before the paint layer was made so that the artist knew where to paint

the shadows. The woman’s skirt in the foreground to

the right looks transparent in the IRR-image which

may suggest that there is no underdrawing or that it

was made with red chalk which does not reflect in the

IRR (Figure 6). To summarize, the underdrawing was

probably made after a model due to that there are no

compositional changes. Subsequently, the main

outlines of the figures and composition were then

drawn with probably graphite, charcoal and/or a wet

medium which were supplemented with hatchings and

possible compositional additions in the underdrawing.

Figure 5. There are no visible traces of

underdrawing lines in the IRR-image

Figure 6. No visible underdrawing lines in the

IRR-image

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Underpainting ("Abbozzo")

The tree is white in the X-ray image which means that it may contain lead white. The paint

layer follows the design of the underdrawing and there are almost no compositional changes.

When comparing the IRR-image with the visible image it is evident that there is a minor

change in composition of the leg of the man with the red clothes to the right of the dog in the

centre. There is a line that appears outside the contours of the painted calf (Figure 7). When

comparing the X-ray image and the IRR-image with the visible image there are no evident

compositional changes.

Figure 7. The shadows of the footsteps in the IRR-image and the adjusted outline of the calf

Paint Layers

The medium of the painting is probably oil based and the colours are bright and vivid. The

paint layer is of different thickness in different areas of the painting which is especially

evident in the snow where the beige ground layer is more visible in some areas. The paint

layer looks thin because it is possible to see the ground layer and the fibres of the wood on the

visual image of the surface. It appears that some of the figures in the foreground are painted

with a thicker paint layer. It looks like some of the faces of the figures are painted with less

detail and they have a blurred appearance (Figure 8).

In the visible image it is possible to see drying cracks that are most evident in the sky above

the houses. The background is painted with large brushstrokes, probably without

underdrawing, in order to create a foggy effect and the illusion of depth and air. This effect is

12

also obtained by the figures in the background that

are painted with a thinner paint layer and with less

detail than the figures in the foreground. The broad

brushstrokes of the ground layer can be seen on the

surface of the painted layer in the visible image. The

brushstrokes of the painted snow follow the contours

of the figures but there are parts where the ground

layers are left without paint. The woman that is

holding a child running to the right in the foreground

of the painting were probably painted first and in a later stage the snow was painted around

the figure. This is plausible because the snow is in some places painted over the edges of her

brown clothes which indicates that the snow where painted after the brown clothes of the

figure (Figure 9). This figure was probably initially drawn.

When comparing the visible image to the IRR-image it

looks like the legs and hooves of the black horse riding

to the right may have been altered by applying the

painted snow on the outer edges of the contours.

Moreover, there are retouches in the areas of the

connected boards that appears to be darker in the UV-

image (figure 6).

Varnish

The varnish is probably not so thick and is coloured blue or green in the UV-image which

may be due to the aging process (figure 6). In the UV-image it is possible to see some dark

spots which may be retouched areas. The areas of the joints are dark in the UV-image.

Additionally, there are some dark linear areas in the middle of the painting that corresponds to

the reinforcements and crack on the reverse. Moreover, in the UV image there are some

darker areas on the outer edges of the painting.

Figure 8. Example of the blurred face

Figure 9. The snow is painted over the edges of the

brown skirt

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Figure 10. Visual image of Marten van Cleve - The Massacre of the Innocents

Figure 11. Verso

14

Figure 12. Raking light

Figure 13. IRR

15

Figure 14. X-Ray

Figure 15. UV

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Comparative Study of The Massacre of the Innocents

This chapter examines the compositional and stylistic variations of different versions of the

Massacre of the Innocents. The painting by Marten van Cleve in the Stockholm University

Art Collection is compared with 5 versions of the subject. Subsequently, the similarities and

differences between the versions and the painting from Stockholm are discussed. The

artworks that are studied in this chapter demonstrate varieties in the quality of the different

versions and in the production of Marten van Cleve and his workshop.

Copies of the Massacre of the Innocents

There are at least 20 copies of the Massacre of the Innocents that are listed by Marlier in

Pierre Brueghel le Jeune (there among the painting from the Stockholm University Art

Collection). Subsequently, these versions have been attributed to Marten van Cleve and Pieter

Bruegel the Younger. The original version of this subject is lost and considered to be

attributed to Marten van Cleve. On the other hand, there is another composition of the subject,

where the Massacre of the Innocents by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in the Royal Collection

Trust, Kings Closet, Windsor Castle28 (Figure 16) is considered to be the original of at least

13 similar copies.29

Figure 16. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the Massacre of the Innocents c. 1565-67, RCIN 405787, Royal Collection Trust / © Her

Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020

28 https://www.rct.uk/collection/search#/2/collection/405787/massacre-of-the-innocents, RCIN 405787. 29 Campbell, Lorne, The early Flemish pictures in the collection of Her Majesty The Queen, Cambridge Univ.

Press, Cambridge, 1985.

17

When comparing the Massacre in of the Innocents by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in the Royal

Collection Trust and a copy in the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna30 with the Massacre

of the Innocents in the Stockholm University Art Collection by van Cleve it is evident that in

the painting from Stockholm the composition is compact and the numbers of figures are

reduced. The bodies of the figures are thicker, the faces are rough and characterized by

individual, indifferent expressions as well as expressions of deep despair.31 Although there are

similarities between Marten van Cleve and Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s painting technique and

composition. Van Cleve was influenced by Bruegel the Elder’s paintings The Massacre of the

Innocents and The Cencus in Bethlehem and details in van Cleves painting can also be found

in the works of Bruegel.32

Preliminary Notes About the Compared Paintings

Listed as number 13 in Pierre Brueghel le Jeune there is one painting that is very similar in

composition to the painting in Stockholm that Marlier attributes to Pieter Bruegel the

Younger. Recently this painting has been attributed to Marten van Cleve and dated to the year

1570. The painting was sold on Christie’s (8/7 2014, Lot 14) and it is included in a private

collection in Europe.33 This painting will be compared with the painting from Stockholm

since they are very similar in composition and they are both attributed to the same artist which

may reveal compositional or stylistic varieties. Furthermore, the similarities of the paintings

may indicate that the paintings are made after the same originals or cartoons.

The painting the Massacre of the Innocents under the Snow in the private collection in

Monaco has been attributed to Marten van Cleve. This painting is very similar in terms of

dimension, composition and colour to the painting in Stockholm, although there are some

changes in the composition. The similarities of the painting will be discussed and the style

will be compared. There is another version of the Massacre of the Innocents in a Private

collection that is very similar in composition, technique and colour scheme to the painting in

Stockholm even though it is somewhat smaller in size. There are some minor compositional

changes and the trees looks different in this version which may indicate that it depicts a

different season. The similarities of the paintings will be discussed.

There is a considerable smaller painting with a copper support that depicts the Massacre of

the Innocents in a private collection in Switzerland. The de Jonckheere Gallery argues that the

painting which has previously been attributed to Pieter Bruegel the Elder can be attributed to

30 Gemäldegalerie, 1024. 31 Weibull, Nina & Olausson, Magnus (red.), Mästerverk från Spökslottet: den Bergska samlingen,

Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 1995. 32 Karling, Sten, The Stockholm university collection of paintings: catalogue, University of Stockholm,

[Stockholms univ.], Stockholm, 1978. 33 Attributed and dated by Dr. Klaus Ertz in a letter of expertise (14/4 2014).

18

Marten van Cleve. Even though this painting is considerable smaller and painted on a copper

support, it contains many of the figurative elements that also appears in the painting from

Stockholm. Moreover, this version contains compositional elements that often appear in Pieter

Bruegel the Elder’s paintings of the same subject which may have been an inspiration for this

artwork.34 Due to its smaller size and compositional differences, a comparative study between

the Jonckheere Gallery painting and the painting from Stockholm will examine the

compositional varieties in two different versions of the Massacre of the Innocents and

highlight the diversity in Marten van Cleve’s production.

Der bethlehemitische Kindermord (Inv no. GG L001) in the Kunstsammlung der Universität,

Göttingen is attributed to Pieter Bruegel the Elder but has previously been attributed to

Marten van Cleve. The painting is extremely similar in terms of composition, measurement

and colour scheme to the painting in Stockholm. Recently, a signature was discovered which

says: P. Brueghel 1627. It is not surprising that this painting has been mistaken for a van

Cleve and a comparative study of this painting and the painting from Stockholm will discuss

its similarities and differences.

34 De jonckheere master paintings, http://dejonckheere-gallery.com/en/home/old-masters-collection/the-

massacre-of-the-innocents/, retrieved 05/02/2020.

19

Index of the Compared Paintings

• Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents (Christie’s version)

Oil on panel

92.4 cm x 125.6 cm

Private Collection Europe

• Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents under the Snow (Monaco version)

Oil on oak panel

75 x 107 cm

Private collection Monaco

• Marten van Cleve - The Massacre of the Innocents (Ader version)

Oil on oak panel

99 x 67 cm

Private collection

• Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents (Switzerland version)

Probably oil on copper

21,3 x 30,2 cm

Private collection Switzerland

Unsigned

• Pieter Bruegel the Elder - Der Bethlehemitische Kindermord (Göttingen version)

Oil on panel

73,5 x 105,5 cm

Kunstsammlung der Universität, Göttingen

Signed: P. Brueghel 1627

20

Comparison

Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents (Christie’s version)

The medium of the painting is oil with a panel support and the measurements are 92.4 cm x

125.6 cm. The painting was sold on Christies 8/7 2014 (Lot 14) and is included in a private

collection in Europe. Marlier lists this painting as number 13 in the book Pierre Brueghel le

Jeune and attributes the painting to Pieter Bruegel the younger. After listing the provenance of

the painting, he says that this copy exhibits several variations. The dead child (in green

clothing) with the head facing downwards is placed to the left and not to the right. The dog

sniffing the dead child to left (in brown clothes) has been removed in this painting and the sky

is darker.35 Today this painting is attributed to Marten van Cleve and is dated to the year 1570

in a letter of expertise by Dr. Klaus Ertz (dated 14/4 2014).36

The Christies version and the painting from Stockholm are similar in the dimensions where

the Stockholm University Art Collection measures 76 cm in height and 108 cm in width

whereas the Christies version measures 92.4 cm in height and 125.6 cm in width. Both

paintings portray the Massacre of the Innocents from the bible but set in a Flemish village.

35 G. Marlier, Pierre Brueghel le Jeune, Brussels, 1969, p. 338, no. 13. as 'Pieter Brueghel II'. 36 Christie’s, https://www.christies.com/LotFinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=5813550, retrieved 02/03/2020.

Figure 17. Marten van Cleve- The Massacre of the Innocents, Christie's version

21

The beige ground layer of the painting from the private collection can be seen through the

painted layer which is also evident in the painting from Stockholm. This painting is very

similar in composition to the painting in the Stockholm University Art Collection, although

there are some differences. In the Christie’s version the sky has a blue or grey tone and the

darker areas can be seen to the right in the painting, while the sky in the painting from the

Stockholm University Art Collection appears to be blue or greenish and the darker parts can

be seen in the clouds on the upper parts of the painting.

The faces have a blurred appearance and is painted with less detail in the painting from

Stockholm. This is particularly evident when looking at the group of figures in the foreground

to the left, the woman running in the foreground to the right and the man leaving the house

with a child to the right as well as the man holding a dog in the middle and the child next to

him (Figure 18). Overall it seems that the Christie’s version is painted with sharper and

thinner lines. There are two white birds to the right in the Christie’s version that does not

appear in the painting from Stockholm.

Furthermore, the child with brown clothes in the foreground in the snow to the left appears in

the Christie’s version and the child with the green clothes in the snow is positioned to the left

in the foreground. In the house to the left of the painting from Stockholm there are more

smoke leaving the chimney and the woman holding a child on the balcony in the house to the

left is turned the other way. The flag in the middle of the painting appears to be more purple

and embellished with symbols in the Christie’s version. Furthermore, there is a beam on the

house to the right where there is a puddle in the painting from Stockholm.

The fact that this painting is very similar in composition to the painting in Stockholm, apart

from some smaller compositional changes, is interesting because it may indicate that the

paintings are made after the same originals, although this is just a speculation. The colours are

more vivid in the painting from Stockholm and the colour scheme are almost identical apart

from a few details. For example, the skirt of the woman running with a child in the foreground

to the right is brown with a grey cloth around the waist whereas the corresponding skirt in the

Christie’s version is dark grey with a white cloth around the waist. In the middle of the

painting in the Stockholm version there is a woman that has a brown shirt and grey headcloth

whereas in the Christie’s version she wears a grey shirt and headcloth. To the left of the

woman there is a man in the Stockholm version wearing a dark blue or green shirt with brown

trousers, in the Christie’s version he wears a dark brown shirt, grey trousers and red shoes.

Furthermore, the woman to the left of him wears light beige clothes in the Stockholm version

and a red skirt and grey headcloth in the Christie’s version.

22

SU Art Collection painting Christie’s version

Figure 18. Comparative study of the faces. The painting from Stockholm to the left and the Christie’s version to the right

23

Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents under the Snow (Monaco version)

The Massacre of the Innocents under the Snow (Figure 19) was sold by Antic Store (Ref:

64557) and is a part of a private collection in Monaco.37 Like the painting from Stockholm,

the Monaco version is an oil painting with an oak panel and the dimensions of the Monaco

version are 75 cm x 107 cm which is very similar to Stockholm’s 76 x 108 cm. The painting

has been attributed to Marten van Cleve by Klaus Ertz.

Figure 19. Marten van Cleve - The Massacre of the Innocents Under the Snow, Monaco version

In terms of composition, this painting includes almost all the figures of the painting from

Stockholm, although with some diversities. In the Monaco version there is a dog and a child

to the left of the painting that does not exist in the painting from Stockholm. The puddle by

the house in the foreground to the right is replaced by a beam that is connected to a log. The

footsteps are less distinct in the Monaco version. In this painting the sky is darker to the left

and the clouds are whiter to the right. It is possible to see the beige ground layer through the

painted layer. The faces of the figures in the foreground looks more detailed and less blurred

than in the painting from Stockholm as if their despair is amplified through their deeply

wrinkled faces. When comparing the colour scheme, it is evident that the colours in the

Monaco and Stockholm version appears to be almost identical.

37 https://www.anticstore.art/64557P

24

Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents (Ader version)

This version of the Massacre of the Innocents is attributed to Marten van Cleve and sold by

Ader, Nordmann & Dominique (Lot 50, 3/4 2019) and is included in a private collection

(Figure 20). The dimensions are 99 cm x 67 cm38 which is different from the Stockholm

version which measures 76 x 108 cm. The support is oak, and the medium is probably oil. The

Ader version and the version from Stockholm is very similar in terms of composition where

the figures correspond to the other painting. The trunk of the tree to the left is painted in a

darker colour and the branches looks thicker and bolder. This is contrary to the painting from

Stockholm which is painted with white thin lines on the trunk with thin and delicate branches

partly covered in snow. This difference is also evident when looking at the trees to the right

which are more delicate in the painting from Stockholm. In the Ader version it looks as if

some of the branches of the trees are covered with leaves due to their round edges and lack of

snow which may depict another part of the winter season. The colours are almost identical,

apart from the woman’s skirt in the foreground to the right which is blue or greenish in the

Ader version and brown in the Stockholm version. Moreover, there is a beige ground layer

that is visible through the painted layer in the Ader version which is similar to the version in

Stockholm.

Figure 20. Marten van Cleve - The Massacre of the Innocents, Ader version

38 Ader Nordmann & Dominique, https://www.ader-paris.fr/lot/96337/10033253?, retrieved 02/03/2020. 40 https://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/Le-massacre-des-

innocents/79CC080BE6751CDE?freeunlock=535F64F5B597FD47, retrieved 02/03/2020.

25

Marten van Cleve – The Massacre of the Innocents (Private collection Switzerland)

This version is made on a copper support and the medium is probably oil, the measurements

are 21,3 x 30,2 cm (Figure 21). This painting has been attributed to Bruegel but is probably by

Marten van Cleve.39 This painting is much smaller than the painting from the Stockholm

University Art Collection but there are many similarities in terms of composition. In this

painting it is possible to find the majority of the groups of figures as in the painting from

Stockholm, although the dimensions are distorted, and the figures are painted closer together.

This may be the consequence of including the immense number of figures on a considerable

smaller support. The woman that is being chased by the soldier in the foreground to the right

has a headdress, a white cloth where the sides are raised and tied on the top of the head, which

is typical for Marten van Cleve. In the background of the painting from Stockholm there is a

man on a horse dragging a wagon with people trying to climb on it. In the copper painting, the

man on the horse exists but the group of people by the wagon in the background are replaced

by two people standing in the snow. To the right of the wagon in the painting from Stockholm

there is a man mounted on a rising horse with a spear pointed to the left. In the copper

painting this is replaced with an army of 7 cavalry soldiers that are lined up side by side. This

composition is similar to the painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in the Royal Collection trust

(RCIN 405787) and were often repeated by the artist and his son Pieter Bruegel the

Younger.40

Figure 21. Switzerland version

39 De jonckheere master paintings, http://dejonckheere-gallery.com/en/home/old-masters-collection/the-

massacre-of-the-innocents/, retrieved 05/02/2020. 40 The Royal Collection Trust, https://www.rct.uk/collection/405787/massacre-of-the-innocents, retrieved

05/02/2020.

26

Der Bethlehemitische Kindermord, Kunstsammlung der Universität (Göttingen)

This painting is a part of the Kunstsammlung der Universität, Göttingen and has been

attributed to Pieter Bruegel the Elder (figure 26). Recently, the signature P. Brueghel 1627

was discovered on the painting which may reconsider the attribution due to the date which

does not correspond to Bruegel the Elder’s life but it would require further research. This

version is an oil on panel painting that measures 73,5 x 105,5 cm which is similar to the

Stockholm version (76 x 108 cm). This version is probably listed as number 14 by Marlier.41

Figure 22. The Massacre of the Innocents, Göttingen version

The Göttingen painting is very similar in composition to the painting in Stockholm apart from

the child and the dog to the left that appears in the Göttingen version. In the Stockholm

version there is a puddle to the right where there is a beam and log in the Göttingen painting.

Moreover, there are two logs furthest in the middle to the left where there is one log in the

Stockholm version. The proportions and angles of the figures are almost identical which is

evident when comparing the figures of the foreground (Figure 23). The beige ground layer is

visible through the painted layer in both paintings. Additionally, the colours are very similar,

apart from a few details. In general, the painting from Göttingen looks darker and dirty which

effects the appearance of the colours.

41 Marlier, Georges, Pierre Brueghel le jeune, Bruxelles, 1969, pp 336.

27

Figure 23. The position, angels and composition of the figures painting from Stockholm (Up) and in the painting from

Göttingen (down)

The Göttingen University writes in Die niederländischen Gemälde: mit einem Verzeichnis der

Bilder anderer Schulen that the version in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium that is

very similar to the painting in Göttingen that is signed P. BRVEGHEL 156 (4? or 6?), which

must have been made by Pieter Bruegel the Elder due to the date.42 The style, composition

and colour of the painting in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium are very similar to

the painting in Göttingen which in combination with the signature supports the theory that the

lost original painting was made by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. They also believe that the

drawing by Marten van Cleve in Göttingen repeats a lost original by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

in order to prepare his own painting.43 This shows the divided opinions about the attribution

of the original painting.

42 Bruegel the Younger could not have done the painting when he was under 2 years old. 43 Kunstsammlung der Universität Göttingen, Die niederländischen Gemälde: mit einem Verzeichnis der Bilder

anderer Schulen, Universität, Göttingen, 1987, pp 50–51.

28

Conclusion

The main composition and figurative motifs in the Christie’s version, Monaco version, Ader

version and the version from Göttingen corresponds with the painting from the Stockholm

University Art Collection. Even though the version from Switzerland includes several

figurative motifs that appears in the painting from Stockholm, there are some considerable

differences. The similarities in composition can be explained by the common use of the theme

the Massacre of the Innocents. The composition of the Switzerland version is more similar to

the painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder in The Royal Collection Trust (RCIN 405787).44

There are significant differences in the appearances of the faces which is especially evident

when comparing the Christie’s version with the Stockholm version. The background that

includes the sky, trees and houses deviates in the Christie’s version, Monaco version, Ader

version, the version from Göttingen as well as in the Stockholm version. Furthermore, the

colour scheme is very similar in these versions apart from a few details. The similarities of

composition and colours of the figures in these versions as well as the dissimilarities in the

background and surroundings may indicate that a cartoon or preparatory drawing were used

that only outlined the main figurative motifs and colour codes may have been used.

44 The painting in the Royal Collection Trust (Previously Hampton Court) is considered to be the original of the

group of paintings depicting the Massacre of the Innocents with another compositional theme than the group of

paintings similar to the version from the Stockholm Stockholm University Art Collection (where the original is

considered to be lost).

29

The Signed Drawing by Marten van Cleve from Göttingen

In the collection of prints and drawings, George-August-Universität Göttingen there is a

drawing that is signed and attributed to Marten van Cleve with the same compositional theme

as the painting the Massacre of the Innocents from the Stockholm University Art collection.

In this chapter the Massacre by Marten van Cleve from the Stockholm University Art

Collection is compared with the drawing the Massacre of the Innocents (Figure 24) by the

same artist in the collection of prints and drawings, George-August-Universität Göttingen.

Subsequently, the underdrawing of the painting from Stockholm is compared with the

drawing from Göttingen in order to outline how the artist worked with the underdrawings and

the function of the drawing. This is followed by a discussion about the relationship between

preparatory drawings and the underdrawing and if there is a direct connection, the transfer

technique, if the artist studied single figures etc.

Marlier and Faggin argues that the drawing in the Göttingen University collection is a

preparatory drawing by Marten van Cleve. The fact that the drawing is unfinished with the

missing body parts indicates that van Cleve did not intend to make an exact copy of a model

but to create a design that he could further develop. Thereby, the drawing may be an original

compositional sketch that were made by Marten van Cleve after a painting by Pieter Bruegel

the Elder. The drawing was not an exact copy but freely drawn and the artist probably added

more details during the painting process. Marten van Cleve’s finished painting would later

serve as a model for Pieter Bruegel the Younger.45 Thereby, it is probable that the drawing is

made after a lost original painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and is a preliminary study for

the Massacre of the Innocents by Marten van Cleve.46

45 Currie, Christina & Allart, Dominique, The Brueg(h)el phenomenon: paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

and Pieter Brueghel the Younger: with a special focus on technique and copying practice, Institut royal du

patrimoine artistique, Bruxelles, 2011, volume 1-3, pp 559–660. 46 Zeichnungen von Meisterhand: Die Sammlung Uffenbach aus der Kunstsammlung der Universität Göttingen.

30

Figure 24. The signed drawing from Göttingen by Marten van Cleve

Technical Notes About the Drawing

Marten van Cleve

The Massacre of the Innocents

22 x 35,7 cm

Pen in brown ink on paper

The collection of prints and drawings, George-August-Universität Göttingen

Signature: On the lower left there is a signature that says van Cleef and on the verso there is a

signature that says M. v. Cleef

The colour of the drawn lines in the drawing from Göttingen are dark brown and the thickness

of the drawn lines are varied. The thick lines are especially evident in the soldier leading a

horse to the left of the centre of the drawing, in the lines in the centre of the background as

well as in the lines to the right. This is opposite to the thin lines that appears on the figures in

the foreground, particularly to the right. Some figures are drawn with several lines in order to

create a darker area that indicates the shadows. Moreover, the texture of the stem of the tree to

the left is depicted by several irregular lines. The pen and ink technique are the oldest and

most widely used technique. The quill pen was made from bird feathers and were commonly

used by the old masters in Europe since about 1100. Originally the goose quill was used and

later harder quills such as swan, raven and wood grouse quills which made it possible to draw

31

finer lines and more detailed compositions. There are three commonly used inks; gall-nut

(black), India-ink (gray) and bister (brown).47

Comparative Study Between the Drawing and the Painting

The compositional theme of the drawing is the same as the painting in the Stockholm

University Art Collection which also depicts the Massacre of the Innocents set in a Flemish

village. The drawing is relatively small and outlines the main figurative elements that also

exists in the painting from Stockholm. Although, the drawing is more centred and does not

include the figurative themes that exists on the edges of the painting from Stockholm. The

group of figures in the house to the right and the soldier carrying a child, the child lying in the

snow in the foreground to the right, the man entering a window, the man with the red clothes

and hat to the right does not appear in the drawing. In the drawing there are less figures than

in the painting from Stockholm. The figures and compositional elements are bolder and more

intricate outlined in the foreground and less defined in the background. The soldier and the

woman carrying a child that he is chasing in the foreground to the right are depicted in the

other direction. The headcloth on the running woman’s head is unfolded in the drawing and

folded in the painting (Figure 25).

Figure 25. Comparison between the headcloth of the drawing from Göttingen and the painting from Stockholm

In the drawing the man holding the dog in the foreground is missing his left arm and the horse

in the middle of the drawing does not have any front legs (Figure 26). The drawing looks like

a sketch that outlines the main elements and the artist does not seem to worry about mistakes,

which is especially evident in the background where the houses and the figures looks distorted

and not so detailed.

47 Gelder, Jan Gerrit van, Dutch drawings and prints., Harry N. Abrams, New York, 1959, PP 40-42.

32

Figure 26. (left) The hand is missing, (right) The front legs of the horse are missing

Darker parts of the sky are indicted with swiftly sketched lines. There are hatchings that

indicates the shadows of the figures which is similar to the underdrawing lines of the shadows

in the painting from Stockholm (Figure 27). In the visual image of the painting the figures and

houses in the background looks blurrier. This is similar to the drawing where the foreground

is drawn with more detail and the background is less detailed which may be the intention of

the artist in order to create an effect of depths.

Figure 27. (Up) The shadows of the figures indicated in the drawing, (down) shadows in the underdrawing seen in the IRR-

image

33

Drawings in the 16th-Century Antwerp Workshop

This chapter examines the relationship between preparatory drawings and the underdrawings

in the artists environment in order to learn more about Marten van Cleve’s painting process

and outline the function of drawings in contemporary 16th-century Flemish workshops.

During this period, simple methods of reproduction were limited, and prints were relatively

expensive. Thereby copying and drawing were the main technique to note and document.

Drawing were a major part of the artist education and by copying artworks they developed

skills and a series of figures and motifs that could be used in their own compositions.48

Drawings are an essential part in the artists creative process when producing artworks. Motifs

and ideas for paintings were often collected by copying other artworks or by drawing from

life, often in a sketchbook from live subjects. These figure studies were made in order to

create an image database, for a specific or un-specific artwork, and as a means for self-

improvement. Motifs and forms were re-used and re-adapted in a variety of different ways.49

During his stay in Italy, Frans Floris (1517-1570) made the so-called Basel sketchbook which

consisted of twenty-four sheets of original works and copies. The attribution has remained

disputed, but Carl Van de Velde has attributed sixteen pen and brown ink with brown wash

drawings to Floris while he argued that two groups were copies of lost originals. Van de

Velde also added two drawings by Floris that were similar in size and technique. One of the

added drawings were Cybele from Palazzo Venezia and a Sarcophagus with Pentheus and the

Maenads (c. 1544)50 which is a study of roman sculptures. During the renaissance it was

common practice to copy drawings of the antique which provided artistic solutions to other

artists.51 Frans Floris would later incorporate the figurative elements in his compositions after

returning to the Netherlands.52 Roelandt Savery (1576-1639) also made drawings from life,

such as the black chalk, pen and brown ink drawing Standing Man (c.1610).53 Another

example of a drawing made for study purposes is Studies of Heads (made between 1515-

1520) by Jan de Beer.54

Established artists copied their own drawings throughout their careers in order to create

versatile compositions. This was common during the 16th-century Netherlands and there was a

constant exchange of information through copies and replicas which influenced the style.

48 Hökby, Nils-Göran (red.), Bruegels tid: nederländsk konst 1540–1620, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 1984. PP

95–97. 49 D'haene, Virginie (red.), European old master drawings from the Bruges Print Room, Lannoo, Bruges, 2019. 50 191 × 235 mm, Bruges, Steinmetzkabinet, O.1788.II. 51 Wouk, Edward H., Frans Floris (1519/20–70): Imagining a Northern Renaissance, Brill, 2018. 52 D'haene, Virginie (red.), European old master drawings from the Bruges Print Room, Lannoo, Bruges, 2019. 53 Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, 195x124 mm, N 144 (PK). 54 British Museum collection. Museum number 1886,0706.7.

34

There were also thorough executed drawings which were meant to be presented to the

commissioner.55 Drawings were often used as a communication between patron and artist and

adaptations were made upon request.56 Pen drawings completed with wash were common

methods in the drawings during this period which early on became highly valued by collectors

and especially pen drawings with ink or bistre due to that the medium made it impossible to

make changes which required a higher level of skills.57 In the workshop of the great masters

in Northern Europe during the 15th and 16th-century, the artists were often supported by

assistants who worked on drawings, underdrawings and paintings under their supervision,

although some skilled artists worked without assistants. There were two types of assistants,

the apprentices who were under undergoing training and the fully trained journeymen.58

Reference material were available to the artist and the assistants in the workshop that were

used when creating the underdrawing and as a complement to the underdrawing during the

painting process. Only a small amount of drawings has survived even though the Flemish

artists created a vast number of images during the 16th-century.59

There were also drawings that were made for engraving and for transferring to a copperplate,

for example Bruegel the Elder’s Spring 1565. These drawings commonly have incised lines

along the contours which means that the drawing has been traced. Frans Floris created few

drawings that were thought to be designs for prints, for example The Sense of Touch (1561)60.

Instead, Floris prints were often made after drawings that his pupils and other artists made

from his paintings.61 The final compositional drawing was often provided with a grid pattern

for transferring the drawing to the canvas or panel. Cartoons are the same scale as the painting

and refers to both detailed final stage preparatory drawings as well as working sheets where

parts of the drawing were used for transferring to the support. There are only few surviving

cartoons from artist in the North of Europe. The common transfer techniques were pouncing,

tracing, incising and stencilling.62

55 Hökby, Nils-Göran (ed.), Bruegels tid: nederländsk konst 1540–1620, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 1984. PP

95–97. 56 D'haene, Virginie (ed.), European old master drawings from the Bruges Print Room, Lannoo, Bruges, 2019. 57 Hökby, Nils-Göran (ed.), Bruegels tid: nederländsk konst 1540–1620, Nationalmuseum, Stockholm, 1984. PP

95–97. 58 Billinge, Rachel & Bomford, David, Underdrawings in Renaissance paintings: art in the making, National

Gallery, London, 2002. PP 41-42. 59 Billinge, Rachel & Bomford, David, Underdrawings in Renaissance paintings: art in the making, National

Gallery, London, 2002. PP 38-39. 60 Pen and brown ink and brown wash heightened with white on blue paper, Szépmüvészeti Múzeum, Budapest. 61 Nadine M. Orenstein. ‘Images to Print: Pieter Bruegels Engagement with Printmaking’. Ed. Maryan W.

Ainsworth, Northern Renaissance Drawings and Underdrawings: A Proposed Method of Study. Master

Drawings Vol. 27, No. 1 (1989). 62 Currie, Christina & Allart, Dominique, The Brueg(h)el phenomenon: paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

and Pieter Brueghel the Younger : with a special focus on technique and copying practice, Institut royal du

patrimoine artistique, Bruxelles, 2011, vol 3 p. 934

35

Drawings and Underdrawings in Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Workshop

Similar compositions appear in both Marten van Cleve and Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s

paintings and they worked during the same period in Antwerp. Thereby, examining Bruegel

the Elder’s workshop and technique may form a deeper understanding about Marten van

Cleve’s workshop practices.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder probably made full-size cartoons for the greater and more intricate

compositions due to that his sons Pieter and Jan made accurate full-size copies of their fathers

works long after the original painting left the workshop. For example, Bruegel the Elder’s

Proverbs (1559)63 was probably painted from a cartoon that were either coloured or that

carried colour notes. This cartoon was inherited by his son Pieter Bruegel the Younger who

subsequently made full-size paintings of his father’s composition. When comparing Pieter

Bruegel the Younger’s copies with Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s underdrawing and his finalized

painting it is evident that the copies by Bruegel the younger corresponds to the underdrawing

of Bruegel the Elder, although not the painted layer. Pieter Bruegel the Elder altered or

removed some elements in the composition during the painting process which reappears in the

copies. Details that Bruegel the Elder added to his painting after completing the underdrawing

are not included in the copies. For less complicated compositions Bruegel the Elder made

smaller sketches, although it is possible that he made ‘record copies’ of the finished

paintings.64 Pouncing was probably the method Bruegel the Elder often used for transferring

his designs. During pouncing, the charcoal dust was rubbed into the sheet with the drawing

which could after several transfers become more transparent. Thereby, Bruegel could have

used ‘substitute cartoons’ that were solely used for transferring while the cartoon was saved

for future copies. The ‘substitute cartoons’ would only outline the main motifs while intricate

details such as facial features, architecture and the colour scheme would be completed with

the aid of the full-size cartoon which would carry hatchings and sometimes colour notes.65

Pieter Bruegel the Elder also made preparatory drawings for engraving, for example the

design for the series of prints that depicted the seven virtues. One of the seven virtues created

by Bruegel was Temperantina (1560) which is a subtle and linear pen and brown ink drawing

which were engraved by Philips Galle around the same period.66 The first drawing Bruegel

63 Gemäldegalerie, Ident.Nr. 1720. 64 Billinge, Rachel & Bomford, David, Underdrawings in Renaissance Paintings: Art in the Making, National

Gallery, London, 2002. PP 179-180. 65 Currie, Christina & Allart, Dominique, The Brueg(h)el phenomenon: paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

and Pieter Brueghel the Younger: with a special focus on technique and copying practice, Institut royal du

patrimoine artistique, Bruxelles, 2011, volume 1-3, volume III, pp 750-751. 66 Museum Boijmans van Beuningen, 221 x 294 mm, MB 331 (PK).

https://www.boijmans.nl/en/collection/artworks/71783/one-of-the-seven-virtues-temperantia-temperance.

Retrieved 27/05/2020.

36

created that were made for engraving was Landscape with Bears67 (1554). Almost half of his

surviving drawings served as direct models for prints and most of his prints were issued by

the master’s publisher Hieronymus Cock. During the period 1554-1569, when Bruegel created

prints, Antwerp became the most important place for producing prints in Europe. Bruegel

himself were interested in the printmaking of his designs and his close interaction with the

cutters and engravers is exemplified in the The Dirty Bride which he drew directly on the

wooden block.68 Even though Bruegel’s designs for engravings exists today the studies from

life or initial sketches are almost completely lost.

In the underdrawings of Dulle Griet69 and Triumph of Death70 the outlines are drawn without

adjustments or hatching strokes, in these cases Bruegel probably worked out the final

composition on another support before transferring them to a panel. The underdrawing of the

Fall of the Rebel Angels was drawn without correction or hesitation except for some details

and was probably first made on a separate study sheet. Bruegel the Elder’s underdrawings in

some cases outlines the main figurative elements, without many alterations. This may suggest

that he used preparatory drawings, cartoons or worked out the composition on a separate

canvas. On the other hand, in the Peasant Wedding Dance71, Bruegel made many alterations

during the drawing and painting stage. In the Winter Landscape with Bird Trap72 the

underdrawing is rough and it seems that Bruegel did not work with a preparatory drawing. In

the Adoration of the Magi the underdrawing consists of fine outlines without the sketchy

appearance and must have been based on a cartoon or preparatory drawing.73

In the paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder the Census at Bethlehem74, The Sermon of St John

the Baptist75, The Winter Landscape with Bird Trap76 and The Adoration of the Magi77 the

underdrawings were made in a dry medium that absorbed the infrared which could be black

chalk. What appears to be black underdrawings in a dry medium can also be seen in infrared

photography in the Fall of the Rebel Angels78, Haymaking (June-July)79, Harvesters (August-

67 Cat no. 15 68 Nadine M. Orenstein. Images to Print: Pieter Bruegels Engagement with Printmaking. 69 Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp. 70 Museo del Prado, Madrid, inv. no. P001393. 71 Detroit Institute of Arts 72 The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Belgium, inv. no. 8724. 73 Currie, Christina & Allart, Dominique, The Brueg(h)el phenomenon: paintings by Pieter Bruegel the Elder

and Pieter Brueghel the Younger: with a special focus on technique and copying practice, Institut royal du

patrimoine artistique, Bruxelles, 2011, volume 1-3,.259-279. 74 The Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium 75 Budapest, Szépmüvészeti Múzeum 76 The Royal Museum of Fine Arts of Belgium 77 Winterthur, Dr Oskar Reinhart Collection ’Am Römerholz’ 78 The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Belgium, inv. no. 584. 79 Lobkowicz Collections, Lobkowicz Palace, Prague

37

September)80 and in Two Monkeys81. Furthermore, black chalk appears to be the underdrawing

material for Bruegel’s pen and ink drawing a Wooded Landscape with a Distant View

(1554)82. In the Adoration of the Magi Bruegel may have used a liquid medium. Pieter

Bruegel the Elder’s underdrawings vary in style from a linear restrained style to a sketchier

and experimental approach. In Census in Bethlehem and Sermon of St John the Baptist

foreground figures consists of thin outlines and the background figures, houses and

landscapes are sketchier. The outlines of the main figures are not altered which may suggest

that Bruegel made cartoons or detailed drawings of these areas. In Bruegel the Elder’s

painting Flemish proverbs83 the underdrawing only outlines the main figurative elements of

the figures, faces, architecture and landscape without further adjustments and the background

has a sketchy appearance.

The underdrawing of the Census in Bethlehem, Sermon of St John the Baptism and Flemish

Proverbs are similar to the underdrawing of Marten van Cleve the Massacre of the Innocents

from Stockholm due to the simple lines, lack of shadows and the difference between the lines

in foreground and the background. This may suggest that van Cleve, like Bruegel, made a

full-size preparatory drawing or cartoon that only outlined the main figurative elements,

leaving the background and minor motifs less detailed.

80 The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. no. 19.164. 81 Gemäldegalerie der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin, Ident.Nr. 2077. 82 Harvard Art Museums, Object nr. 1999.132. 83 Gemäldegalerie der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin, Ident.Nr. 1720.

38

Conclusion

Four of the versions examined in the comparative study are very similar in terms of

composition, style and colour to the painting in the Stockholm University Art Collection. The

faces appear to be very different, which is especially evident when comparing the blurry faces

of the Stockholm version with the sharp detailed faces in the Christie’s version. Furthermore,

the main difference was the background and the appearance of the trees and houses. The

paintings have an identical colour scheme apart from a few varieties in the details of the

clothes which may suggest that the original painting or cartoon with colour codes were

present in the workshop of Marten van Cleve. They could have been made from different

painters in the workshop. The newly found signature on Der bethlehemitische Kindermord

suggest that this painting was made by Bruegel the Younger and this version is very similar to

the Massacre of the Innocents in Stockholm. Bruegel the Younger made several copies of his

father’s the Massacre of the Innocents which have a different appearance and is more similar

to the Switzerland version compared in this thesis. Der bethlehemitische Kindermord on the

other hand, could be based on a lost original by Marten van Cleve. If this is the case, Bruegel

the Younger would have copied the design of Marten van Cleve’s the Massacre of the

Innocents to a drawing in preparation for his own version.

The figures in the drawing from Göttingen also exists in the painting from the Stockholm

University Art Collection, although there are fewer figures in the drawings and the position

and proportion of the figures are different. The drawing from Göttingen does not correspond

completely to the underdrawing of the painting and there are no visible traces of transferring

which may indicate that the drawing was not a cartoon made for transferring. Further

examinations with IRR photography on other versions of the Massacre of the Innocents

attributed to van Cleve would reveal if the drawing from Göttingen corresponds to the

underdrawing of the other versions. The missing body parts of the man by the dog and the

missing front legs of the horse in combination with the sketchy, unfinished appearance

indicates that the drawing was a study and not a detailed preparation for a painting or for

transferring to a copperplate for engraving. Thereby, the drawing from Göttingen is probably

a sketch that were kept in the workshop to use as an aid for several paintings. There is not a

direct relationship between the drawing from Göttingen and the underdrawing of the painting

from Stockholm University Art Collection because of the dissimilarities in the composition

and proportions of the figures. Although, the drawing may have been an aid for creating the

underdrawing for paintings depicting the Massacre of the Innocent by Marten van Cleve. The

drawing was probably freehand drawing and a study of single figures from someone who

created this motif many times. This could support the theory that the drawing is made after a

lost original painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder and is a preliminary study for the Massacre

of the Innocents by Marten van Cleve.

During the 16th-century Netherlands drawing and copying artworks were important in the

artist’s education and established artists copied their own works in order to develop and create

39

versatile compositions as in the case of the drawing from Göttingen. There were cartoons for

transferring, drawings that were made for presenting to commissioners and drawings for

engraving and transferring to a copperplate. Pen drawings with wash and pen with ink or

bistre drawings were common. The underdrawings of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s paintings the

Census at Bethlehem and the Sermon of St John the Baptist consists of thin outlines of the

main motifs whereas the figure, houses and landscapes are sketchier. Furthermore, in the

underdrawing of Flemish proverbs only the main figurative elements of the figures, faces,

architecture and landscape are outlined without further adjustments whereas the background

has a sketchy appearance.

These mentioned paintings by Bruegel the Elder were probably based on cartoons or detailed

drawings of these areas whereas the background was complemented in a later stage. In both

the drawing from Göttingen and the underdrawing from Stockholm the main figurative motifs

are thoroughly outlined which is similar to Bruegel’s underdrawings in Census at Bethlehem

and the Sermon of St John the Baptist. The comparison between the practice in Bruegel’s

workshop and the underdrawing and technique in the painting shows some similarities which

gives us the idea that also the workshop of Van Cleve could have work in a similar way.

To conclude, the subject is complex due to the many versions of the Massacre of the

Innocents and the limited amount of research concerning Marten van Cleve’s painting

technique. Thereby, the technical study of the painting from the Stockholm University Art

Collection is important in order to learn more about the artist’s technique and workshop

practice. An extensive technical examination with pigment analysis of Marten van Cleve and

the different versions of the Massacre of the Innocents would be required for further

examinations on the subject.

40

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42

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43

List of Illustrations

Figure 1. Dowels are visible in the X-ray image ........................................................................ 8

Figure 2. The beige ground layer is visible in the contours of the logs ..................................... 8

Figure 3. The beige ground layer is visible in the tree ............................................................... 9

Figure 4. Colour loss, revealing the whitish ground layer ......................................................... 9

Figure 5. There are no visible traces of underdrawing lines in the IRR-image ....................... 10

Figure 6. No visible underdrawing lines in the IRR-image ..................................................... 10

Figure 7. The shadows of the footsteps in the IRR-image and the adjusted outline of the calf11

Figure 8. Example of the blurred face ...................................................................................... 12

Figure 9. The snow is painted over the edges of the brown skirt ............................................. 12

Figure 10. Visual image of Marten van Cleve - The Massacre of the Innocents ..................... 13

Figure 11. Verso ....................................................................................................................... 13

Figure 12. Raking light ............................................................................................................. 14

Figure 13. IRR .......................................................................................................................... 14

Figure 14. X-Ray ...................................................................................................................... 15

Figure 15. UV ........................................................................................................................... 15

Figure 16. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the Massacre of the Innocents c. 1565-67, RCIN 405787,

Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020 .......................................... 16

Figure 17. Marten van Cleve- The Massacre of the Innocents, Christie's version ................... 20

Figure 18. Comparative study of the faces. The painting from Stockholm to the left and the

Christie’s version to the right ................................................................................................... 22

Figure 19. Marten van Cleve - The Massacre of the Innocents Under the Snow, Monaco

version ...................................................................................................................................... 23

Figure 20. Marten van Cleve - The Massacre of the Innocents, Ader version ......................... 24

Figure 21. Switzerland version ................................................................................................. 25

Figure 22. The Massacre of the Innocents, Göttingen version ................................................. 26

Figure 23. The position, angels and composition of the figures painting from Stockholm (Up)

and in the painting from Göttingen (down) .............................................................................. 27

Figure 24. The signed drawing from Göttingen by Marten van Cleve .................................... 30

Figure 25. Comparison between the headcloth of the drawing from Göttingen and the painting

from Stockholm ........................................................................................................................ 31

Figure 26. (left) The hand is missing, (right) The front legs of the horse are missing............. 32

Figure 27. (Up) The shadows of the figures indicated in the drawing, (down) shadows in the

underdrawing seen in the IRR-image ....................................................................................... 32