Takács Imre – Buzási Enikő – Jávor Anna – Mikó Árpád szerk.: A Magyar Nemzeti Galéria Évkönyve, Művészettörténeti tanulmányok Mojzer Miklós hatvanadik születésnapjára (MNG Budapest, 1991)
DACOSTA KAUFMANN, Thomas: Addenda Rudolphina
prominently displayed. It possesses the relatively large dimensions for the medium of 45 by 34.5 cm. The painting is signed on the lower edge of a table at the bottom left center, with an inscription that is not entirely legible, but ends „Hoefnagl F. 1610". From the date of the signature, this inscription must be an indication of the authorship of Jacob Hoefnagel, Kammermaler at Rudolf IPs court from 1602, since Georg Hoefnagel probably died in the year 1600. Works by Jacob Hoefnagel similar in description to this miniature are known to have existed. In an inventory of the imperial collections in Vienna drawn up after the death of emperor Matthias in 1619 there is indicated „Ein taffei mit blomben von miniatűr von Jacob Hoeffnagel". 10 Furthermore, other still-life compositions are recorded in early inventories as the work of Hoefnagel, without specifying by name which Hoefnagel had executed them. This large miniature seems to represent a further development of compositions with still-life elements originated by Georg Hoefnagel, but not known in his œuvre. Several of the motifs, including the placement of flowers in a vase, as well as the individual flowers and insects depicted, resemble those found in Georg's work, and also in the collection of prints known as the Archetypa executed by Jacob after Georg's inventions. Georg also painted several miniatures with floral still-life components, often in centralized compositions. 12 Floral and insect elements similar to those in Georg's paintings also appear in surviving miniatures by Jacob. Yet while Georg Hoefnagel's paintings may be associated with the origins of the tradition of independent Netherlandish floral still-life, there are no surviving or definitely recorded paintings that can be attributed with certainty to him that match this miniature, in which a vase with flowers is depicted as if standing on a table or ledge. 14 This composition seems to emulate instead an invention first seen in still-life miniatures in works by Jacob De Gheyn dated 1600 to 1604, that are found in a book that was owned by Rudolf IL In particular, Jacob's painting resembles De Gheyn's depiction of a centrally placed vase with flowers and insects placed before a neutral background in a still life dated 1600 in this book. 16 Beginning with the year 1603 other floral still-lifes on copper and panel are known by Roelant Savery, who was also active in Prague; some of these works also depict insects and, significantly for point of comparison with Hoefnagel's stilllife, shells. In addition to Savery, several other artists active at the imperial court, including the anonymous author of the so called „Prayerbook of Maximilian I (of Bavaria)" also painted works with still-life elements. 18 This painting is important in that it reveals that Jacob Hoefnagel contributed directly to the development of the independent still-life, as it was encouraged in Prague, as in other contemporary centers in the low countries. The date of its execution, 1610, is the same year in which Jacob Hoefnagel received 7028 Gulden, 20 Kronen from the court, and it is tempting to associate this work as one of the possible grounds for this payment. Knowledge of the existence of this work should also assist future research in distinguishing the individual accomplishments of the artists who made nature studies and still-lifes patronized or collected by Rudolf II, including Dirk de Quade van Ravesteyn, and, as has recently been verified, Anselm Boethius de Boodt. 19 Among them are the many artists represented in the so-called „Museum" of Rudolf II, which has often been connected with Jacob Hoefnagel, and also with the 1610 payment. 20 Another painting with a subject taken from nature that has recently reappeared is a copper signed and dated 1607 by Roelant Savery (Figure 3). This work was sold in 1989 at auction, one of many such pictures by this artist that continue to come to light. 21 This particular painting merits consideration in this paper, however, since its date indicates that it was executed by Savery, probably in Prague, during the emperor's reign. Athough, as is frequent in Savory's œuvre, motifs such as the horse and deer appearing here recur in other paintings by the artist and in copies after them, this picture with goats, geese, monkey, doves, sheep, parrot and owl seems to be an original composition. 22 Savery's picture may be considered one of the earliest examples of an independent painting of animals, certainly from this artist's hand. Earlier studies on vellum and engravings of animals and birds had of course been made by many artists. Aong with many other painters, Savery had also earlier included animals and birds in depictions of subjects such as Noah's ark, Adam and Eve in paradise, or hunting scenes that called for their presence. 23 By 1605 Savery had begun to produce pictures that may be related to an earlier tradition of depicting horses as the predominant subject. 24 But in all such previous compositions human figures, however small, are still present. The presens of human beings has been eliminated from the recently sold copper; animals and birds are the only creatures visible. This painting may therefore be one of the very first examples of a type that Savery was later to develop into a major genre. For the moment it may therefore be regarded as an important visual document in the history of this genre. lb turn to other genres, several hitherto unknown compositions by the court artist Dirk de Quade van Ravesteyn that may be added to his rapidly growing œuvre, increase our knowledge not only of nature studies, but of the painting of the human figure in Prague. Among them is a large picture with mythic beings that first appeared openly on the art market in Brussels in 1987 (Figure 4.). 25 This work depicts four figures in a wooded landscape: a nude female riding on the back of a satyr, and a winged putto, who holds a bow and quiver in his hands as he rides on the shoulder of another, smaller satyr, who has a wreath of flowers in his hair. The corpulent body, braided hair with diadem, pursed lips, and aquiline nose of the female figure closely resemble those of Van Ravesteyn's painting of Venus and Adonis while the countenance, contrapposto, and physiognomy of the putto with bow and arrow are
