The Art of Line: Issue 9 : The Most Unusual Drawing"Venus, Bacchus, and Ceres" by Hendrick Goltzius

Source of inspiration: https://youtu.be/3exF-jrycpc?si=8GpFWK87RLuukN1Z

focuses on a single, unique work of art from the State Hermitage Museum's collection: a large canvas by the Dutch artist Hendrick Goltzius.
Technique and Execution of the Work
The work, which at first glance may appear to be a painting in gray tones (grisaille), is in fact a monumental pen-and-ink drawing on primed canvas. It is unique in its kind because not a single brushstroke can be found across the entire vast surface, comparable to altarpieces or palace paintings. The entire composition was created exclusively with pen and ink and precise lines, parallel or crossed at precise angles, thus creating a rich and complex scene from a distance.
This technique imitates that of a copperplate engraving, which refers to the artist Hendrick Goltzius, who was best known as one of the most famous engravers in European art history. The execution required extraordinary skill, as Goltzius drew directly onto the white-primed canvas, with no opportunity to correct mistakes. Research shows that he did not make any preliminary drawings, but merely made rough markings for the positions of the figures and then created the complex composition stroke by stroke.
The artist: Hendrick Goltzius
Hendrick Goltzius (born 1558) was a central figure in European printmaking and is considered one of the most important masters in this field. Information about his life has come down to us
primarily through his friend and biographer Karel van Mander, whose "Book of Painters" (1604) contains a particularly detailed biography of Goltzius.
A formative event in Goltzius's childhood was an accident in which he fell into a fireplace as a toddler and severely burned his right hand. As a result of the injury, he was unable to fully straighten the fingers of that hand for the rest of his life. Paradoxically, Goltzius considered this a kind of divine sign and even depicted his injured hand several times. The stiffened posture enabled him to wield the burin with exceptional firmness and precision, which contributed to his fame as an engraver.

Multi-layered symbolism and levels of interpretation
The work is far more than just the depiction of a mythological theme.
The triumph of Venus and the allegory of the arts: Venus sits enthroned in the center, and all the other figures seem to be seized by her power. The composition contains symbols for the four seasons and the four elements, all subject to the rule of Venus. By inserting his self-portrait
in the background, in which he shows the viewer his burins, Goltzius radically breaks with tradition. This transforms the work into an allegory of art itself. The depiction of the nude Venus was a common symbol for painting and its ability to captivate the viewer. Goltzius presents himself as a creator, thus comparing himself to the legendary ancient painter Apelles.
The "super-engraving": Goltzius holds burins in his hand, even though the work is drawn. This is explained by the fact that around 1600, due to a hand injury, he had to abandon engraving and turn to painting and drawing. This drawing is a kind of "super-engraving"—a demonstration of his unsurpassed graphic skills in a monumental format that was technically impossible in traditional engraving. His injured right hand is depicted hanging limply and touched by flames, an allusion to his childhood accident.
The commissioner and alchemy: The creation of the work is associated with a commission from Emperor Rudolf II, probably issued in 1602 during a visit to Haarlem by his court painter, Bartholomäus Spranger. Goltzius created this work to assert himself with his unique graphic art within the imperial collection, which included masterpieces by Titian and Raphael. Another central motif is Cupid hardening arrowheads in fire. This is an allusion to Ovid's myth of Apollo and Daphne, in which Cupid uses arrows with golden (love-awakening) and lead (love-repelling) tips. The juxtaposition of lead and gold was a clear reference to alchemy, whose goal was the transformation of lead into gold. Goltzius was a passionate alchemist, and the scene on the altar—where a mandrake root also lies—represents a "great transmutation." This was a coded message to Emperor Rudolf II, who was also an obsessive alchemist and loved complex, sophisticated allegories.

Видео The Art of Line: Issue 9 : The Most Unusual Drawing"Venus, Bacchus, and Ceres" by Hendrick Goltzius канала Languages&MuseumsILove