Synopses & Reviews
During the years 1627 and 1628, Charles I of England purchased the cream of the Gonzaga art collection, belonging to the dukes of Mantua, in what would become the greatest art deal of the 17th century. Among the treasures sold were ancient statues and stunning paintings by Titian, Raphael, Correggio, and Rubens. This book examines this fascinating and significant art sale from the perspective of the man who orchestrated itandmdash;Daniel Nijs (1572andndash;1647), a Flemish merchant, collector, and dealer living in Venice. Christina M. Anderson brings Nijs to life, asserting that he was more than the avaricious and unscrupulous trader that most modern writers and scholars deem him to be. Andersonandrsquo;s evocative text describes Nijsandrsquo;s unique talent as a dealer, rooted in superior commercial skills, connections to artistic and diplomatic circles, and a deep love of art. The narrative reveals that Nijs was ultimately the pivotal figure involved with the Gonzaga sale, though alsoandmdash;when he later fell into bankruptcy and dishonor due to a deal gone awryandmdash;the most tragic.and#160;
Review
and#8220;A fascinating study of how the cultural map of the 17th century responded to geopolitical rupture.and#8221;and#8212;
ApolloReview
andnbsp;and#8220;The King's Pictures. . . gives an account of its subject that is both deeply learned and page-turningly absorbing.and#8221;and#8212;David Ekserdjian, Financial Times
Review
and#8220;In The Kingand#8217;s Pictures by Francis Haskell, the whole fascinating...story is retold by a master art historian.and#8221;and#8212;Frank Whitford, The Sunday Times
Review
and#8220;A connoisseurand#8217;s volume: the story of the European dispersal of Charles Iand#8217;s incomparable Old Master collection and#8211; Titian, Raphael, Leonardo and#8211; in exchanges determined by volatile political fortunes. Haskell was a pioneer who expanded art history to include patronage and collecting. This study, in his usual lively, engaging style, appears posthumously.and#8221;and#8212;Financial Times
Review
"Well worth waiting for, it is a characteristically masterly examination of one of the most compelling chapters in the entire history of art collecting, the first and tragically short-lived flowering of the British taste for contemporary and earlier art from overseas."and#8212;David Ekserdjian, The Spectator
Review
“[T]he book is fulsomely illustrated, making it a pleasure to view as well as read.”—Robert OBryne, Apollo Magazine David Ekserdjian - The Spectator
Review
and#8220;Frances Haskelland#8217;s research on Charles Iand#8217;s collection. . .appears now for the first time in a brisk, urbane and prodigiously illustrated volume that comes as close as possible in two dimensions to re-creating the sumptuousness of the Caroline Court. . .The Kingand#8217;s Pictures is a finely wrought composition and#8211; rich in detail and full of sharply drawn profiles of strutting aristocrats and shady dealers.and#8221;and#8212;David Gelber, Country Life
Review
“Lively and intelligent”—Charles Hope,
New York Review of Books David Gelber - Country Life
Review
and#8216;What Haskell brings, along with the scrupulous documentation, impeccable scholarship and a host of other qualities to which we have become accustomed, is perspective. With every character and with every fact the reader instantly sees how big they are and in what relation they stand to everything else. The result is a picture that makes sense. The perspective comes not least through a profound understanding of quality in painting.and#8217;and#8212;Desmond Shawe-Taylor, The Burlington Magazine
Review
and#8220;[T]he book is fulsomely illustrated, making it a pleasure to view as well as read.and#8221;and#8212;Robert Oand#8217;Bryne, Apollo Magazine
Review
and#8220;Lively and intelligentand#8221;and#8212;Charles Hope,
New York Review of BooksSynopsis
The greatest paintings in todayand#8217;s most famous museums were once part of a fluid exchange determined by volatile political fortunes. In the first half of the 17th century, masterpieces by Titian, Raphael, and Leonardo, among others, were the objects of fervent pursuit by art connoisseurs. Francis Haskell traces the fate of collections extracted from Italy, Spain, and France by King Charles I and his circle, which, after a brief stay in Britain, were largely dispersed after the Civil War to princely galleries across the Continent. From vivid case studies of individual collectors, advisers, and artists, and acute analysis of personality and motive, Haskell challenges ideas about this episode in British cultural life and traces some of the factors that forever changed the artistic map of Europe.
Synopsis
This fascinating study of the 17th centuryandrsquo;s greatest art sale reveals the crucial influence and true character of the man who orchestrated it, collector and dealer Daniel Nijs.
About the Author
Francis Haskell (1928and#150;2000) was one of the most influential art historians of the 20th century. He expanded the discipline to include the study of patronage and collecting, the formation of museums and canons of taste, the idea of revival and of illustration. He was professor of art history at the University of Oxford from 1967 until his retirement in 1995.