This unique portrait shows a bearded black man who has assumed a powerful pose, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword while he gazes out of the picture. He is dressed quite soberly, in a Flemish cap, doublet, shirt, tabard and hose. More luxurious items are the white kid gloves, the pouch decorated with a fleur de lis and the sword. The man’s pose, clothing and attributes indicate that the subject of this portrait is a soldier.

Op dit unieke portret is een bebaarde zwarte man te zien, die een krachtige houding heeft aangenomen. Hij laat zijn hand op het handvat van zijn zwaard rusten en kijkt het beeld uit. De man is vrij sober gekleed met een klapmuts, wambuis, hemd en broek. Kostbaarder zijn de witte geitenleren handschoenen, de buidel die versierd is met een fleur de lis en het zwaard.

The two biblical scenes most commonly depicted in art come from the New Testament, from the Gospels of St Matthew and St Luke. They are The Nativity of Jesus (Matthew 1:18-25 and Luke 2: 1-7) and The Adoration of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12).

Although the Bible only speaks of magi, or wise men, who present Christ with gold, frankincense and myrrh, Christian literature and art transformed these into three kings, one of whom was subsequently represented as a Black African or Arab (Moor).The arrival of these secular sovereigns bringing gifts to the Christ Child is regarded as an acknowledgement of Jesus’ task in the world. The New Covenant was concluded between Christ, God’s son incarnate, and all other peoples and individuals.’

Wat zich precies heeft afgespeeld is niet duidelijk. Op een vrijdag in 1964 deed Harmen Meurs iets onhandigs op de trap in zijn huis. Hij struikelde, viel, en stierf later dat weekend aan zijn verwondingen. Waarschijnlijk heeft hij nog getracht bij de wandtelefoon in de gang te komen, maar die hing te hoog voor de zwaargewonde man. Toen de bakker zijn lichaam die maandag vond, hing de hoorn wel van de haak. Maar het was niet meer gelukt om bij de draaischijf te komen en een nummer te draaien.

De komst van de wereldlijke vorsten die het kind Jezus geschenken brachten, werd gezien als de erkenning van Jezus’ opdracht in de wereld. Het Nieuwe Verbond werd gesloten tussen de mens geworden Gods zoon Christus en alle andere volken en individuele mensen.’

Afhankelijk van de opdrachtgever of de markt die de kunstenaar dacht te bedienen kon werd de betekenis die koningen op kunstwerken. Ze kunnen bijvoorbeeld werelddelen of leeftijden vertegenwoordigen, maar ook ambassadeurs van de vrede, of rijkdom uit verre vreemde landen en handel met die verre vreemde landen.

When we think of Goya, we think of his iconic Black Paintings and his clothed and naked “Maja”s, but a giant anteater is the last thing we’d associate with the Spanish painter. However, a recently published article by Javier Jordán de Urríes y de la Colina looks to change all that.

Being a 19th Century freak, I am fascinated by pop-culture-art of the Three Penny Paper, or the Penny Dreadful.

In stark opposition to the serious tones of fine art of the 1800’s illustrated papers reflected the satirical side of Victorian culture; cynical, darkly humorous and critical of society. Punch, or The London Charivari as it was also known was definitely the most popular. Started in London in 1841 this weekly paper became an icon of British pop culture, the beak-nosed Punch character was taken from the medieval puppet show Punch & Judy,  and was read by the likes of Queen Victoria herself.

For several centuries now collectors have preserved their drawings and prints in albums or portfolios, shielded from the light. Frits Lugt (1884–1970), creator of the Fondation Custodia, adopted this principle for most of his works on paper. However, in his Dutch residence some of them were displayed in antique frames, which he also collected with a lively interest. He believed that authentic frames were essential for fully appreciating art works. In 1957 Frits Lugt presented at the Institut Néerlandais (Dutch Institute) in Paris, just recently opened, his first exhibition of drawings by Rembrandt and his school, in antique frames. At the end of his life, in 1970, his collection featured around 900 frames from different periods from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, and different European countries. The frame collection is actually held in three principal groups corresponding to the main drawing schools kept by the Fondation Custodia: Flemish or Dutch, Italian and French. The Italian frames in the Frits Lugt collection are particularly distinguished.

The Dutch collector Frits Lugt (1884 - 1970) was very young when he first grew deeply interested in Rembrandt, then collecting the master’s graphic works all his life. At first he had to become familiar with the drawings by studying albums of facsimiles. The great monographic exhibition devoted to Rembrandt in Amsterdam in September 1898 was a revelation to the fourteen-year old youth. A year after he began writing a biography of the master, illustrated with copies he drew himself after the artist’s drawings and prints. This exercise enabled him to have a thorough knowledge of Rembrandt’s style, exactly as the latter’s pupils learned to possess their master’s manner.

In 1886 Vincent van Gogh came to live in Paris. He stayed there for two years and he developed from a traditional painter into a modern one. Researcher Nienke Bakker shows how Van Gogh experimented with new painting techniques.