Exhibitions Huon Mallalieu
Sadly, Dürer’s Journeys (planned for the National Gallery, from 6th March) has been postponed. At the time of writing, Epic Iran is still scheduled at the Victoria and Albert Museum (13th February to 12th September).
In the circumstances, I’ve resorted to wallows in the online publications for both shows. The poor organisers should have horoscopes cast in these grim times.
In fact, one of the stars of the Iranian show is the exquisite horoscope created for Tamerlane’s favourite grandson, Iskander Sultan, Governor of what is now southern Iran, in 1411. Naturally, given the 27-year-old prince’s status, his future was said to be long and bright but, three years later, a rebellion against the Shah put an abrupt stop to it.
In itself, the lavishly illustrated horoscope (from the Wellcome Collection) could symbolise the wealth of Persian-iranian culture. Its 86 folios were created by superlative illuminators, gilders, calligraphers and paper-makers – not to mention astronomers.
The exhibition spans 5,000 years of history in about 500 objects from public and private collections. Persian civilisation refined outside cultural influences and absorbed them into its own.
In considering European art, past historians have sometimes tended to overemphasise the national and to overlook the contacts and exchange of influences between regions and schools.
It is no longer possible to consider the Italian Renaissance in isolation from Burgundy and the Netherlands.
Similarly, Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) cannot be pigeonholed as ‘German School’, as if unmarked by his visits to Italy and the Low Countries. He was indeed the most famous artist in Europe.
This is the first exhibition to concentrate on his travels. Not a great deal is known about his four years in western Germany, Flanders and Basel between 1490 and 1494, but his two journeys to Italy, principally Venice, in 1494-95 and 1505-07, are better documented, partly by his letters.
Crossing the Alps, he was one of the first to demonstrate the value of watercolour to travelling artists. His journal of the second Netherlands tour in 1520-21 is known in contemporary copies, although only one original page survives – which is in the show. It includes his expenses and the prices of his paintings and prints.
Along with his own paintings, drawings and prints, many from major collections around the world and several not seen here before, there are important works by the artists with whom he consorted on his travels.
When they are finally put on, these shows should certainly not be missed.