Author: EMBOSSED GILT LEATHER|GOUDLEER
Title: Mythological hunting scene. Atalantha & Meleager.
Description: Amsterdam, Jacob & Abraham Hamer, ca. 1660. Embossed gilt leather, Jacob & Abraham ‘De Gecroonde Son’ Hamer.- 1660 Or ‘De Vergulde Roemer’ Pieter van Dam, Jacob van Ipen, Pieter Potter. Mythological hunting scene. Atalanta & Meleager.- Amsterdam-based firms.- Two original 17th c. pendant panels of 'verheven leer' or gilt embossed leather [the embossing executed with the help of metal plates carrying the image], measuring 72 x 60 cm each, on which the motif of Atalanta (accompanied by a nymph) and Meleager hunting down the wild boar roaming the Caledonia forest. Meleager offers the boar's head to Atalanta, electing her Queen of the hunt. The embossed leather is applied with silver and double varnished [with a sandarac varnish] in gold, resulting in a beautiful soft brown-golden hue. The 3 central figures, the birds, flowers, fruits and plants, grapes, hunting dogs, stags, huntsmen, and the boar, are all painted after varnishing in a rich pallet of greens, and yellows, reds. The winding leaf rank left and right w. the central portion in green and gilt leaf borders. 1 putto [Cupid w. bow and arrow?] at the top lefthand corner, two small heads of angels at lower margin. The nymph accompanying Atalanta w. spear, Atalanta herself w. bow, 2 dogs at her feet. Her head crowned w. a wreath w. 4 blossoming flowers held by a dove, a token of awakening love. Half hidden in the flowering ranks, we see huntsmen, stags & hunting dogs. Amsterdam, gilt leather manufacturers Jacob en Abraham ‘de Gecroonde Son’ Hamer; De Gecroonde Son / or ‘De Vergulde Roemer’, Pieter van Dam, Jacob van Ipen, Pieter Potter. Date appr. 1660 – 1680 [see Koldeweij]. These 2 smaller panels measuring appr. 72 x 60 each, together 72 x 120 cm. In a modern metal and wooden frame, the frame itself is covered w. brown leather, corners a little damaged. The two panels are mounted on the modern dark calf. parts of the mounted gilt leather w. small losses, a.o. at outer extremities. These panels were preserved in 1985 after the restoration of a 3 screen divider for the Rijksmuseum by the renowned gilt leather restorer Hendrik van Soest, then working for the Centraal Laboratorium. 9 panels were used for this 3 screen divider, w. the exact same hunting scene, but in brighter colours and w. the leaf ranks’ central portion fully gilded and bright, obscuring the details. 1 partial panel in similar colours as the 2- panel one described here, showing 'Meleager' only was left [75 x 57 cm] and idem a small strip [leaf rank only, green central portion] measuring 77 x 28 cm. Now also in the Rijksmuseum. The further remaining panels, with the complete hunting scene, here described, were restored and framed by H.A.B. van Soest for Max Israel. Very well preserved. Beautiful and fresh colours on a dark fond, stunning details. Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 'Vijfbladig [sic = 3 Bladig] kamerscherm van gepolychromeerd goudleer met bloem-, vrucht- en bladranken en mythologische jachtvoorstelling'; Object nr. BK-1985-54.[see:http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.354345 ]; Name of the manufacturers Jacob en Abraham Hamer from Amsterdam, in the period 1630 - 1650. Further documentation, see: Horst Glass, E.F.Koldeweij, R. Moroz [Eds.] 'Bedeutende Goldledertapeten 1550 - 1900 [Essen, Kunsthandel Glass, 1998], cat. nr. vgl. 17: 'Bulletin van het Rijksmuseum', Jaarg. 36, nr 4 Aanwinsten Rijksmuseum, 1988, pp. 343 - 344, ill. 4, in the comments [by Dr. Koldeweij] 'Driebladig [!] scherm van gepolychromeerd goudleer met een voorstelling van Meleager en Atalanta ... [Noord-Nederland, waarschijnlijk Amsterdam, ca. 1660] ...Drie bladen van een scherm van vijf, dat in recente [=1984-85] tijd uit losse vellen is vervaardigd... hetzelfde goudleer siert een vertrek op het Zweedse huis Skokloster. Een verwant scherm wordt bewaard in het Deutsches Tapetenmuseum te Kassel... en een fragment [Meleager only] van een zelfde blad bevindt zich in het Victoria and Albert Museum te Londen'. H.A.B. van Soest, 'Goudleer' Overdruk. [in: Spiegel Historiael, 10de jaargang nr. 1, Januari 1975, pp. 36 - 46, w. numer. ills.]..

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