Maarten van Heemskerck made his drawings in the open air in front of the real object. This presented him with various challenges: For example, choosing the right ink played a crucial role, as it had to have a good flow from the pen and enable the desired quality and color reproduction. It could also influence the durability of the artwork. The material-technical examinations of van Heemskerck’s drawings allow further conclusions to be drawn about his use of drawing materials. They provide important insights into the materiality of the sketchbooks and enable a deeper artistic and historical classification of these important works.
Lecture by Carsten Wintermann, Klassik Stiftung Weimar (in German).
Lecture series
Accompanying the exhibition The Allure of Rome. Maarten van Heemskerck Draws the City is a series of lectures that takes place on Tuesdays. Individual aspects of Van Heemskerck’s work will be addressed and explained. Speakers will talk about the few paintings he created in Rome as well as the influence of Michelangelo, Van Heemskerck’s drawing materials and his approach to ruins in comparison with contemporary depictions by other artists.
- 7 May – Dr. Tatjana Bartsch, Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max-Planck-Institut für Kunstgeschichte: ‘Ruinenfantasien. Maarten van Heemskercks römische Gemälde’
- 28 May – Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Horst Bredekamp: ‘Ganz und gar wild – Van Heemskerck und Michelangelo’
- 6 June – Georg Josef Dietz und Antje Penz, Kupferstichkabinett: ‘Vom Album in die Ausstellung. Maarten van Heemskercks Kleines römisches Zeichnungsbuch 1532–1536/37’
- 18 June – Carsten Wintermann, Klassik Stiftung Weimar: ‘Kunst in der Natur. Die Zeichenmaterialien von Maarten van Heemskerck’
- 16 July – PD Dr. Charlotte Schreiter, LVR-LandesMuseum Bonn: ‘Ruinen, so weit das Auge reicht. Maarten van Heemskerck und die römische Antike’
All lectures are held in German at the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Kulturforum) in Berlin at 18:00 CET.
Advance reservation is required and free for charge. See the museum website for tickets and more information.