During his five-year stay in the Eternal City, Van Heemskerck created hundreds of drawings as well as several paintings for Roman patrons, which were highly praised by his contemporaries. Unlike most drawings, these do not depict realistic views of classical art and architecture, but vary mythological themes with colorful fantasized ruins. With these pictures, Van Heemskerck introduced a new subject to European landscape painting.
Lecture by Dr. Tatjana Bartsch, Bibliotheca Hertziana – Max-Planck-Institut für Kunstgeschichte (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.