E.102 Dance of the Dryads

E.102 Milan, Dance of the Dryads, I

See the Pluto and Proserpina and the Saturn and Philyra of the Milan-Boyvin set of the Loves of the Gods under Caraglio, E.46-47.

See the Pluto and Proserpina of the Du Cerceau set of the Loves of the Gods under Caraglio, E.46-47.

 

Engraving by Pierre Milan, 27.8 (including margin below of 0.6) x 40 S (Vienna, I).

Three states:

I.  Inscribed in margin below, at left: Cum priuilegio Regis•, in the middle: Quercum erisichtonian dryades cinxere choreis : , at the right: Rous•Floren•Inuen•.

II.  Also inscribed, in the picture area left of center: Hagae – Comitis Hhondius excudit.

III.  Inscription of II apparently altered to indicate a printing, also at the Hague, by Dirk Cuernhart in 1606 (see Thirion, 1971, 44, n. 72, and Borea, 1980, 258, under no. 653; possibly the print indicated by Hamish, 1970, 710).

Fig.E.102 (State I, London)

Robert-Dumesnil, VIII, 1850, 47-48, no. 74 (I and II), as Boyvin.  Le Blanc, 1854-1890, I, 507, 39 (States I and II), as Boyvin after Rosso.  Destailleur, 1895, 278, no. 1154, as State I.  Herbet, III, 1899, 36 (1969, 124).  Levron, 1941, 75, 187.  Zerner, 1969, P.M.1, as Milan.

COLLECTIONS (All State I except where indicated): Braunschweig (lightly foxed).  Cleveland, 84.71 (from Hill-Stone, Inc., New York, Cat. no. 9, 1984, no. 23, Fig., giving wm. as the letter B, Briquet 8091).  Florence, 7934ss.  Florence, Marucelliana, Vol. XXII, no. 35.  London, W3-117.  Los Angeles (Ruiz) (Hill-Stone, Inc., New York, Cat. no. 7, 1982, no. 22, Fig.).  Lyons, exhibited (private collection, Dunand, 1973, no. 19, Fig. 14).  New York, 32.92.27 (20); 24.63.1091 (stained).  New York, Hill-Stone Inc. (several small holes).  Oxford, Christ Church, Vol. N 50 B, bottom.  Paris, Ed 3, 2 impressions of I, and an impression of II.  Paris, Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, Vol. 168(2), no. 62 (see Shéfer below).  Paris, Ensba, 239 inv.  Vienna, F.I.3, p.28, no. 68 (I), p.29, no. 70 (II).

LITERATURE:

Vasari, 1568, II, 308 (Vasari-Milanesi, V, 433), “un ballo di dieci femmine,” as by Boyvin after Rosso, which probably refers to this print.

Schéfer, 1894-1924, col. 554, no. 62, as Boyvin.

Antal, 1928-1929 (1966, 93), as related to Blocklandt’s mythological narratives.

Kusenberg, 1931, 161-162, as Boyvin.

Linzeler, 1932, 178.

De Witt, 1938, 135, as Boyvin.

Metman, 1941, 206, 211, 213, as Milan, engraved by 1545, with 1050 impressions of it owned by Claude Bernard in 1557.

Adhémar, 1946, Introduction and Pl. X-XI, as Milan, around 1549.

Adhémar, 1953, 362, Fig. 1, 363-364.

Panofsky, 1958, 125-126, and Fig. 10 (Paris), as Milan.

Zerner, 1964, 81.

Oberhuber, 1966, 178, no. 299, as Milan.

Thirion, 1971, 42, Fig., 43-44, as Milan.

Kaufmann, in Béguin, et al, 1972, 5, as related to Peruzzi’s picture in the Pitti, and not a Rosso invention; with reply by Béguin that it is very characteristic of Rosso.

Zerner, in EdF, 1972, 322, Fig. (Paris), 323, no. 419, as Milan.

Béguin and Pressouyre, 1972, 138, Fig. (Paris, Ensba), 139.

Borea, 1980, 258, no. 653, as Milan.

Marianne Grivel, in Ronsard, 1985, 78, 90, no. 89 (Paris, Ed 3).

McGovern, 1985, 238, 239, Fig. 69 (Paris).

Carroll, 1987, 43, 44, 282-284, no. 89, with Fig. (Paris, Ed 3).

Joukovsky, 1987, 13 (1992, 41), as showing dryads while the matching picture in the Gallery of Francis I shows nymphs, but placing this picture wrongly under the Expulsion of Ignorance.

Davis, 1988, 6, Fig. (detail), 220-221, no. 98, Fig. (Los Angeles).

Acton, in French Renaissance, 1994, 296-298, no. 70, 297, Fig. (Paris, Ed 3, Vol. 1 [I]), as by Milan, around 1540, after Rosso (mistakenly stating that I dated the print and its design around 1532-1534, whereas I gave this date only to Rosso’s composition), the engraving manner apparently growing out of Caraglio’s around 1525 when he did prints after Rosso, with whom Milan may have been directly acquainted, the engraving showing ex-votos and acorns in the tree, with ivy coiled around it, another dead tree at the left with dead ivy, and with lilies and roses scattered in the foreground.

Brugerolles and Guillet, 1994, 130, 132, and Fig. (Paris, Ensba, I).

Béguin, 1995, 193, as Milan, around 1545.

Although probably the print that Vasari thought was by Boyvin, Metman is certainly correct in recognizing it as the engraving by Milan identified in the documents as representing “Adriades dansantes autour d’un chesne.”  The composition of the print must go back to a drawing that Rosso made no later than the first half of 1534 for the first scheme of the decoration of the wall containing the Scene of Sacrifice in the Gallery of Francis I (P.22, VII N).  A copy of that lost drawing in the Ensba is the reversed model on which the engraving is based (Fig.D.52).  It was probably made from Rosso’s drawing by Milan or an assistant to serve as a model for the engraver, perhaps because Rosso’s original drawing was the wrong size to serve directly as a disegno di stampa.  The documents indicate that the engraving was made by 1545.

COPIES, PRINTS: E.135.  Anonymous.  Engraving, 27.7 x 38.5 S (Washington).  In the same direction as Milan’s print.  Inscribed as in State I of the original print but with a dot after dryades, and with the engraved lines throughout very slightly different.  COLLECTIONS: Los Angeles (Ruiz).  Paris, Ba 12.  Washington, D.C., National Gallery of Art, B-29, 055 (on blue paper).  LITERATURE: Andrew Robison, Paper in Prints, exh. cat., Washington, D.C., 1977, 33-34, 59, no. 103, as anonymous, Boyvin?, 1550-1575, and as apparently on paper imported to Paris from North Italy.  Carroll, 1987, 283-284, n. 1, under no. 89.  Davis, 1988, 221, under no. 98, Fig. (Los Angeles).  Davis pointed out that Alan Stone recognized this copy and that an impression of it was sold as Milan’s at Sotheby’s, New York, May 7, 1976, lot 539.

E.136.  Anonymous.  Engraving, 27.8 x 39.1 S, including margin below of 0.7 (Boston).  In the same direction as Milan’s print.  Inscribed as in State I of the original but with a dot after dryades and added at the right: • C • D • formiS • .  The dot after dryades may indicate that this copy in Boston was made from another copy, E.135.  In this print the face of the dryad at the far left is quite distorted, there are turbulent clouds in the sky, and a small conical bush is added at the lower right.  COLLECTION: Boston, 6649.  LITERATURE: School of Fontainebleau, Fort Worth, 1965, 42, Fig. (Boston), 56, 58, as Milan.  Carroll, 1987, 283-284, n. 1, under no. 89.

This copy may also be the following, with the inscription below in smaller and irregular letters: Chatsworth, Vol. 12, p.17, no. 25.  Vienna, F.I.3, p.28, no. 69 (27.8 x 39.7 S, including margin below of 0.6).

COPY: ENAMEL: The Chatsworth House Trust.  Oval dish (Fig.E.102, Enamel, top; Fig.E.102, Enamel, bottom).  Grisaille with flesh tones and touches of gold, 50.5 x 38.5 x 3.3 high.  LITERATURE: Cunynghame, 1906, XIV, Pl. opposite p.135, as apparently by Jean Court, called Vigier, after Giulio Romano.  Carroll, 1987, 284-285, no. 90, with Figs. of top and bottom, as attributed to Jean Court, called Vigier, after Milan’s print.  Brugerolles and Guillet, 1994, 132.  The decoration of the center of the dish is derived from Milan’s engraving with a distant landscape added.  The wreaths and bunches of flowers hanging from the tree in the print have been eliminated, and instead there is only one wreath encircling a small blank shield.

COPY, WOOD RELIEF: Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum, oval relief decorating a desk.  LITERATURE: Triomphe du Maniérisme, 1955, 225, no. 499.  Thirion, 1971, 39, 42, Fig., 43-44.  McGovern, 1985, 238.

COPY, STUCCO RELIEF: Oxfordshire, Broughton Castle, Star Chamber, central panel of chimneypiece.  LITERATURE: McGovern, 1985, 238.

VARIATION, PRINT: George Boba, Dance of the Dryads in Extended Landscape (Fig.E.102, Boba).  Etching, 11.8 (including margin of 0.5) x 16.4 L (London).  Inscribed with Boba’s monogram at the lower right.  Bartsch, XVI, 1818, 364, 3, as Boba, with reference to Mariette’s attribution of the composition to Primaticcio.  Le Blanc, 1854-1890, I, 390-391, 3, as Boba after Primaticcio.  Herbet, IV, 1901, 312 (1969, 162), 3, as Boba, apparently suggesting as after a lost painting by Nicolo dell’Abate at Fontainebleau.  COLLECTIONS: London, 1874-8-8-900.  Paris, Ensba.  Vienna, H.B.XIII, 2, p.79, no. 448.  LITERATURE: Oberhuber, 1967-1968, 185, no. 272, Pl. 42, as related to the picture under the Scene of Sacrifice in the Gallery of Francis I, and to Milan’s print.  Zerner, in EdF, 1972, 247, no. 280 (Paris, Ensba), as related to the picture in the gallery but not sufficiently close to indicate with certainty that it is derived from it.  Zerner, IB, 33, 1979, 267 (London).

This etching would seem to be inspired by Milan’s print but the composition is so altered and extended as to constitute quite a different scene.