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''The Archdukes Albert and Isabella Visiting a Collector's Cabinet'' is a 17th-century Flemish collaborative painting, now regarded as by Jan Brueghel the Elder and Hieronymus Francken II. It is part of the collection of The Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. Archdukes Albert and Isabella jointly ruled the Spanish Netherlands in the beginning of the 17th century and were considered patrons of the arts. Until the death of Albert in 1621, the area of Flanders enjoyed peace and prosperity. This type of painting known as a ''constkamer'', gallery painting or a depiction of a collector's cabinet was popular during this time in Flanders. The painting is deemed a collaborative effort between the artists Jan Brueghel the Elder and Hieronymus Francken II. It had been attributed previously to Hieronymus Francken II's brother Frans Francken II and Adriaen van Stalbemt to whom is attributed a similar work which is now in the collection at the Prado in Madrid.〔(Hieronymus Francken (II), ''A Collector's Cabinet'' ) at Sotheby’s. The Sotheby's expert believes on the basis of Ursula Härting's analysis that the painting in the Prado should also be attributed to Hieronymus Francken II〕 ==Composition== The painting depicts a large room in which many persons and various art and other objects are present. An unknown Flemish collector accompanies Isabella (seated) and her husband, Albert, who stands behind her. The composition likely does not represent closely any actual occasion. The walls are covered by paintings by Flemish artists and there are also numerous sculptures including the bronze ''Allegory of Architecture'' by Giambologna.〔(The Walters Art Museum - The Archdukes Albert and Isabella Visiting a Collector's Cabinet )〕 The painting contains representations of the wonders of the natural world (animals, plants, and minerals), along with examples of human creativity (painting and sculpture), and attributes of the five senses. As such the composition represents the early phase of the genre of collector's cabinets. During this early ‘encyclopaedic’ phase, the genre reflected the culture of curiosity of that time, when art works, scientific instruments, naturalia and artificialia were equally the object of study and admiration and the cabinets depicted are populated by persons who were as interested in discussing scientific instruments as in admiring paintings.〔Alexander Marr (2010), 'The Flemish 'Pictures of Collections' Genre: An Overview', Intellectual History Review, 20: 1, p. 7〕 The painting propped against the chair at the center, ''Allegory of Iconoclasm'' depicts an ass, a cat, a fool, and an ape (symbols of ignorance and evil) destroying musical instruments, paintings, and scientific instruments. The painting over the mantel depicts an allegory of Painting being rescued by Wisdom and Fame from Ignorance. The dog, on the left side, appears to have two heads which is a result of the underpainting coming through the surface.〔 The globe on the table at the left is one of Cornelis Drebbels' attempts at a perpetual-motion clock. The large vase of flowers, at the far left corner, is Jan Brueghel's contribution to the painting. The flower arrangement is crowned by a large sunflower (''Helianthus annuus''), an American flower which can grow to 14 feet tall and turns toward the sun. A recent arrival in Europe, the flower had been illustrated in botanical books, but this is its earliest inclusion in a painting. It is shown turning toward Albert and Isabella instead of toward the sun.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「The Archdukes Albert and Isabella Visiting a Collector's Cabinet」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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