12. The Influence of Dutch Artists in Naples and Sicily

We have seen a steady stream of Dutch artists file past us on their way to Rome over the course of a century. As we said at the beginning, Rome may have been the chief destination of the artists journeying to Italy but that does not mean we can afford to ignore the other parts of the country they went to. Sometimes it is far from easy to pin the itinerant Dutchmen down to one ‘main working place’. That is particularly true of the landscape draughtsmen. Jan Hackaert, for example, was in Urbino and Fossombrone, in the Appenines, at Lake Trasimeno, in Perugia, Assisi, Tivoli and Sorrento. Daniel Schellinks travelled all over Italy, venturing as far as Sicily and Malta even, while Vincent Laurentsz van der Vinne only got as far as Genoa and Gerard ter Borch I and Dirck Helmbreeker ended up in Naples. ³³⁰ However, it was not just the landscape painters who led an irregular life. Leonaert Bramer reputedly (according to de Bie) saw a great deal of Italy,³³¹ to say nothing of Hendrik Cornelisz Vroom and Mulier-Tempesta with their zest for adventure.

Let us start by following the trail of the Dutch in the south of Italy, in Naples and Sicily, two areas with a comparable artistic culture which developed following their integration into the Spanish Empire. We noted earlier that Matthias Stom(er), one of Honthorst’s pupils, followed in the footsteps of his revered model Caravaggio and went to Naples and Messina. Honthorst might even have made paintings for art lovers in Naples,³³² and a long-standing tradition has it that Hendrick ter Brugghen was active in the city.³³³ At all events, his veneration for Caravaggio appears to have been appreciated there.³³⁴ Thanks to the Spaniard, Jusepe de Ribera (1591-1652), this tendency seems to have found a distinctly Romantic, painterly form of expression with strong light-and-dark contrasts which involuntarily give it an Rembrandtesque feel [i].³³⁵ ‘Rembrandt-like half-length portraits’ were also a feature of Luca Giordano’s (1634-1705) work, although he clearly had a closer affinity to Rubens, who was well known in Naples [i][i][i].³³⁶ Giovanni Battista Caracciolo (1578-1635) [i],³³⁷ on the other hand, was more restrained and reserved in his interpretation of Caravaggism, which underwent further refinement at the hands of Bernardo Cavallino (1616-1656) [i].³³⁸ But even from the direction in which these artists moved tenuous links can be established with the Dutch followers of Caravaggio.

Domenico Gargiulo (also known as Micco Spadaro) (1609-1675) likewise took up an intermediate position in Naples, a city that was exposed to multiple influences.³³⁹ For a long time the portrait of a Young Man Smoking, which hangs in Naples Museum, was attributed to Gargiulo, until it proved to be the work of a Dutch Caravaggist instead [i].³⁴⁰ His works have the dark colours and painting style of Michiel Sweerts, but his subject matter is more reminiscent of Bourguignon. The depiction of the Revolution of 1647 in Museo di San Martino in Naples [i] recalls two earlier vedute made by Jacob Isaacsz. van Swanenburg (1561-1638) [i][i].³⁴¹ Unfortunately these were made in Holland after engravings. Swanenburg spent many years in Naples in the early part of the century. He appears to have had a predilection for painting visions of hell or ‘witches’ sabbaths’. This earned him the displeasure of the Inquisition in 1608 and he was promptly arrested. But why should he not have painted vedute of Naples at that time, the realism of which undoubtedly made a major impression a hundred years before the advent of Van Wittel? From an inventory note we learn that a portraitist by the name of David Baudringien (c. 1581-1650) worked for a while in Naples around 1630, ³⁴² but overall portrait painting in Naples appears to have been more Flemish- than Dutch-influenced.³⁴³

Aniello Falcone (1607-1656) can be added to the painters of battle scenes we met earlier in Rome (fig. 49) [i][i].³⁴⁴ His initial focus was on Salvator Rosa but he seems to have responded to the ideas of Dutch artists that were passed on to him via the Bambocciate painters. He may have come into contact with Adriaen Cornelisz van Linschoten (c. 1606/7-1677), an artist from Delft, who must have been in Naples in the early 1630s.³⁴⁵ The only works of his we are familiar with are two mezzotints by Verkolje after two Apostles’ heads in the style of Jusepe de Ribera [i][i]. He cannot possibly have seen the battle scenes by Cornelis Verhuyck, which were sent from Rome to Naples and other places.

A special role in the exchange of Dutch and Italian works of art was played by the art dealer, Gaspar Roomer (1595-1674), a rich Antwerp merchant who settled in Naples.³⁴⁶ His collection enjoyed a certain reputation. It was seen by Joachim von Sandrart, and Giuolio Cesare Capaccio (1550-1634) provided a brief description of it in about 1634.³⁴⁷ Apart from works by Neapolitan painters the collection contained pictures by van Dyck, Bril and Jan Brueghel as well as works by the first generation of ‘Bent’ painters such as Giovanni del Campo, Cornelis Poelenburch, Leonaert Bramer, Franciscus Viruly, Jan Miel, Pieter van Laer, Michelangelo Cerquozzi, Goffredo Wals and David de Haen. De Roomer’s collection also included works by a number of unfamiliar artists. We learn from a different source that he had a dubious reputation.³⁴⁸ The Neapolitans occasionally derived pleasure from painting in the style of a different artist, a practice in which Luca Giordano, for instance, excelled. But de Roomer took things a step further, turning Santafede’s pictures into ‘Titians’ and Giordano’s works into ‘Veroneses’. This resulted in ‘Wouwermans’ which no one would have looked at had they been presented as by Aniello Falcone. The conclusion we can draw here is that this Dutchman’s battle scenes were more highly esteemed than the works of many a Neapolitan artist.

Only a few Dutch landscape artists appear to have settled in Naples.³⁴⁹ Most were quite happy to go on an outing there from Rome in the company of others. Among the few to spend more time in the city were Willem van Bemmel (1630-1708),³⁵⁰ Gaspar van Wittel [i][i],³⁵¹ the maritime artists Abraham and Jacobus Storck, and Abraham Willaerts (1603/13-1669) [i], all of whom have already crossed our path.³⁵² They were joined by the little-known Paolo Ganses who is said to have painted moonlit seascapes in Naples around 1700.³⁵³ The animal painter, Giuseppe Tassoni (1653-1737) [i] may have become acquainted with Berchem’s style, which can be detected in his paintings, through van Bemmel or via some other source.

The still-life painters made up a separate group in their own right, although it must be conceded that the Flemings, especially Abraham Brueghel (1631-1697), were of much greater significance than the Dutch artists for the development of this genre [i].³⁵⁴ Not until the 1650s do we find two Dutchmen, Otto Marseus van Schriek (1619/20-1678) and Abraham Cornelisz Begeyn, in Naples.³⁵⁵ In the meantime the two brothers Giovan Battista (1629-1693)³⁵⁶ and Giuseppe Ruoppolo (died 1710)[i] had developed their own style, drawing on Luca Giordano [i] and the Flemish models.

Fish still lifes, which constituted a special variety within the genre, approximated very closely to works by Dutch artists.³⁵⁷ Francisco de Herrera II (1627-1685) became very famous as a fish painter and his still lifes certainly bear comparison with those of Abraham van Beyeren; they have the same smooth and shiny surface with multiple reflections of light.³⁵⁸ Giuseppe Recco (1634-1695) was influenced by Herrera. His compositions appear less elegant and come closer to the style of Jacob Gillig [i]. The same is true of Giovanni Agostino Cassana (c. 1665-1720) who produced sumptuous flower images in the style of Mignon (fig. 50) [i][i].³⁵⁹ Gennaro Crispo, a little-known artist who probably belonged to the Neapolitan school, seems to have worked in the same way [i].³⁶⁰

As for the poultry scenes by Nicola Maria Recco (active c. 1686-1715) [i] and Domenico Brandi (1684-1736) [i], reference must again be made to Flemish examples for purposes of comparison. Francesco della Cuosta (c. 1639-1723) [i], an artist of whom we know very little, allegedly painted in the style of van Aelst, Weenix and Pieter Boel.³⁶¹

Dutch art in Sicily begins with two familiar acquaintances, Matthias Stom (c. 1600-after 1645) and his pupil, Joannes van Houbracken (active 1631-1661).³⁶² The paintings by Stomer described in the inventory of the collector Antonio Ruffo and the picture bearing the inscription ‘Stom’ in the church at Caccamo (Palermo) form the starting point for the compilation of Stomer’s / Stom’s painted oeuvre [i].³⁶³ Joannes van Houbracken, who was initially taught by Rubens, became a pupil and follower of Stomer in Messina. None of his works have survived [i][i].³⁶⁴ Whether these artists with Dutch names were from the Northern Netherlands is by no means certain. As pupils and successors of Honthorst, however, they have every right to be mentioned here. By the end of the 16th century a Haarlem Mannerist by the name of Simon Wobrck (active 1557-1587) [i]³⁶⁵ was working in Sicily and he was soon followed to the island by a Flemish artist, Abraham Casembroot (c. 1593-1658), who settled in Messina [i].³⁶⁶ His paintings have been lost, but his drawings and etchings give us an idea of his style [i][i].³⁶⁷ His paintings and those of his pupil, Giovanni van den Broecke [Jan-Baptist van den Broeck (died 1665)],³⁶⁸ of whom we know nothing, were included in the collection of Count Ruffo in Messina as early as 1648.³⁶⁹ A large number of drawings from the sketchbook of a trip through Sicily, now in the Berliner Kabinett, have been attributed to Adriaen van der Cabel [i].³⁷⁰ However, since none of the sketches are signed, it is still uncertain whether he did in fact travel to the south.

Antonio Ruffo (1610-1678) was an art collector of great taste and considerable erudition.³⁷¹ His inventory of 1648 lists not only 169 paintings but also frescoes, coins and other precious items. In addition to the paintings mentioned above the collection included early Netherlandish paintings. Three pictures were acquired from a ‘Giovanni Olandese’ in Rome in 1648.³⁷² Abraham Brueghel, who was likewise active as an art dealer, received a major commission the same year. The Netherlandish art dealer, Cornelis de Wael, supplied various Italian paintings at some later date. Now that one of the collector’s descendants has discovered and published letters and invoices from various artists we know that Ruffo’s collection also boasted three Rembrandts. In 1652, Ruffo ordered a Philosopher from Rembrandt which was completed the following year and dispatched to Messina in 1654. This philosopher is the Aristotle that is now in an American collection [i].³⁷³ Ruffo required two companion pieces for the philosopher. Guercino was commissioned to deliver a Cosmographer and Mattia Preti a Dionysus. Guercino felt greatly honoured by the commission he received. He painted the companion piece in his broad manner and requested a sketch of the Rembrandt painting, apparently so as to adapt it to the original. He wrote saying he was familiar with Rembrandt’s etchings and greatly admired them.³⁷⁴ Ruffo must have been very satisfied with the first commission, for in 1661 he ordered an Alexander and in 1662 a Homer. In 1669, finally, he acquired a further 189 etchings which were handpicked and dispatched by the artist himself. Difficulties arose, however, with the delivery of the Alexander and the Homer. Ruffo complained that the Homer was too big and that the Alexander was painted on two pieces of canvas sown together. Rembrandt apparently remedied the defects to the satisfaction of his client, though, otherwise he would not have received a final commission. Within the space of just a few years, then, Ruffo had in his possession three of Rembrandt’s most eminent late works. Regrettably, the Homer was severely damaged by fire, although the central figure remained unscathed (Dr. A. Bredius Collection, on loan to the Mauritshuis in The Hague) [i], and the Alexander has been lost, unless he can be deemed the subject of a work by Rembrandt dating to 1655 (sic!) which is now in Glasgow [i].³⁷⁵ From a letter written by Mattia Preti in 1665 we learn that Rembrandt’s works were greatly admired by Roman and Neapolitan artists such as Ciro Ferri, Carlo Maratti, Salvator Rosa and Giacinto Brandi.³⁷⁶ In Messina there was an opportunity to study Rembrandt’s late works in detail, but Ruffo’s collection does not appear to have been well known in Italy. The Florentine art writer, Filippo Baldinucci, who wrote at length about Rembrandt in 1685, knew nothing of the Rembrandt collection in Messina.