Bartholomeus Spranger

I have come across what seems like rather a lot of advertisements for an exhibition in New York featuring the work of this Bartholomeus Spranger, of whom I had not previously heard. A sort of rather grander version of the naughty-but-nice exhibition of paintings a little while back at Hampton Court Palace (of which, sadly, I can find no clear trace on either blog).

I was amused to find this morning that the image used for advertising, a naked female fondling a thigh of a satyr or some such in a very suggestive way, was not the picture on the front of the catalogue. This last did include a couple of rather odd looking nudes, but was not very suggestive at all. One was much more interested in the lady's rather odd looking neck, the explanation of which turned out from wikipedia to be that the artist was the pinnacle of northern mannerism. I had previously only ever heard of the southern pinnacle, one Parmigianino, also known for his odd necks.

My usually trusty 'The Lives of the Painters' by John Canaday had never heard of the northern pinnacle either. Or, at least, the index had not.

The picture I have included here, also odd, also from wikipedia, was turned up google. It portrays Athena (left) and Hermes (right) up to something or other.

Spranger, on this showing, must have been a rather odd cove. But I am not going to get over to New York in time to find out any more; perhaps a visit to central Europe is going to be the way forward.

Reference 1: http://metmuseum.org/.

Reference 2: the show at Hampton Court might have been 'The Wild, the Beautiful and the Damned', and although I do not remember the name, google turns up a review from the Guardian.

Reference 3: a possible reference, rather vague but the mention of tuberculosis is about right, as is the date: http://pumpkinstrokemarrow.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=An+even+closer+run+thing.