Two More on Paper: Sketches for St. Cecilia Trombone Images
July 13, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment
About a month ago I posted Canvas, Paper, Silver, and Glass: St. Cecilia Trombone Image in Many Forms, tracing the life of an image originally conceived as a painting through several artistic media. Since then I have located two sketches of the image (source: Volk-Knüttel 31-33, pl. 101; for full citation see Trombone History Bibliography). The first drawing, in which it is a little tricky to spot the trombone, is probably a preparatory sketch for the original painting by Pieter de Witte (c. 1585); the second, which has the same dimensions as the engraving by Sadeler (c. 1590), is probably a preparatory drawing for that engraving. In total, we end up with a pretty remarkable count of two sketches, a painting, an engraving, a silver relief, and a painted glass window. And the trombone makes it through to the end!
Preparatory Sketch, Possibly by Pieter de Witte, for St. Cecilia
Preparatory Drawing, Possibly by Sadeler, for St. Cecilia
Old Germany: The Trombone in Augsburg
July 4, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment
Augsburg, 1493, from Schedelsche Weltchronik
Augsburg, second only to Trier among Germany’s oldest cities, has been the site of considerable trombone activity since the trombone’s beginnings in the 15th century. A painting of the Augsburg Cathedral that I recently added to the Trombone History Timeline (17th century, 1st half) spurred me to put together this post. This fairly specialized post illustrates, on a small scale, some noteworthy trends in the early history of the trombone. Notice, for example, early trombone activities and images related to the civic wind band/alta capella, dance music, and sacred music. Many of the sources are from Keith Polk, who has done extensive research on early trombone history in Germany. As usual, full citations for the sources can be found in the Trombone History Bibliography.
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1447—Augsburg, Germany: Trombone is mentioned as part of a civic wind band (Polk, German 112).
1460s—Augsburg, Germany: The city is temporarily without a trombonist for their civic wind band, but continues to hire a trombonist “for especially important dances” (Polk, German 118).
1477—Augsburg, Germany: Augustein Schubinger begins his career as a trombonist, although he is also recognized as a player of lute and cornett during various stages of his career (Polk, Voices and Instruments).
1482—Augsburg, Germany: Ulrich Schubinger, Jr., begins his career as a trombonist. A versatile musician like many of his day, he is later described as a player of “Geigen, pusaunen, lawten, und andern instrumenten” (Polk, Voices and Instruments).
1488—Augsburg, Germany: Renowned trombonist Augustein Schubinger is termed a trumeter in his own home town, highlighting the continuing ambiguity in terminology between trombone and trumpet (Polk, The Trombone).
1509—Augsburg, Germany: A musician by the name of Caspar Egkern serves as trombonist. He later becomes a member of the viol ensemble of Maximilian I (Polk, German 71).
1591—Augsburg, Germany: A woodcut on the title page of Adam Gumpelzhaimer’s Neue Teutsche Geistliche Lieder (re-used for at least one subsequent work) includes a depiction of a female trombonist as part of an apparently all-female ensemble (see below detail; public domain) (Naylor 221; Kinsky 85).
1592-9—Germany: An anonymous painting from the Album of Hieremias Buroner of Augsburg depicts a consort consisting of trombone, 2 singers, positive organ, cornett, bass viol, violin, and lute (see below image; public domain) (Remnant, Musical Instruments of the West 202; London, British Library).
c. 1600—Augsburg, Germany: An oil painting by Abraham Schelhas titled Augsburger Geschlechtertanz depicts an aristocratic dance in Augsburg. The 4 wind musicians providing the music play from a balcony and include a trombonist; the other instruments appear to be cornettos or shawms (see below detail and full image; public domain) (Augsburg, Städtische Kunstsammlung; Salmen, Tanz im 17 151).
c. 1616—Augsburg, Germany: A painting by Thomas Maurer, The Diocesan Synod of 1610 in the Cathedral of Augsburg, includes what may be two trombones situated on opposite sides of the group of musicians, with only the rather long rear bend of the instruments visible (see below detail and full image; public domain) (Chevalley 142; painting housed in choir sancrisy of Augsburg Cathedral; photo by Eberhard Lantz).
c. 1720—Augsburg, Germany: An engraving by Martin Engelbrecht titled Trompeten, Paucken, Posaunen depicts men playing trumpet and kettledrums, with a trombone on a nearby table. The text below the picture says, “Here one demonstrates music for devotion, pleasure and dancing for various types of musical instruments…Music about men and horses can only be satisfied by fighting. Trumpets, timpani, muskets, Barthaune! They make the right sound together. On the other hand, zinken and trombones [posaunen] are needed always in peacetime, as well as in sorrow and times of joy whenever music is well presented” (see below image) (Naylor 100, 197).
Missing Something? Bell-less Trombones in Art
June 20, 2010 by wkimball · 3 Comments
The slide is one of the most identifiable visual characteristics of the trombone in artwork. However, when a slide turns up without a bell, it can be problematic. Could it still be a trombone? Are we trying too hard to make it a trombone? Was it just artist error? Artistic license? A mistake in a restoration process? A literal representation of some unusual permutation of the trombone? An obscured area of the painting? Some other instrument? They’re all possibilities, of course.
I am not going to try to come to any real conclusions with this post, but I would suggest the early rear-facing trombone as one possibility. There are at least two iconographical examples of rear-facing trombones from the 17th century or earlier (see here), as well as many others from the 19th century (see here). In the case of the first three examples below with no apparent bells, the bell on a rear-facing instrument could easily be obscured by the player’s head and/or other parts of the image, such as cap, halo, and wings. In the final example, from the 19th century, the bell is very likely obscured by the player’s helmet; there are multiple other examples of rear-facing trombones in iconography of this precise period and region.
c. 1474—Asciano, Italy: Matteo di Giovanni’s The Assumption of the Virgin, the center panel of an altarpiece in S. Agostino, includes what may be an angel-trombonist along with several other angel-musicians. The instrument has what appears to be a slide but no visible bell (see below detail and full image; public domain) (Belán 111).
1503-1529—Spain: Joan Gascó’s painting, God the Father and the nine angelic choirs, includes what appears to be a trombone-playing angel, grouped with 2 other wind-playing angels, although no bell is apparent on the trombone (see below detail and full image below that; public domain) (Ballester).
1598-1606—Valencia, Spain: Bartolomé Matarana paints a fresco of angel musicians in the the church of Real Colegio–Seminario de Corpus Christi that includes what are probably 2 trombones. Only the slide portions are obvious, although possible bell flares can be seen upon close inspection (see details and full image below) (Olson, Angel Musicians).
c. 1850—Brussels, Belgium: Musicien et trompette de cuirassiers, a lithograph by Henri Hendrickx, portrays a Belgian infantry musician playing on what may be a rear-facing trombone, the bell obscured by the player’s helmet (see below image; public domain) (Bibliotheque royale Albert I; Wangermée vol. 2, 263). See other Belgian rear-facing trombones from the same time period at this post: Belgian Military Trombonists.
Canvas, Paper, Silver, and Glass: St. Cecilia Trombone Image in Many Forms
Last week I posted Evolution of a Trombone Painting, which traced a painting through several sketches to fruition in a church fresco. This new post similarly shows several permutations of an image, though in this case, the images span a longer period of time, as they are copied by various artists. They also encompass an impressive range of artistic media, including canvas, paper, silver, and glass. The artist who painted the original image, Pieter de Witte (1548-1628; also known as Pietro Candido), is a Flemish-born artist who was trained in Italy and divided his career between Italy and Germany. For additional examples of trombone images that were copied by multiple artists, see Young Trombonists in Four Montserrat Paintings.
Update: See this subsequent post for two additional versions of the below image, both probably preparatory sketches.
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c. 1585—Munich, Germany: Pieter de Witte, court painter in Munich, paints David Singing God’s Praise, which features trombone among a mixed consort of angel-musicians. The upper half of the painting, show below, is meant to depict Saint Cecilia and angels. The lower half, not shown, depicts angels performing with David (Haarlem, Frans Hals Museum, photo A. Dingjan; Pieter Fischer 22; Bergquist xvii) (public domain image).
c. 1590—Munich, Germany: Johann Sadeler (Jan Sadeleer), court engraver in Munich, makes an engraving after Pieter de Witte’s painting that accompanies a setting of Psalm 150, Laudent Deum Cithara, by Orlando Lassus (see below image; public domain) (Mirimonde 67; Bergquist xvii).
A silver relief by Christoph Lencker is also modeled after the original Pieter de Witte painting (see below image; public domain) (Pieter Fischer 23).
And finally, a painted glass window in St. Helen’s church, Denton, England follows the same image. It is dated 1700 and signed by Giles of York (see below detail; public domain) (photo by Gordon Plumb):
Trombone History Image Update
April 29, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment
Updated the entry below from the 17th century timeline (first half) with a color image and exact date. Also of interest is the fact that the painting is an altarpiece, one of many featuring trombone images.
1616—Bologna, Italy: Ludovico Carracci’s Paradise, an altarpiece painting located in the Church of San Paolo Maggiore, features an angel-trombonist situated prominently among a group of angel-musicians (see below detail and full image; public domain) (Komma 109; Emiliana 167).
In the Details: Trombones on Casparini’s Famous Organ
April 20, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment
Posted a much better detail of this trombone sculpture in the 17th century timeline (2nd half). You can even see an extension handle on the trombone. At the bottom is a large detail not included in the timeline. For many more images of trombones on organ cases, see the Perching on the Pipes blog entry.
1697-1703—Görlitz, Germany: Eugenio Casparini’s famous organ in the church of St. Peter und Paul features decorative sculptures of angels sitting atop the pipe structure. Each angel holds 2 instruments; 2 of the angels, sitting on opposite outside edges of the structure, hold trombones while playing trumpets (see above image and facing detail) (Sonnaillon 92). For additional views, see here.
Trombone History: First Non-Italian Depiction of Trombone
March 30, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment
Added the following to the 16th century timeline, possibly the first non-Italian depiction of the trombone. Below the first two images and caption I’m also adding here an image I didn’t include in the timeline–I wider shot that includes the church’s organ as well.
trombonist angel, Abbey Eglise Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul, Gonesse
angel musicians, Abbey Eglise Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul, Gonesse
1508—Gonesse, France: In what may constitute the earliest non-Italian visual depiction of the trombone, a painted panel on the organ balcony at Abbey Eglise Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul features an angel-trombonist. Other instruments depicted include viol, shawm, crumhorn, harp, lute, and organ (see detail, top, and full image, below; public domain). Click on full image for larger version (Fischer, Organology; Luri, Les Anges).
wide view, angel musicians and organ, Abbey Eglise Saint-Pierre et Saint-Paul
Trombone History: The Trombone and Altarpieces
January 27, 2010 by wkimball · Leave a Comment
I recently added the below altarpiece to the 16th century timeline. The religious significance of the early trombone is actually reflected in several altarpieces from the 16th and early 17th centuries; I’ve included 5 others in this blog post, all of them currently shown in the timeline. Unlike the trombones on organ cases, which are clearly centered in Germany, the altarpieces seem to be spread throughout Europe.
Peter Spring altarpiece, Fribourg
1592-1601—Fribourg, Switzerland: The Augustinian monastery’s altarpiece by Peter Spring depicts a group of angel-musicians, including an angel playing a trombone (see above image; public domain) (Wold 82).
Detail, The Engagement of St. Ursula and Prince Etherius
The Engagement of St. Ursula and Prince Etherius
c. 1520—Spain: The Engagement of St. Ursula and Prince Etherius, sometimes also titled St. Ursula and Prince Etherius Making a Solemn Vow, a panel painting from the Master of Saint Auta Altarpiece, depicts a trombonist with a wind band performing from a loft or window. The painting may represent the earliest visual depiction of a black trombonist (see above detail and full image; public domain) (Lisbon, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Inv. No. 597) (Bowles, Musikleben 30-31).
Detail, Hans Baldung, Coronation of the Virgin
Hans Baldung, Coronation of the Virgin
1516—Freiburg, Germany: Hans Baldung’s painting, Coronation of the Virgin, the central panel of an altarpiece located in the Freiburg Cathedral, includes an angel-trombonist among a group of angels playing wind instruments above and to the left of the Virgin (see above detail and full image; public domain) (Burkhard pl. 2).
Detail, Elsheimer, The Exaltation of the Cross
c. 1595—Frankfurt, Germany: Adam Elsheimer’s, The Exaltation of the Cross, part of an altarpiece of several copper panels, portrays an angel playing trombone among a group of other angel musicians. Elsheimer, known for his variety of light effects, places the trombonist near the burst of light at the top of the painting (see above detail; public domain: wikimedia commons) (Klessmann).
Lastmann, David in the Temple
1618—Pieter Lastmann’s altar scene, David in the Temple, portrays a trombone performing with voices, tamborine, pommer, and 2 string instruments (see above image; public domain) (Kinsky 177; Buchner 254).
Bueno and Cano, Virgin of the Rosary altarpiece
c. 1620-24—Seville, Spain: The altarpiece of the Virgin of the Rosary of the Parish of Santa Ana, probably painted by Diego López Bueno and Miguel Cano, includes a depiction of an angel playing trombone (see bottom-right of above image; public domain image) (Alonso Cano 613).
Still Another 17C Italian Angel-Trombonist
December 26, 2009 by wkimball · Leave a Comment
Added the below images and caption to the Early 17th Century Trombone History Timeline. The instrument appears to be a trombone, although the left-hand grip of the player is unusual. Again, like many other frescoes from this region and time period, the image would seem to reflect the religious connections in trombone history.
1623—Varese, Italy: Cappella XI, cappella della Resurrezione, of Sacro Monte, is completed. The semicircular apse features a fresco by Isidoro Bianchi that includes what is probably a trombone among one group of angel-musicians (see facing detail and bottom-left of full image, below; click for larger image; public domain) (Angelis 147).
Angel-Trombonists, Italian Painters, and the 17th Century
December 16, 2009 by wkimball · Leave a Comment
Added another image of an angel-trombonist to the Early 17th Century Timeline (see images and timeline entry, below). Trombone history seems to replete with these striking paintings, particularly by Italian artists, depicting the sacred nature of the trombone. See especially 17th Century (first half) and 17th Century (second half).
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c. 1641—Prosto di Piuro, Valchiavenna, Italy: A fresco in the vault of the presbytery of chiesa dell’Assunta painted by either Giovan Battista Recchi or his brother, Giovan Paolo Recchi, includes a trombonist among several angel musicians (see facing detail and full image, below; public domain) (Pescarmona 77).