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Memory and Distance: Learning from a Gilded Silver Vase (Antwerp, c. 1530)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2024

Carlo Ginzburg
Carlo Ginzburg*
Affiliation:
University of California at Los Angeles
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Extract

1. In 1929, a few months before his death, Aby Warburg wrote an introduction to his last intellectual project: the ‘Picture Atlas’ (Bilderatlas) which he dedicated to Mnemosyne, the Greek goddess of memory, whose name was inscribed on the front door of the Kulturwissenschaftliche Bibliothek he had founded. The opening sentences of Warburg's introduction, first published 70 years after his death in Italian translation, read: ‘The conscious creation of distance between the self and the external world may be called the fundamental act of civilization. Where this gap conditions artistic creativity, this awareness of distance can achieve a lasting social function.’

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Research Article
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Diogenes , Volume 51 , Issue 1: Horizons of Memory , February 2004, pp. 99 - 112
Copyright
Copyright © ICPHS 2004

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References

Notes

1. For the Italian translation see Mnemosyne. L’Atlante della memoria di Aby Warburg, materiali a cura di I. Spinelli e R. Venturi, Roma 1988, pp. 33–43; for the German original see A. Warburg, Der Bilderatlas Mnemosyne, hrsg. von M. Warnke unter Mitarbeit von C. Brink, ‘Gesammelte Schriften, II, 1’, Berlin 2000, pp. 3–6. I quote from the English translation provided by E. H. Gombrich, Aby Warburg. An Intellectual Biography, London, 1970, p. 288.

2. E. H. Gombrich, Aby Warburg, pp. 288–9.

3. Ibid. pp. 241–2; see also p. 287.

4. A. Vespucci, Il mondo nuovo, a cura di M. Pozzi, Milano 1984, p. 71 (‘Lettera a Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici del 28 luglio 1500’).

5. A. Vespucci, Il mondo nuovo, p. 79: ‘Non tengono né lege né fede nesuna. Vivon secondo natura’ (‘Lettera a Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de’ Medici del 1502 da Lisbona’).

6. Petrus Martyr de Angleria, Opus, intr. E. Woldan, Graz 1966, Decas prima, caput III, fol X. See also Extraict ou recueil des isles nouvellement trouvees en la grand mer Oceane… fait premierement en latin par Pierre Martyr de Milan, et depuis translate en language francoys, Paris, Simon de Colines, 1532, p. 23 r.

7. E. Panofsky, ‘The Early History of Man in Two Cycles of Paintings by Piero di Cosimo’, in Id., Studies in Iconology, New York, 1939, pp. 33–68.

8. See A. Vespucci, op. cit.

9. F. Zeri, ‘Rivedendo Piero di Cosimo’ [1959], in Giorno per giorno nella pittura. Scritti sull’arte toscana dal Trecento al primo Cinquecento, Torino, 1991, pp. 175–82, especially p. 180.

10. E. Panofsky, Studies, p. 59, n. 69: Guidantonio’s name was suggested by G. Gamba [‘Piero di Cosimo e i suoi quadri mitologici’, Bollettino d’arte 1936, pp. 45–57]. On Guidantonio see F. J. Pohl, Amerigo Vespucci Pilot Major, New York 1966, p. 26; G. Arciniegas, El embajador. Vida de de Guido Antonio, tío de Amerigo Vespucci, Bogotá, 1990.

11. E. Panofsky, Studies, p. 67.

12. Vitruvius, De architectura, translato commentato et affigurato da Caesare Cesariano, 1521, ed. A. Bruschi, A. Carugo and F. P. Fiore, Milano, 1981, c. XXXI v. Panofsky reproduced Cesariano’s illustration but missed the reference to the comment: see Studies in Iconology, p. 41, n. 23. See also C. Cesariano, Volgarizzamento dei libri IX (capitoli 7 e 8) e X di Vitruvio, De Architectura, secondo il manoscritto 9/2790 Secciòn de Cortes della Real Academia de Historia, Madrid, a cura di B. Agosti, Pisa 1996. See also the collection of essays Cesare Cesariano e il classicismo di primo Cinquecento, Milano, 1996.

13. See C. Ginzburg, No Island is an Island: Four Glances at English Literature in a World Perspective, New York, 2000, p. 19.

14. H. Thoma, Kronen und Kleinodien. Meisterwerke des Mittelalters und der Renaissance aus dem Schatzkammern der Residenz zu München, München, 1965, pp. 12, 22.

15. M. Rosenberg, Der Goldschmiede Markzeichen, Dr. erw. Aufl., Berlin 1928, IV. Band, n. 5086.

16. C. Hernmarck, Die Kunst der europaischen Gold- und Silberschmiede von 1450 bis 1830, München 1978, Abb. 141: ‘Pokal mit (wahrscheinlich späteren) getriebenen exotischen Darstellungen’. Page 101 suggests a later date for the decorations and a comparison with Portuguese decorated plates (with no specific references).

17. See for instance L. Voet, Antwerp, the Golden Age, The Rise and Glory of the Metropolis in the Sixteenth Century, Antwerp 1973, ill. p. 373 (in color); p. 352 caption; p. 372: ‘the artist is anonymous, but the hallmark on this splendid chalice, with its openwork Gothic foliage between the stem and the bowl and around the edge of the tall lid, with chased friezes around the foot, and cup-shaped bowl, shows that it was made in Antwerp in 1524–25. It is the oldest remaining example of Antwerp work in precious metal. The friezes depict exotic scenes… Some features such as feathered headdresses, seem to indicate American Indians, but other elements, including the plants and animals, point to India. The silversmith probably drew his inspiration from woodcuts, but the actual source has not yet been discovered.’ See also M. Rosenberg, op. cit.

18. H. Thoma, Kronen, p. 12.

19. Herbert Brunner (ed.), Schatzkammer der Residenz München. Katalog, 3. Auflage, München 1970, p. 60, no. 37: ‘… teils in exotischer landschaft, teils vor gravierten europäischen bauten und Schiffen’.

20. H. Cortés, Des marches, îles et pays trouvés et conquis par les capitaines du tres illustre…, Anvers, Michiel de Hoocstraten, after October 1st, 1522; H. Cortés, De Contreyen vanden Eylanden ende Landtouwen…, Antwerp, 1523 [reprint, Boston 1920].

21. Hernán Cortés, Letters from Mexico, transl. A. Pagden, intr. J. H. Elliott, New York, 1971, p.102.

22. According to Lise Lotte-Müller, ‘Der Indianische Hahn in Europa’, Art the Ape of Nature. Studies in Honor of H. W. Janson, ed. M. Barasch and L. Freeman Sandler, New York, 1981, pp. 313–40, especially p. 313, the earliest representation of a turkey in European art would be found in the frame of an illustration of René Boivin from Léonard Thiry, Historia Jasonis, 1550, f. 19.

23. A. Warburg, Der Bilderatlas Mnemosyne, p. 3; my translation is taken from E. H. Gombrich, Aby Warburg, p. 291.

24. P. Baudouin, P. Colman and D. Goethals, Orfèvrerie en Belgique XVIe–XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles, Paris 1988, p. 50, ill. 25.

25. Hans Burgkmair. Das graphische Werk, Augsburg 1973, n. 26.

26. D. B. Quinn, ‘New Geographical Horizons: Literature’, in First images of America: The Impact of the New World on the Old, ed. F. Chiappelli, II, Berkeley and Los Angeles 1976, cites Oviedo, Hystoria general (1547), c. 91 v: ‘porque es mas para ver le pintado de man de Berruguete o otro excelente pintor come el o aquel Leonardo de Vince o Andrea Mantheña famosos pintores que yo conocieren en Ytalia: que no para darle a entender con palabras. E muy mejor que todo esto es para visto que escripto ni pintado’.

27. R. Lightbown, Mantegna, Oxford 1986, pp. 490–1 (with bibliography on the sarcophagi which inspired Mantegna). Dürer’s copy mistakenly referred to the ‘left-hand section’ of Mantegna’s two engravings.

28. D. Landau and P. Parshall, The Renaissance Print, New Haven and London, 1994, p. 73.

29. L. Voet, Antwerp, the Golden Age, p. 372.

30. Vitruvius, De architectura, p. XLVI v: For the date of Cesariano’s birth see B. Agosti, ‘Riflessioni su un manoscritto di Cesare Cesariano’ in Cesare Cesariano, p. 71.

31. M. Baxandall, The Limewood Sculptors of Renaissance Germany, New Haven 1980, pp. 135–42, especially p. 135.

32. D. Landau and P. Parshall, The Renaissance Print, pp. 212–13, ill. 224.

33. H. Cortés, De Contrefeyen vanden eylanden ende landtouwen, Antwerp 1523 (reprint Boston 1920 from the original, BN Paris).

34. Laurent Frie[UNKNOWN], Uslegung der Mercarthen oder Cartha Marina darin man sehen mag wo einer in der wellt sey und wo ein yetlich Landt, wasser und Stadt gelegen ist. Das alles in den büchlin zu finden, Getruckt zum Straßburg von Johannes Grieningen und vollendet uff san Erasimus tag. Im jar 1527, p. XIV v.; Id., Underweisung und uslegunge der Cartha Marina…, Stra[UNKNOWN]burg, 1530.

35. Albrecht Dürer, Diary of His Journey to the Netherlands 1520–1521, with an introduction by J.-A. Goris and G. Marlier, Greenwich, CT, 1970, p. 77 (spelling modified) (22–4 Nov. 1520). See ill. 29 (pen 15,9X10,1 cm. Inscribed by D. above: ‘ein goltschmit von mechell zw antorff gemacht 1520’. ‘Possibly a portrait of S. C.’). See A. Dürer, Schriften und Briefe, Leipzig 1993, p. 42: ‘Item der Steffan Capello hat mir ein zederbaumen paternoster geben, dargegen soll und hab ich konterfet’.

36. G. Van Doorslaer, La corporation et les ouvrages des orfèvres malinois, Antwerpen, 1935, pp. 94–6.

37. W. L. Strauss, The Complete Drawings of Dürer, 4, New York, 1974, n. 1520/9.

38. P. Pazzi, Dizionario biografico degli orefici, argentieri… operanti nello Stato Veneto…, Treviso, 1998, lists one Stefano Capello who lived in the 18th century.

39. M. Hering-Mingau, ‘Vom Holzmodell zur Silberplastik’, in Entwurf und Ausführung in der europäischen Barockplastik, München 1986, pp. 135–56.

40. G. Van Doorslaer, La corporation, p. 96. F. Leitschuh referred to this vase in his edition of Dürer’s diary: A. Dürer’s Tagebuch der Reise in die Niederlande, Leipzig, 1884, p. 147.

41. H. Doursther, Dictionnaire universel des poids et mesures anciens et modernes, reprint 1965, p. 248.

42. Weight as today (g): 1255 cover; 1095 cup; 135 ring; 758 foot: total weight 3243 g. Hypothetical weight: 758 foot; 535 cup; 750 cover; 100 ring; total 2143 g.

43. L. de Laborde, Inventaire des tableaux, livres, joyaux et meubles de Marguerite d’Autriche…, Paris, 1850, p. 34: ‘249. Une grande couppe d’or ouvrée à feuillages pesant vi 1. xiii [On lit en marge] cette première couppe d’or et du corps de la salière est parlé au IIIe article suyvant, ont, par ordonnance de Madame, esté rompues et en sont esté faictes trois petites couppes pour en servir le voiaige de Cambray où la paix fut faicte et depuis Madame les donnyt aux marquise d’Arscot, contesses d’Aygremont et de Gaure qui avoyent esté audit Cambray’. For a full edition of the inventory see H. Michelant, Inventaire des vaisselles, joyaux, tapisseries, peintures, manuscripts, etc. de Marguerite d’Autriche, régente et gouvernante des Pays-Bas, dressé en son palais de Malines, le 9 juillet 1523, Bruxelles 1870 (extrait du t. XII, n. 1 et 2, 3ème série, des Bulletins de la Commission Royale d’histoire de Belgique), p. 113.

44. Hernán Cortés, Letters from Mexico, transl. A. Pagden, intr. J. H. Elliott, New York, 1971, the third letter (pp. 160–281), 1522 [1st ed. Seville 1523; Latin transl. (by Pietro Savorgnani) Nuremberg, 1524, French version of the Latin transl., Antwerp 1524], pp. 174–5.

45. This can be regarded as an example of ‘the rhetoric of innocence’ brilliantly analyzed by F. Moretti, 0pere-mondo. Saggio sulla forma epica dal Faust a Cent‘anni di solitudine, Torino, 1994, pp. 22–8.

46. C. Ginzburg, Ecstasies: Deciphering the Witches’ Sabbath, New York, 1991. Also, from a different perspective, C. Ginzburg, Wooden Eyes: Nine Reflections on Distance, New York, 2001 (essay on ‘Myth’).

47. H. G. Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau [1896], ed. R. M. Philmus, Athens, GA, 1993.

48. M. Halbwachs, Les cadres sociaux de la mémoire, Paris, 1925 (nouv. éd. 1952).

49. On Pathosformeln as superlative: E. H. Gombrich, Aby Warburg, pp. 178–9. On the smoothing-out effect of classical idiom (klassische Dämpfung) see L. Spitzer, Representative Essays, ed. A. K. Forcione, H. Lindenberger and M. Sutherland, Stanford, CA, 1988, pp. 431–2 (with bibliographical references).