{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1137233"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1137233/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EF7434/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2010EF7434/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2010EF7434","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O1137233/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1137233","accessionNumber":"DYCE.357","objectType":"Drawing","titles":[{"title":"Ulysses taking leave of Alcinous ","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"","physicalDescription":"Two men standing and embracing; they wear Roman costume, and recline their heads on each other's shoulders","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Primaticcio, Francesco","id":"A28481"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"black chalk","id":"AAT80058"},{"text":"grey paper","id":"x35538"}],"techniques":[{"text":"drawing","id":"AAT54196"},{"text":"heightening","id":"AAT53418"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Black chalk (pierre noire) on grey paper, heightened with white","categories":[{"text":"Drawings","id":"THES48966"}],"styles":[{"text":"School of Fountainebleau","id":"x44704"},{"text":"High Renaissance","id":"AAT21142"}],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2010EF7434"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"LVLH (VA)","id":"THES49654"},"free":"","case":"French Drawings","shelf":"6","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"drawings","id":"AAT33973"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Fontainebleau","id":"x30165"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1555","earliest":"1550-01-01","latest":"1559-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Bequeathed by Rev. Alexander Dyce","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"8.8","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"5.8","unit":"in","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Original measurements converted from fractional inches into decimal inches (rounded to one decimal place).\r\nDimensions taken from: <u>DYCE COLLECTION. A Catalogue of the Paintings, Miniatures, Drawings, Engravings, Rings and Miscellaneous Objects Bequeathed by The Reverend Alexander Dyce</u>. London : South Kensington Museum, 1874.","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Inscribed in ink on the mount ‘Primaticcio’ ","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Inscribed on the back in the elder Richardson’s hand ‘TG 43.L.49.BB.31.TI51 m 57 K’","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Collections - Jonathan Richardson, senior, and Benjamin West.","historicalContext":"Acquired as by Primaticcio, the drawing was then catalogued as Emilian mid 16th century by Peter Ward-Jackson (1979). S. Béguin in 1982 reattributed the sheet to Primaticcio and connected it with the Gallery of Ulysses depicted by the Italian artist in the Chateau de Fontainebleau, France. The present drawing shows the left hand-side of a composition attributed to Primaticcio in the National Museum, Stockholm (NMH 828/1863). These two sheets are considered to constitute the first idea for a composition recorded in a 16th-century copy (Louvre, INV.8703) and subsequently engraved by Théodore van Thulden (plate 29), c. 1633. It shows the 29th compartment of the Gallery of Ulysses, which was about 150 m long, and was destroyed in 1738 by Louis XV. The decoration of the gallery is recorded in descriptions, drawings and prints.\r\n\r\nThe present scene shows Ulysses taking leave of the King Alcinous who provides him a ship to return to Ithaca (Homer, Odyssey, 13: 53-95). In the background of the final composition, one can see the ship being prepared by Alcinous’ attendants for Ulysses to depart. \r\n\r\nIt is likely that the decoration of the walls began only towards the end of the 1540s (Béguin, Guillaume and Roy, 1985) after the death of Rosso Fiorentino who had been entrusted by Francis I of the decoration of the castle. Primaticcio’s leadership at Rosso’s death caused a dramatic change in the decorative scheme. He opted for a very complex structure articulated around the story of Ulysses returning from Troy to his native island Ithaca. The scheme incorporated a variety of media to produce a rich effect.\r\n\r\nThe technique employed in Dyce.357, a black lead pencil called pierre noire, is not common in Primaticcio’s output. However it has allowed Sylvie Béguin to date the sheet c. 1555. She believes it is a remarkable example of the use of this technique in Primaticcio’s late period. The same technique can be found in a few other drawings such as the Victoria Gallica (Uffizi, Dimier 139, for the 4th compartment), a study for a Muse (Louvre, INV.8608, Dimier 95), and a study for a young warrior formerly in the collection of T.P. Clifford (compartement 10).\r\n\r\nThe Galerie d’Ulysse was undoubtedly Primaticcio’s masterpiece at Fontainebleau. Together with the other artists summoned from Italy by Francis I (Rosso Fiorentino, Perino del Vaga and Nicolo dell’Abate), Primaticcio created rich and elegant style incorporating combinations of stuccowork, grotesques and illusionistic paintings. This style was later called ‘school of Fontainebleau’ and had a durable impact on French art. \r\n\r\nPrimaticcio had a great impact of French art during the 16th century. His designs inspired many contemporary artists, most of them having collaborated with him at Fontainebleau. His art, combined with the work of at Fontainebleau generated a stylistic school called school of Fontainebleau, whose designs were subsequently engraved and disseminated all over Europe. ","briefDescription":"Drawing, Francesco Primaticcio, Ulysses taking leave of Alcinous, School of Fountainebleau, c.1555","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"<u>DYCE COLLECTION. A Catalogue of the Paintings, Miniatures, Drawings, Engravings, Rings and Miscellaneous Objects Bequeathed by The Reverend Alexander Dyce</u>. London : South Kensington Museum, 1874."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Peter Ward-Jackson, <u>Italian Drawings, Volume One: 14th-16th centuries</u>, London, 1979, no. 443, p. 204.\r\n\r\nThe following is the full text of the entry:\r\n\r\nEMILIA: mid 16th century\r\n\r\n443\r\nTwo men embracing\r\nInscribed in ink on the mount 'Primaticcio' and again on the back in the elder Richardson's hand 'TG 43.L.49. BB.31 TI 51 m 57 K'\r\nBlack chalk heightened with white on light brown paper\r\n8 5/8 x 5 5/8 (219 x 142)                          Dyce 357\r\n\r\nPROVENANCE J. Richardson, Sr (Lugt 2183); B. West (Lugt 419); Dyce bequest 1869 \r\n\r\nLITERATURE <i>Dyce Catalogue</i> no. 357 (as by Primaticcio)\r\n\r\nThe drawing is hardly by Primaticcio, though it shows his influence as well as that of Parmigianino and Niccolò dell'Abbate."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"S. Béguin, ‘Contributo allo studio dei disegni del Primaticcio’, <u>Bollettino d’Arte</u> No. 15 (Jul-Sep. 1982), fig. 44."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"S. Béguin, J. Guillaume and A. Roy, <u>La galerie d’Ulysse à Fontainebleau</u>, Paris, 1985, p. 72, fig. 10 "}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"men","id":"AAT25928"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["DYCE.357"],"accessionNumberNum":"357","accessionNumberPrefix":"DYCE","accessionYear":null,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-05","recordCreationDate":"2009-09-18","availableToBook":false}}