Anton Boys

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Albert II of Austria

Anton Boys called Anton Waiss[1][2] (between 1530 and 1550 – after 1593)[3] was a Flemish painter, draughtsman and printmaker who after training in Antwerp had an international career, which brought him to Italy, Spain, Prague, Innsbruck and Landshut.

He was court painter to Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria and is mainly known for a series of portraits of members of the imperial family.[3][4] He was also the author of the engravings illustrating a rare book that appeared in 1587 in Dillingen an der Donau, which describes celebrations involving the Imperial family in Prague and Landshut.[4][5]

Life

The artist was born in Antwerp. The date of his birth is not known and estimates vary from circa 1530 to circa 1550. He became in 1572 a free master in the Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke.[3]

Illustration of a celebration from the Ordentliche Beschreibung

In the period from 1574 to 1576 he is believed to have traveled to Italy and Spain.[3] Around 1575 the artist was employed by Count Jakob Hannibal I as a court painter.[6] In the period from 1579 to 1593 the artist is recorded as being active in Prague, Innsbruck and Landshut.[3] He was appointed in 1579 as court painter to Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria and at the same time received 320 guilders for one of his works.[7] It is around this time that the artist starts using the Germanised form of his name 'Anthoni (Anton) Waiss'.[6]

In 1580 Boys received a grant of arms, which conferred on him the right to bear a coat of arms or armorial bearings.[7] He is mentioned twice as court painter in Innsbruck (in 1584 and 1586). In particular it is recorded that in 1584 he received the large sum of 1060 florins, which points to a significant activity of the artist.[8]

He married in 1587 with Barbara Geiger from Innsbruck and established a foundation for the poor in 1589 with a donation of 100 guilders. A record from 1589 refers to the deterioration of the health of Anton Boys and the need to find a new court painter.[7]

It is not known when or where the artist died. Estimates place his time of death between 1593 and 1603.[3]

Work

Illustration of a celebration from the Ordentliche Beschreibung

Anton Boys' role as a court painter appears to have been to paint portraits of historical and living members of branches of the imperial family and their consorts. Many of these miniature portraits are now in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.[2] Anton Boys first worked on a series of Ahnenbilder (portraits of ancestors) for Count Jakob Hannibal I. He worked after older originals, which explains the rather antiquated style of these works. He later made a similar series of ancestor portraits for Archduke Ferdinand II.[6]

Boys is believed to have been the author of the engravings illustrating a rare book that appeared in 1587 in Dillingen an der Donau. The book is entitled Ordentliche Beschreibung mit was staatlichen Ceremonien und Zierlichheiten die Röm. Kay. May. unser aller gnedigster Herr sampt etlich andlern Erzherzogen, Fürsten und Herrn, den Orden dess Guldin Flüss in disem 85. Jahr zu Prag und Landshüt empfangen und angenommen: neben vorzehender Summarischer Außführung vnd Erinnerung, was von disem Orden, auch dessen vrsprung vnd bedeurung fürnemlich züwissen. Dabey dannn auch ettliche zu diser Beschreibung dienstliche fine Figuren zu sehen.[5] The book itself was written by Paul Zehendter von Zehendtgrueb, the secretary of Archduke Ferdinand of Austria. It recounts the ceremonies and festivities in Prague and Landshut on the occasion of the grant of the Order of the Golden Fleece to Emperor Rudolph II, the Archdukes Karl and Ernst, and some other noblemen.[9] For the purpose of the grant of the order, the whole court went on a journey from Innsbruck over Prague and Landshut and then to Munich and back. The book does not only describe each stop on the trip, but also all the members of the great entourage, including the author Zehendter von Zehendtgrueb and the artist Anton Boys. Anton Boys had been commissioned to illustrate the volume with folding plates of the events. These folding plates show cavalry battles, ritual ceremonies, celebrations of mass, processions, banquets, table decorations, gun practice and fireworks.[4] In some copies these plates are coloured. The single-page plates include images of the insignia of the order, and a knight of the order in full regalia, as well as a series of armorial crests. Of the known copies of this book, some contain 17 plates. A copy in the Ornamentstichsammlung Berlin has only 12 plates. Three plates depict the Emperor, the Archdukes and their equipage on their way to various events.[9] The book is quite rare.[10]

Banquet of the Hohenems family

In 1578 Count Jakob Hannibal I commissioned the so-called Banquet of the Hohenems family from Anton Boys. The painting shows a festive table placed in the park of a Renaissance palace situated in front of an idealized mountain landscape.[11] The occasion of the banquet was the wedding of Duchess Margaretha von Hohenems with Fortunat Freiherr zu Madruz.[6] The host Jakob Hannibal (on the right, wearing black headgear) is represented together with his family members who are the guests, the lackeys, the musicians and even the court jester (wearing a yellow cap). Even persons who were no longer alive at that time are represented in the picture, such as, for example, the Count's mother Clara de Medici (center of the image, in black mourning dress). The host is talking to his brother, Cardinal Markus Sittikus (holding his hand in front of his chest). Opposite them is their cousin Cardinal Carlo Borromeo. Hortensia Borromeo, the wife of Count Jakob Hannibal, can be seen on the right side of the table. On the left part of the table are, among other relatives, also highly esteemed friends as well as countless staff. The painting gives an interesting insight into the life and circumstances of the count's influential family in the late Renaissance.[11]

References

  1. ^ Name variations: Anthony Bays, Antoni Bays, Antoni Baijs, Anton Bois, Antoni Waiss
  2. ^ a b Wenzel II., Gemahl v. Gutta, König v. Böhmen, at Kulturpool Template:Link language
  3. ^ a b c d e f Anton Boys at the Netherlands Institute for Art History Template:Link language
  4. ^ a b c Zehendtner, Ordenliche Beschreibung at lot-tissimo Template:Link language
  5. ^ a b BOYS, Antoni - Painter, engraver, draughtsman in: Benezit Dictionary of Artists
  6. ^ a b c d Friedrich Kenner, Die Porträtsammlung des Erzherzogs Ferdinand von Tirol in: Jahrbuch der Kunsthistorischen Sammlungen in Wien, 15.1894, p. 147-259 Template:Link language
  7. ^ a b c E. Egg, Die Innsbrucker Malerei des 16 Jahrhunderts, in K. Schadelbauer, Festschrift für Karl Schadelbauer zur Vollendung des 70. Lebensjahres, Innsbruck, 1972, p. 5 Template:Link language
  8. ^ A. Teurlinckx, Der Coliner Kreis: aus der Geschichte der niederländischen Expansion, Bloemfontein, 1987, p. 66 Template:Link language
  9. ^ a b Golden Fleece - Zehendter von Zehendtgrueb, Paul at Sotheby's
  10. ^ Zehendtner vom Zehendtgrueb, Paul ; Boys, Anton, Ordenliche Beschreibung mit was stattlichen Ceremonien vnd Zierlichheiten die Röm. Kay. May. ... sampt etlich andern Ertzhertzogen ... den Orden deß Guldin Flüß in disem 85. Jahr zu Prag vnd Landshut empfangen vnd angenommen : Neben vorgehender Summarischer außfuehrung ... was von disem Orden ... zuwissen. Dabey dann auch ettliche ... Figuren zusehen, Dillingen, Mayer, 1587, digital copy at at the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek Template:Link language
  11. ^ a b Anthoni Bays, Gartengastmahl at Schulmediencenter Template:Link language

External links

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