Edward Solly

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Edward Solly

Edward Solly (born April 25, 1776 in London , † December 2, 1848 ) was an English merchant and one of the most important art collectors of the early 19th century.

Life

Solly spent part of his life in Berlin , from 1813 as a representative of his father's company. The company generated the majority of its sales with timber and grain trade between England and the German Baltic Sea ports. Business was particularly good during the continental lockdown , which made huge profits for the company. Edward Solly used his share to build up an extraordinarily large collection of paintings, which he was able to assemble in a relatively short time due to his worldwide trade connections.

During the Napoleonic Wars itself, however, the company ran into ever greater financial difficulties. This was due to the rigorous customs and trade policy of England during this period. Solly saw the only way out to turn to the Prussian state, in whose service these losses had come about. Prussia recognized these losses and in 1818 awarded Solly compensation of 200,000 Reichstalers. When there was not enough money, he was granted another loan in the same amount in 1819. As a security he deposited his collection of paintings, which has now grown to over 3000 pictures. Unable to repay the granted loan and because he still needed more money, he began negotiating the sale of his collection with the Prussian state in 1820 through the mediation of Wilhelm Christian Benecke von Gröditzberg and his friend Benjamin Wegner . On November 15, 1821, these were successfully completed. For a sum of 500,000 Reichstalers, the entire collection went into the possession of the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm III. who donated it as the foundation of the Berlin Royal Museums. The Palais Solly in Berlin, Wilhelmstrasse 67 (formerly at the corner of Behrenstrasse ), where the collection was located, was bought by Benecke von Gröditzberg, who also took over pictures from the collection to repay Solly's debts to him in the amount of 30,000 Reichstalers.

With the profit made, Solly built a new, much less important collection. Individual outstanding pieces from this second collection were later also transferred to the Berlin collection, mostly through exchange for other works. He himself withdrew to London a little later, where he lived in a magnificent house on Curzon Street in Mayfair . He was visited there in 1826 by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and in 1835 by the director of the Berlin Gemäldegalerie Gustav Friedrich Waagen , who was very fond of Solly's taste for art.

The Solly painting collection

Edward Solly was a manic collector. His preference was primarily for Italian painting from the Trecento to the Renaissance , which made up the main part of his collection. Presumably it was relatively late that he turned his attention to old German and old Dutch painting. He was certainly stimulated by Aloys Hirt and above all Friedrich Schinkel , with whom he was close friends. Although not documented, he was probably already thinking about the possibility of selling the collection to the Prussian state at this point and hoped to be able to increase the value through the Nordic schools. Friedrich Schinkel in particular was very committed to founding a Berlin art museum and saw the Solly collection as an excellent basis that would advantageously complement the Giustiniani collection acquired for this purpose in 1815 . It was Schinkel himself who drew Solly's attention to important paintings, such as B. the wing panels of the Ghent Altarpiece by the van Eyck brothers or the Gisze portrait by Holbein, which found their way into the collection very late.

After reviewing the collection, it was found that it contained works of every quality. Everything from great masterpieces of art history to insignificant works was included. After a thorough review, the works that could be used for the museum were separated. Many of the pictures that were considered less useful were sold between 1880 and 1886 or given to the numerous Prussian provincial museums. In exchange for more valuable pictures, other works were sent to the royal palaces in Berlin and Potsdam .

Important paintings from the Solly Collection

Jan Gossaert: Maria with the child

Some important works from the Solly collection are listed below. All pictures without a comment after the title are still in the Berlin Gemäldegalerie today.

Old Dutch painting

Hans Holbein the Elder J .: Portrait of the businessman Georg Gisze

German painting

Flemish painting

Nicolas Poussin: Self-Portrait

French painting

Rembrandt: Jacob ring with the angel

Dutch painting

Sandro Botticelli: Saint Sebastian

Italian painting

  • Fra Angelico
    • Mary with the child and Saints Dominic and Peter Martyr.
  • Antonello de Saliba
    • Saint Sebastian.
    • Maria with the child. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Antonio Veneziano
    • The apostle Jacobus d. Ä.
    • Angel of the Annunciation.
    • Mary of the Annunciation.
    • A holy bishop.
    • A holy Franciscan.
    • Female saint.
  • Amico Aspertini
    • Adoration of the Shepherds.
  • Francesco Ubertini (called Bacchiacca)
    • The baptism of Christ.
    • The beheading of John the Baptist.
  • Bartolomeo Bagnacavallo
    • The Visitation of Mariae.
    • Mary with the Child, venerated by Saints Eligius and Petronius.
  • Fra Bartolomeo
    • The Assumption of Mary. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Marco Basaiti
    • Maria with the child.
    • The Lamentation of Christ. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Saint Sebastian. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Leandro Bassano
    • Portrait of a Venetian Procurator. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Lazzaro Bastiani
    • Mary with the child, in a painted frame.
    • The Lamentation of Christ. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Francesco Beccaruzzi
    • Portrait of a ball player with his page.
  • Gentile Bellini
    • Maria with the child and a donor couple.
  • Giovanni Bellini
    • The Lamentation of Christ.
    • The dead Christ supported by two angels.
    • Mary with the child standing on a parapet.
    • Maria with the child. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Altarpiece with three saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Jacopo Bellini
    • Saint Jerome (fragment).
    • Saint John the Evangelist.
    • The apostle Peter.
  • Boccaccio Boccaccino
    • Mary Enthroned with the Child and Saints John the Baptist and Catherine of Alexandria.
  • Giovanni Antonio Boltraffio / Marco d'Oggiono
    • The resurrection of Christ with the saints Leonhard and Lucia.
  • Paris Bordone
    • Mary enthroned with the child and Saints Fabianus, Rochus, Sebastian and Katharina von Alexandria.
    • Resting Venus.
    • Mary enthroned with the child and four saints. (Spoils of war in Warsaw)
  • Ambrogio Borgognone
    • Mary enthroned with the child. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Mary enthroned with the child and two saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Sandro Botticelli
    • Saint Sebastian.
    • Angels carrying Mary with the child and candlesticks. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Francesco Botticini
    • Maria and Johannes, adoring the child.
    • Christ on the cross with four saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • The coronation of Mariae. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Giuliano Bugiardini
    • Mary Adoring the Child and Saints John the Evangelist, Philip, Jerome and Joseph.
    • Mary with the child and the boy John. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Bernardino Butinone
    • The Lamentation of Christ. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Giovanni Cariani
    • Portrait of a Young Man.
  • Giovanni Francesco Caroto
    • The Lamentation of Christ.
  • Vittore Carpaccio
    • The ordination of St. Stephen as a deacon.
    • Mary with the child and two saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Andrea del Castagno
    • The Assumption of Mary with Saints Julian and Minias.
  • Vincenzo Catena
    • Mary adoring the child with Saints Joseph, John the Baptist, Catherine of Alexandria, Louis of Toulouse and the founder Lodovico Ariosto.
    • The blessing Christ.
    • Maria with the child.
  • Cima da Conegliano
    • Mary enthroned with the child and the saints Peter, Romualdus, Benedict and Peter.
    • Mary with the child and a donor.
    • The healing of Anianus by Saint Mark.
    • Maria with the child. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Bernardino de Conti
    • Portrait of Luigi Besozzi.
    • Portrait of a Man. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Lorenzo Costa
    • Portrait of a Young Man.
    • The presentation of Christ in the temple.
    • The Lamentation of Christ.
    • The presentation of Christ in the temple. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Lorenzo di Credi
    • Adoration of the child.
    • Saint Maria Ägytiaca.
    • Maria adoring the child. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Carlo Crivelli
    • Christ in the grave with saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Saint Magdalena. (Sold 1935 - today Amsterdam, Rijksmuseum)
  • Bernardo Daddi
    • Three-part altarpiece with the coronation of Mariae.
  • Pier Francesco Fiorentino
    • Maria with the child in front of a rose hedge. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Vincenzo Foppa
    • Maria with the child.
    • The Lamentation of Christ. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Francesco Francia
    • The holy family.
    • Mary and the child venerated in the glory of six saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Agnolo Gaddi
    • Triptych with Mary with the child, angels making music and saints.
    • A holy bishop.
    • Saint Peter. Saint Paul.
    • A holy deacon.
  • Raffaellino del Garbo
    • Mary enthroned with the child and four saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Mary enthroned with the child, two angels and four saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Mary with the child and two angels. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Benvenuto Tisi Garofalo
    • The penitent Saint Jerome.
    • Adoration of the Magi.
  • Domenico Ghirlandaio + assistants
    • The resurrection of Christ.
    • Saint Vencentius Ferrerius. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Saint Anthony. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Mary with the child venerated in the glory of four saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Ridolfo Ghirlandaio
    • The Assumption of Mary.
    • Adoration of the child. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Giampietrino
    • Saint Magdalena.
    • Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
    • The birth of christ.
  • Luca Giordano
    • Euclid.
    • Archimedes.
  • Giotto
    • The crucifixion of Christ.
  • Giovanni di Paolo
    • Christ on the cross between Mary and John with a kneeling Dominican.
  • Francesco Granacci
    • Mary enthroned with the child, John the Baptist and the Archangel Michael.
    • The Holy Trinity.
  • Filippino Lippi
    • Maria with the child.
    • Christ on the cross, venerated by Mary and St. Francis. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Filippo Lippi
  • Pietro Lorenzetti
    • Saint Humilitas heals a sick nun.
    • Enthroned Mary with the child, adoring angels and Saints Paul, John the Evangeslist, John the Baptist and Peter.
  • Lorenzo Monaco
    • The beheading of Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
    • The birth of christ.
    • Mary enthroned with the child, two saints and four angels. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Lorenzo Lotto
    • Saint Sebastian.
    • Saint Christopher.
    • Christ saying goodbye to his mother.
  • Bastiano Mainardi
    • Maria with the child.
    • Mary enthroned with the child and two saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Maria with the child. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Andrea Mantegna
    • The presentation of Christ in the temple.
  • Marco Marziale
    • Christ in Emmaus.
  • Maso di Banco
    • Maria with the child.
    • Saint Anthony the Hermit. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Saint John the Baptist. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Matteo di Giovanni
    • Mary with the Child, Saint Jerome, Anthony of Padua and two angels.
    • Mary with the Child, Saint Jerome, Catherine of Alexandria and two angels.
  • Melozzo da Forlì
    • Dialectics. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Astronomy. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Bartolomeo Montagna
    • Mary enthroned with the child, St. Homobonus, Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Alexandria and the founder Bernardino da Feltre.
  • Palma il Vecchio
    • Maria with the child.
  • Marco Palmezzano
    • Adoration of the Shepherds.
    • Mary enthroned, adoring the child, with St. Petronius and a Dominican.
    • Mary enthroned with the child and the saints Hieronymus (?) And Barbara,
    • The risen Christ. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Enthroned Maria with child, two saints and a donor (donated by Auguste Viktoria to the Görlitz Municipal War Hospital in 1866 , today in the Görlitz Cultural History Museum )
  • Parmigianino
    • The baptism of Christ.
  • Piero di Cosimo
    • Adoration of the child. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Bernardino Pintoricchio
    • Mary with the child and St. Jerome.
  • Piero del Pollaiuolo
    • The Annunciation.
  • Andrea Previtali
    • Mary with the child and four saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Raffael
    • Mary with the Child (Madonna Solly).
  • Sassetta
    • Maria with the child.
  • Giovanni Battista Sassoferrato
    • Joseph with the Christ child. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Jacopo del Sellaio
    • Maria with the child.
    • Maria with the child.
    • Landscape with Biblical Scenes.
    • Landscape with Biblical Scenes.
    • Saint Jerome. (Spoils of war in Warsaw)
    • The Lamentation of Christ. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Julius Caesar before his assassination. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Julius Caesar's assassination. (probably destroyed in 1945)
    • Saint Jerome. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Luca Signorelli
    • Saints Eustachia, Magdalena and Jerome.
    • Saints Augustine, Catherine of Alexandria and Anthony of Padua.
  • Taddeo di Bartolo
    • The Holy Trinity.
  • Domenico Tintoretto
    • Portrait of a Procurator of San Marco.
  • Titian
    • Self-portrait.
  • Cosmè Tura
    • Saint Sebastian.
    • Saint Christopher.
    • Mary enthroned with the sleeping child and four saints. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Paolo Uccello
    • Maria with the child.
  • Giorgio Vasari
    • Cupid and Psyche. (missing since 1945)
  • Alvise Vivarini
    • Pentecost Altar.
    • Saint Louis of Toulouse.
    • Saint Mary Magdalene.
    • Mary enthroned with the child and Saints John the Baptist, Hieronymus, Augustine and Sebastian.
  • Bartolomeo Vivarini
    • The Archangel Michael with the soul scales.
    • Reading saint.
    • St. George kills the dragon. (probably destroyed in 1945)
  • Marco Zoppo
    • Mary enthroned with the child and Saints John the Baptist, Francis of Assisi, Paul and Jerome.

Spanish painting

Icons

  • Italo-Byzantine, 15./16. century
    • Mary with the Child (Madonna della Consolazione). (In 1939 transferred from the Gemäldegalerie to the Early Christian Byzantine Department)
  • Italo-Byzantine, 17th century
    • Noli me tangere. (In 1939 transferred from the Gemäldegalerie to the Early Christian Byzantine Department)
  • Russian, 18th century
    • Saint Catherine. (In 1939 transferred from the Gemäldegalerie to the Early Christian Byzantine Department)

literature

  • Frank Herrmann: Who was Solly?
    • 1: In: The connoisseur. 164, 1967, ZDB -ID 215961-2 , pp. 229-234,
    • 2: The collector and his collection. In: The connoisseur. 165, 1967, pp. 13-18,
    • 3: The italian pictures. In: The connoisseur. 165, 1967, pp. 153-161,
    • 4: The sale of the Berlin Collection. In: The connoisseur. 166, 1967, pp. 10-18,
    • 5: The distribution of the collection. In: The connoisseur. 169, no. 679, 1968, pp. 12-17.
  • Frank Hermann, Alheidis von Rohr : Edward Solly. Businessman, art collector, art dealer. In: Yearbook Preussischer Kulturbesitz. 7, 1969, ISSN  0342-0124 , pp. 149-159.
  • Wilhelm H. Köhler: The Solly Collection. Features and characteristics of their pictures. In: Miklós Boskovits : Early Italian Painting - Catalog of Paintings. Gebr. Mann, Berlin 1988, ISBN 3-7861-1156-1 , pp. 185/186.
  • Maria Dietl: The picture gallery of Berlin. The formation of the Solly collection. In: Giacomo Agosti, Maria Elisabetta Manca (ed.): Giovanni Morelli e la cultura dei conoscitori. Atti del convegno internazionale, Bergamo, (Chiesa di S. Agostino,) 4-7 giugno 1987. Volume 1. Lubrina, Bergamo 1993, ISBN 88-7766-090-2 , pp. 49-59.
  • Henning Bock : The profane and the sacred. The Solly and Boisserée collections compete for takeover by Prussia. In: Annemarie Gethmann-Siefert (Hrsg.): Art as a cultural asset. The Boisserée brothers' picture collection - a step in the founding of the museum. Bouvier, Bonn 1995, ISBN 3-416-02323-4 , pp. 107-112 ( Modern Times and Present 8).
  • Sandra Ute Melanie Schwarz: The Edward Solly Collection in Berlin . Stuttgart, University Master's thesis 2001.
  • Reimar F. Lacher: Solly, Hirt and the early Italian painting. A chapter from the founding history of the Berlin Gemäldegalerie. In: Stefan Weppelmann (Ed.): Stories on Gold. Picture narratives in early Italian painting. DuMont, Berlin et al. 2005, ISBN 3-8321-7676-4 , pp. 18-25.
  • Robert Skwirblies: A national good that every inhabitant should be proud of. The Solly Collection as the basis of the Berlin Gemäldegalerie. In: Yearbook of the Berlin Museums 51 (2009), ISBN 978-3-7861-2593-8 , pp. 71–99.
personal data
SURNAME Solly, Edward
BRIEF DESCRIPTION English merchant and art collector
DATE OF BIRTH April 25, 1776
PLACE OF BIRTH London
DATE OF DEATH December 2, 1848