As soon as once more: Marie Hubrecht. Are you bored with me speaking about Marie Hubrecht but? As a result of I’m not achieved. If you would like extra Hubrecht, take a look at my evaluations of Verdwenen Werelden right here, right here and right here, and our Verdwenen Werelden podcast episode right here! This submit is a direct companion to my final one, during which I element the time I went to see the spectacular murals she made within the Nineteen Twenties on the former Woman’s Lyceum in Amsterdam. These work have been lovingly restored within the 2010s and might now be seen of their full glory within the central corridor of the Joke Smit School.
Allow us to start, then, to use a few of our signature Classic Dinosaur Artwork evaluation on the works themselves, and why not begin with the massive one?
Right here it’s: The mighty Tempus Jurassicum / Tempus Cretaceum diptych. We should forgive her for the usage of cod Latin within the work’ titles.
All the pictures on this submit come from this glorious web site by Marie’s biographer Dicky van der Zalm, and are used with permission. The top quality images are taken by Wim Ruigrok. Earlier than this, I’d by no means seen a correct high-res copy of the Jurassic/Cretaceous mural. I’ve at all times suspected that this is likely to be a greater work than the equal items in Verdwenen Werelden, and having now seen it for actual, I can verify that it’s. Out of the surviving Hubrecht works, that is undoubtedly her masterpiece. And it’s a dinosaur piece, hurray! A bespoke canvas, painted ex situ to suit the north wall of the corridor, seven by three metres massive, depicting the wildlife of the Jurassic on the left, the Cretaceous on the correct and a sea between, displaying each Jurassic and Cretaceous life.
The work as a complete has a really pleasing visible stability to it, with two items of land separated by sea. Though it is vitally busy, at all times the case with Hubrecht, the ocean within the center offers it a degree of relaxation. It really works each as a complete and on a really intricate, detailed scale.
Of the seven work, that is chronologically the final one, in geological phrases. However, in line with Dicky, that is the primary canvas Marie began engaged on. It’s most likely the one she was most enthusiastic about, and, being probably the most dinosaur-heavy one, probably the most spectacular. There’s so much to choose aside right here… let’s begin with some basic observations, after which work our means left to proper.
If you examine this work, completed in 1926, with Verdwenen Werelden, which she began work on after this, the very first thing to notice is that the work is of a totally completely different scale. The portray is large in a means that you just most likely can’t absolutely comprehend till you’re in a room with it. In the meantime, the later Verdwenen Werelden work are about as massive in actual life as they seem within the e-book. That signifies that between the murals and the e-book, she needed to dramatically alter the dimensions on which she labored, from large to small. There are a lot of similarities between this portray and most of the work that seem within the e-book. The Jurassic land scene on the left (with the 4 sauropods) seems, on the face of it, nearly as-is as a chunk in Verdwenen Werelden. The ocean within the center is reworked into two separate work within the e-book, and the Cretaceous land scene can also be unfold out over two work.
Right here’s the Jurassic scene from the e-book once more. Once more, that is mainly the left facet of the mural, reworked on a a lot smaller scale. I’m not going to painstakingly examine each element of the mural towards each element within the e-book (I’ve achieved a few of that within the evaluation of the e-book) however one factor does strike me, now as a lot because it did earlier than. The e-book model is far darker, gloomier, painted in shades of inexperienced and grey. The sky is darkish and stormy, the animals laborious to make out. The muted crimson plates of the stegosaurs and the blue wings of the Archaeopteryx are among the many few splashes of color. I’ve seen the unique piece and the colouration isn’t an artifact of copy; that is just about what it seems like.
Now let’s take a look at the identical scene from the mural. Way more vibrant and vibrant. Brilliant blue skies. Technicolor sauropods with high-contrast patterns. Purple water reeds, inexperienced vegetation, yellow sand and all types of Hubrechtian little particulars. I’m wondering why she dulled her palette for the dinosaur scenes a lot for the e-book in comparison with these originals.
Perhaps the reply lies in her work on Cenozoic scenes (absent from the murals, which minimize off on the Cretaceous). The mammal scenes within the e-book (mentioned by me right here) are as open and vibrant as this piece, whereas the dinosaur scenes are extra darkish, swampy and oppressive… I can’t assist however see this as a deliberate selection, to make the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic a extra hostile and scary world in comparison with the Cenozoic, serving a “march of progress” narrative. Whichever the case, I discover the mural model extra nice to have a look at. She could have a steadier hand within the e-book, however the mural model has extra depth to it, and it’s additionally extra enjoyable.
It’s effectively established at this level that Marie, like so many artists, would very often base her reconstructions of extinct animals on earlier works by others. Charles Knight was chief amongst these, however she additionally copies from Gerhard Heilmann, Otto Jaekel and Othenio Abel. The latter was an particularly problematic determine (that is an understatement) and I’m certain there was no love misplaced between Marie and him, however one has to get one’s references wherever one can.
Diplodocus, Camarasaurus, Brachiosaurus, Brontosaurus
The sauropods all characterize completely different genera. Entrance to again, now we have Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus, Camarasaurus and Brontosaurus barely to the correct. As is to be anticipated from an early twentieth century piece, they’re all wading within the water. The Brachiosaurus particularly relies on Othenio Abel, whereas I imagine the Brontosaurus to be partially primarily based on Knight. It’s fascinating how inconsistent Marie is with the detailing. The heads of Diplodocus and Camarasaurus (which had identified skulls on the time) are fairly detailed and recognizable, whereas these of Brachiosaurus and Brontosaurus (which didn’t) are much less so and a bit extra muddled. The patterning on the entrance two sauropods, with playful darkish markings on a light-weight background, may be very cool. I imagine it may be traced again to some late nineteenth century sketches by Charles Knight of the sauropod Amphicoelias.
I like the quantity of element within the background. Trying previous the sauropods, we are able to see the background scene being dominated by Stegosaurus, once more primarily based on Abel, with their tall backs, unruly-looking parallel plates and four-point thagomizers. Their pores and skin texture is particularly fascinating, wanting both very pebbly and even quilled. This has all carried over from Abel’s authentic. The second Stegosaurus is shifting away from the viewer, displaying its tail, however Marie has chosen to offer it much less emphasis.
Right here and there, extra creatures might be made out. Brightly colored Archeopteryx, crocodile wanting critters by the water and hard-to-make-out animals over by the lake within the far background. And, in fact, tons of pterosaurs within the sky. As all of them have lengthy tails, I suppose they’re meant to be Rhamphorhynchus. The eye to element will increase the affect of the piece as a complete. The work actually rewards it time and again, discovering new pleasant little particulars.
Much more spectacular is the panorama and particularly the vegetation. It’s unbelievable to ponder simply what number of hours Marie will need to have spent at her custom-built work shed in Doorn. It’s stuffed with depth. Restoring it will need to have been a heck of a job.
To the correct on the background of the Jurassic facet, we are able to make out some theropods. Allosaurus is hunched over its carcass, as was the case with Knight. The unique Allosaurus mount on the AMNH was posed like that, Knight copied the pose in his influential 1919 piece and so did tons of different artists; Rudolph Zallinger and Giovanni Caselli are later examples. Hubrecht’s model follows Knight’s fairly carefully.
Standing behind it’s Ceratosaurus, wanting significantly stranger. Knight himself had not but achieved a Ceratosaurus piece at the moment, however competent illustrations of Ceratosaurus at the moment had been produced by the likes of Joseph Smit, Alice Woodward, Frank Bond and Joseph Gleeson. It appears Marie had seen none of them; the creature resembles no different piece I’m accustomed to. It doesn’t even resemble the Marsh skeletal very carefully. Put bluntly, it’s ridiculous. It has a weird spherical head with a hilarious grin, a hunched, humanoid stance and a razor again. It’s fairly humorous, however maybe a bit revealing of how misplaced Marie was reconstructing dinosaurs when there was no good reference materials out there.
The superb restoration work has made many issues seen such because the sauropods on the seaside within the far background and the unusual reptile instantly under Allosaurus. Subsequent to it’s a tailless pterosaur, which have to be meant to be Pterodactylus. Ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs might be seen within the water.
Right here’s that sea. Artwork of animals reminiscent of ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, to make use of as reference materials, was extra available in comparison with the dinosaurs; data of marine reptiles was a couple of century forward of the dinosaurs. A few of the oldest nineteenth century palaeoart is of marine reptiles, however Marie doesn’t quote from this physique of labor indiscriminately. She was very eager on maintaining updated with present science. I have to admit I’ve some blind spots the place it involves palaeoart of marine reptiles, and pterosaurs too for that matter. The big Pteranodon within the higher proper is traced from Othenio Abel once more, and within the different Pteranodon additional down I acknowledge a extra up-to-date model of Robert Little one. Little question extra animals right here might be sourced to different works. Please remark should you acknowledge some extra.
We frequently discuss of monsterization within the context of modern-day palaeoart, however monsterization was equally if no more current within the palaeoart of the nineteenth century. The development with marine reptiles particularly was to show them into monstrous, antediluvian sea-serpents, endlessly locked in draconic battles. Marie Hubrecht’s early twentieth century work represents a transfer away from this monsterization. Stylized although her work is, the creatures stay animals first. In that means, her work might be stated to be naturalistic.
Marie additionally gives us a view beneath the waves. Her underwater scenes are at all times very crowded, vibrant and complicated. The central animal right here is the plesiosaur grabbing the belemnite. It will not shock me if that is primarily based on one other pre-existing piece, although I don’t know for certain. Aside from that, only a dazzling menagerie of fish, ammonites and invertebrates, with what seems to be a contemporary swordfish (supposed to be an ichthyosaur, maybe?) and a shark combined in. The coral and water vegetation add much more color and element.
A well-known quirk of Marie’s underwater scenes is that she tends to have her ammonites swimming the wrong way up, with their little tentacled faces poking out of the highest of their shell, somewhat than the underside. The white ammonite seen on the correct right here is an exception. Within the later e-book, this has been principally corrected. Perhaps an skilled corrected her within the meantime. I additionally by no means stop to be impressed by the number of ammonites Marie places on show, a range not seen once more till Prehistoric Planet got here round. Should you take a look at Verdwenen Werelden, you’ll see that she completely supposed each single animal depicted to be a particular species. She was extraordinarily deliberate in what she was doing.
Again as much as the floor we go, into the Cretaceous. Once more, now we have a whole lot of particulars to unpack. Marie’s work on the flora impresses as a lot because the animals. This scene was tailored into Verdwenen Werelden as two separate items, with one displaying Triceratops, Corythosaurus and several other ankylosaurs, one other displaying Iguanodon, Trachodon and Tyrannosaurus. And as soon as extra, I can’t assist however really feel the mural is the superior work. It’s way more vibrant and exuberant, and likewise exhibits off extra of Marie’s irresistible idiosyncrasies.
We would as effectively begin with that hadrosaur. I wager you’ve been ready for me to speak about it since I’ve proven you the complete canvas. Together with Ceratosaurus, that is most likely probably the most singularly weird inhabitant of the complete portray. Artists typically take the “duckbill”-aspect of hadrosaurs far too actually, however Hubrecht has actually gone overboard at making it a literal duckbill. That is solely the start, as the complete form and posture of the creature is extremely uncommon even for the time. It actually doesn’t carefully resembles the Trachodon items by Charles Knight. The form of the top, sloped backwards like an exaggerated duck, may be very uncommon. The tail doesn’t look very dinosaurian in any respect. It’s somewhat brief and lizard-like and doesn’t seem like it may help the animal’s weight, because it was nonetheless imagined to do at the moment. Most fascinating of all is the animals integument, with pebbly dinosaur scales on its arms and stomach and a few form of feathery and even fuzzy coat from the again of its head, overlaying the complete again, as much as the tail. I’ve seen this creature being described as “Donald Duck” however it’s a lot stranger than that. I like the way it’s painted, with the delicate stippling giving it a lot character. Observe the little particulars of inexperienced in its crimson head.
Not like Trachodon, the Triceratops has been copied just about wholesale from Charles Knight. By comparability, it seems uninteresting, proving that Hubrecht’s personal outlandish creations are at the least extra fascinating to have a look at than her copycatting. She has given Triceratops her personal contact within the unusual, fascinating, patchy color sample absent from the 1904 Knight piece. Its again nearly seems like a turtle’s shell.
The opposite outstanding dinosaurs are the Iguanodon, operating though they don’t have any house to run. These maintain up particularly effectively to fashionable requirements, having a dynamic pose and their tails straight out off the bottom. They’re primarily based on the work of Gerhard Heilmann, who all through his life made a number of variations of his operating Iguanodon. Heilmann was a progressive palaeoartist, prepared to interact in hypothesis. He was identified to be an adopter of the unusual, now disproven speculation that Iguanodon may stick its tongue out via a gap in its decrease jaw, although he stopped supporting this view in his later work. His older Iguanodon items have the creature retain a, as soon as once more very literal, iguana-like look. That carries over into Hubrecht’s model. Her animals have literal iguana colors and little iguana-like particulars, like little spikes alongside the necks and backs and really lizardlike ears. As Heilmann continued to replace his Iguanodon, so adopted Hubrecht; the Iguanodon in Verdwenen Werelden have misplaced many of the iguana-like particulars.
I need to zoom in on some particulars. Standing within the room, I didn’t discover there have been ankylosaurs within the piece till I’d stared at it for a very long time. Two somewhat armadillo-like ankylosaurs are seen to the highest left of Triceratops, low intimately however presumably primarily based on a Palaeoscincus piece by one E. M. Fulda. Palaeoscincus is a wastebasket taxon that has fallen into disuse. To the correct, now we have a barely extra discernable Polacanthus, and this one appears to be impressed by Alice Woodward. This can be a shock to me as I see no different Woodward affect in Marie’s work wherever. The orange and darkish inexperienced Struthiomimus is an uncommon addition.
I additionally need to draw your consideration to the snake, and to the seabirds on the coast. They’re laborious to make out, however they appear to be both penguins or auks. Or are they Ichthyornis?
Hidden away within the prime proper nook of the portray, we are able to spot Tyrannosaurus rex. It’s a really completely different model than the upright, Godzilla-like monster that exhibits up in Verdwenen Werelden. Not like that model, this one has a Knightian side to it with the patterning just like the sauropods. It’s nowhere close to as grotesque because the e-book model; Marie manages to downplay its monstrosity right here. Its inclusion is nearly an easter egg.
The casqued dinosaur under T. rex is both Corythosaurus or Oviraptor – I think the previous because it was higher identified on the time, and it additionally seems in Verdwenen Werelden, although once more wanting very completely different. This one seems fairly clearly like a cassowary, despite the fact that Marie has given it one other duck invoice. In between the hadrosaurs, we are able to spot the silhouettes of two arboreal creatures, doubtless Hypsilophodon.
However this finish of the canvas is dominated by that lovely tree. I’m wondering what reference materials Marie used for her vegetation. It may very well be images, or different work of forests, bushes and vegetation. The jungle within the background of the Cretaceous facet is splendidly lush and dense, a distinction to the open lake view behind the Jurassic facet. You’ll be able to even discover some animals in there should you look carefully. This is without doubt one of the causes Hubrecht is so rewarding; with each look, you see extra.
That’s so long as I’ve ever spent speaking about only one portray! However it’s price it, proper? What an exquisite, joyous piece of palaeoart. Come to Amsterdam and go see it! That stated, I believe this can do for in the present day. Will I spend as lengthy dissecting each different certainly one of Marie’s seven Amsterdam work? Unlikely, although we’re nonetheless going to offer all of them a superb look. Marie Hubrecht will return! And earlier than we go, let me give the final phrase to Dicky, who has written this loving ode to Marie Hubrecht.