As soon as once more: Marie Hubrecht. Are you uninterested in me speaking about Marie Hubrecht but? As a result of I’m not completed. If you’d like extra Hubrecht, try my evaluations of Verdwenen Werelden right here, right here and right here, and our Verdwenen Werelden podcast episode right here! This publish 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 may 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 large one?
Right here it’s: The mighty Tempus Jurassicum / Tempus Cretaceum diptych. We should forgive her for using cod Latin within the work’ titles.
All the photographs on this publish come from this glorious web site by Marie’s biographer Dicky van der Zalm, and are used with permission. The prime quality images are taken by Wim Ruigrok. Earlier than this, I’d by no means seen a correct high-res replica of the Jurassic/Cretaceous mural. I’ve at all times suspected that this could be a greater work than the equal items in Verdwenen Werelden, and having now seen it for actual, I can affirm 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 large, depicting the wildlife of the Jurassic on the left, the Cretaceous on the precise and a sea between, displaying each Jurassic and Cretaceous life.
The work as a complete has a really pleasing visible steadiness to it, with two items of land separated by sea. Though it is rather busy, at all times the case with Hubrecht, the ocean within the center provides it some extent 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. Nonetheless, in keeping with Dicky, that is the primary canvas Marie began engaged on. It’s in all probability the one she was most enthusiastic about, and, being essentially the most dinosaur-heavy one, essentially the most spectacular. There’s rather a lot to select aside right here… let’s begin with some basic observations, after which work our method left to proper.
Whenever you evaluate 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 method that you simply in all probability can’t absolutely comprehend till you’re in a room with it. In the meantime, the later Verdwenen Werelden work are about as large in actual life as they seem within the e book. That implies that between the murals and the e book, she needed to dramatically alter the dimensions on which she labored, from huge to small. There are various similarities between this portray and lots 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 principally the left facet of the mural, reworked on a a lot smaller scale. I’m not going to painstakingly evaluate each element of the mural in opposition to each element within the e book (I’ve completed 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 way darker, gloomier, painted in shades of inexperienced and grey. The sky is darkish and stormy, the animals exhausting to make out. The muted purple 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 is just not an artifact of replica; that is just about what it appears to be like like.
Now let’s take a look at the identical scene from the mural. Far more vibrant and vibrant. Brilliant blue skies. Technicolor sauropods with high-contrast patterns. Pink water reeds, inexperienced crops, yellow sand and all kinds 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 lower 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 take a look at. She might 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 properly 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, we now have Diplodocus, Brachiosaurus, Camarasaurus and Brontosaurus barely to the precise. As is to be anticipated from an early twentieth century piece, they’re all wading within the water. The Brachiosaurus specifically relies on Othenio Abel, whereas I consider the Brontosaurus to be partially primarily based on Knight. It’s attention-grabbing how inconsistent Marie is with the detailing. The heads of Diplodocus and Camarasaurus (which had recognized 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 consider 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 very attention-grabbing, trying both very pebbly and even quilled. This has all carried over from Abel’s authentic. The second Stegosaurus is transferring away from the viewer, displaying its tail, however Marie has chosen to provide it much less emphasis.
Right here and there, extra creatures might be made out. Brightly colored Archeopteryx, crocodile trying 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 taking a look at it many times, discovering new pleasant little particulars.
Much more spectacular is the panorama and particularly the vegetation. It’s unimaginable 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 precise 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, trying significantly stranger. Knight himself had not but completed a Ceratosaurus piece presently, however competent illustrations of Ceratosaurus presently 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 wonderful restoration work has made many issues seen such because the sauropods on the seashore within the far background and the unusual reptile instantly beneath Allosaurus. Subsequent to it’s a tailless pterosaur, which should be meant to be Pterodactylus. Ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs might be seen within the water.
Right here’s that sea. Artwork of animals similar to ichthyosaurs and plesiosaurs, to make use of as reference materials, was extra available in comparison with the dinosaurs; information of marine reptiles was a couple of century forward of the dinosaurs. A number 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 conserving 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 massive 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 Youngster. Little question extra animals right here might be sourced to different works. Please remark should you acknowledge some extra.
We regularly speak 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 method, her work might be mentioned 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 could 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 blended in. The coral and water crops 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, quite than the underside. The white ammonite seen on the precise 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 spread not seen once more till Prehistoric Planet got here round. In the event 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, we now 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 rather more vibrant and exuberant, and likewise reveals off extra of Marie’s irresistible idiosyncrasies.
We would as properly 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 in all probability essentially 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 definitely doesn’t carefully resembles the Trachodon items by Charles Knight. The form of the pinnacle, sloped backwards like an exaggerated duck, may be very uncommon. The tail doesn’t look very dinosaurian in any respect. It’s quite quick and lizard-like and doesn’t appear like it might help the animal’s weight, because it was nonetheless presupposed to do presently. Most attention-grabbing of all is the animals integument, with pebbly dinosaur scales on its arms and stomach and a few kind of feathery and even fuzzy coat from the again of its head, protecting the complete again, as much as the tail. I’ve seen this creature being described as “Donald Duck” but it surely’s a lot stranger than that. I like the way it’s painted, with the delicate stippling giving it a lot character. Word the little particulars of inexperienced in its purple head.
In contrast to Trachodon, the Triceratops has been copied just about wholesale from Charles Knight. By comparability, it appears to be like uninteresting, proving that Hubrecht’s personal outlandish creations are a minimum of extra attention-grabbing to take a look at than her copycatting. She has given Triceratops her personal contact within the unusual, attention-grabbing, patchy color sample absent from the 1904 Knight piece. Its again nearly appears to be like like a turtle’s shell.
The opposite distinguished dinosaurs are the Iguanodon, working though they don’t have any area to run. These maintain up particularly properly to trendy 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 working Iguanodon. Heilmann was a progressive palaeoartist, prepared to interact in hypothesis. He was recognized to be an adopter of the unusual, now disproven speculation that Iguanodon might stick its tongue out by 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 wish 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 quite armadillo-like ankylosaurs are seen to the highest left of Triceratops, low intimately however probably primarily based on a Palaeoscincus piece by one E. M. Fulda. Palaeoscincus is a wastebasket taxon that has fallen into disuse. To the precise, we now have a barely extra discernable Polacanthus, and this one appears to be impressed by Alice Woodward. It is 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 wish to draw your consideration to the snake, and to the seabirds on the coast. They’re exhausting 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 reveals up in Verdwenen Werelden. In contrast to that model, this one has a Knightian facet 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 sort of an easter egg.
The casqued dinosaur beneath T. rex is both Corythosaurus or Oviraptor – I believe the previous because it was higher recognized on the time, and it additionally seems in Verdwenen Werelden, although once more trying very completely different. This one appears to be like fairly clearly like a cassowary, though Marie has given it one other duck invoice. In between the hadrosaurs, we are able to spot the silhouettes of two arboreal creatures, seemingly 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 could possibly be images, or different work of forests, bushes and crops. 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 may even discover some animals in there should you look carefully. This is among 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 value it, proper? What a beautiful, joyous piece of palaeoart. Come to Amsterdam and go see it! That mentioned, I believe it will do for immediately. Will I spend as lengthy dissecting each different one in every of Marie’s seven Amsterdam work? Unlikely, although we’re nonetheless going to provide all of them a very good 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.
