Anthonis Mor, also known as Anthonis Mor van Dashorst and Antonio Moro (c. 1517 – 1577), was a
Netherlandish portrait painter, much in demand by the courts of Europe. He has also been referred to as Antoon, Anthonius, Anthonis or Mor van Dashorst, and as António Mouro, Anthony More, etc., but signed most of his portraits as Anthonis Mor.
Mor developed a formal style for court portraits, largely based on
Titian
Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno.
Ti ...
, that was extremely influential on
court painters across Europe, especially in the
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
, where it created a tradition that led to
Diego Velázquez
Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velázquez (baptised 6 June 15996 August 1660) was a Spanish painter, the leading artist in the Noble court, court of King Philip IV of Spain, Philip IV of Spain and Portugal, and of the Spanish Golden Age. He i ...
. His works can include considerable psychological penetration, especially in portraits of men, but always gives the subject a grand and self-possessed air.
Early life and education
Mor was born in
Utrecht
Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...
,
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, by some estimation between 1516 and 1520. Little is known about his early life, except that his artistic education commenced under
Jan van Scorel. His earliest known work is a portrait which is now in a collection in
Stockholm
Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
, dated 1538.
Painting career
A group of
Knights of St. John at
Utrecht
Utrecht ( ; ; ) is the List of cities in the Netherlands by province, fourth-largest city of the Netherlands, as well as the capital and the most populous city of the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Utrecht (province), Utrecht. The ...
, supposed to have been painted about 1541; and a picture of two pilgrims at the
Gemäldegalerie, Berlin, dated 1544; and the portrait of an unknown woman, in the
Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille, were probably among his earliest works. Their authenticity has not been established.
Antwerp
In 1547 Mor was received as a member of the Venerable
Guild of St. Luke at Antwerp, and shortly afterwards (about 1548) he attracted the attention of Cardinal
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle,
Bishop of Arras, who became his steady patron. Of the portraits executed during the early period of his career as de Granvelle's protégé, two are especially notable: one of the bishop himself (in the
Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna), and one of the
Duke of Alba, which now belongs to the
Hispanic Society of America
The term Hispanic () are people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an ethnic or meta-ethnic term.
The term commonly appl ...
. Between 1549 and 1550
Philip, Prince of Asturias (1527–1598) traveled around the Netherlands to present himself as the future ruler. Mor painted his portrait in Brussels in 1549. He probably visited Italy (when exactly is not known), where he copied some works by
Titian
Tiziano Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), Latinized as Titianus, hence known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian Renaissance painter, the most important artist of Renaissance Venetian painting. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, near Belluno.
Ti ...
, notably the ''
Danaë''
Portugal
In the middle of 1550 Mor left for Lisbon with a commission from
Mary of Hungary to portray the Portuguese branch of the family. Mor probably traveled via
Valladolid
Valladolid ( ; ) is a Municipalities of Spain, municipality in Spain and the primary seat of government and ''de facto'' capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Castile and León. It is also the capital of the pr ...
, where he painted the portraits of
Maximilian II and his wife
Maria of Austria, their daughter
Anna and the son of
Philip II of Spain
Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...
,
Don Carlos. In Lisbon, Mor portrayed King
John III, Queen
Catherine, Prince
João Manuel and Philip II's future wife, Princess
Maria. Little more is known about Mor's stay in
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, but he was definitely back in Brussels by November 1553.
England
After the sudden death of the king of England,
Edward VI
Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. The only surviving son of Henry VIII by his thi ...
, in July 1553,
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V (24 February 1500 – 21 September 1558) was Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria from 1519 to 1556, King of Spain (as Charles I) from 1516 to 1556, and Lord of the Netherlands as titular Duke of Burgundy (as Charles II) ...
now saw the possibility of an alliance between
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
. The engagement between Philip and his Portuguese princess was broken and negotiations started for a marriage with the successor to the English throne,
Mary Tudor. During these negotiations, Mor was sent to England to paint a portrait of Mary, but the exact date of the painting is unknown. This portrait was much appreciated in England and Mor made at least three versions, which became much the best-known likeness of the Queen. On 20 December 1553, Philip officially appointed Mor as painter in his service.
Brussels / Utrecht
In October 1555, Charles V abdicated from the throne. During the ceremonies and festivities surrounding the coronation of his son Philip as king of Spain, Mor would have received many commissions for paintings. Unfortunately, many of these paintings are lost or only known through copies.
Mor was very productive after Philip's ascension to the throne, and produced some of his most important portraits in this period, such as the portrait of Prince
William I van Oranje-Nassau (William the Silent) (1555), the portrait of
Alessandro Farnese (1557) and a new portrait of Philip II. Other important works from this period include the portrait of
Jane Dormer (1558), the portraits of Jean Lecocq and his wife (1559), and the portrait of
Jan van Scorel (1559), which was at a later time to be hung at his tomb and now belongs to the
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...
. Following the death of Mary Tudor in 1558, King Philip was remarried in June 1559 to
Elisabeth of Valois, whom Mor portrayed ca. 1561. This portrait appears to have been lost. Also from this period dates the only known self-portrait of Mor, now in the
Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of th ...
gallery, and one of his (presumed) wife, now in the
Prado (see image gallery below).
The Spanish Court
It seems likely that Mor accompanied King Philip on his return to Spain in 1559. That Mor stayed at the Spanish court is confirmed by the letters which Philip regularly sent to Mor after he had left again in 1561. In his letters, Philip requested Mor's return to court several times, but the painter never complied with his repeated requests. Among the works which Mor supposedly painted in Spain are the Portrait of Juana of Austria and the Portrait of Don Carlos. A much-praised work from this period is the Portrait of Pejerón, the fool of the Duke of Benavente and the Duke of Alba. There has been extensive speculation about the reason for Mor's departure from the Spanish court. According to
Carel van Mander, Mor became too confidential with the King and this aroused the suspicion of the
Inquisition
The Inquisition was a Catholic Inquisitorial system#History, judicial procedure where the Ecclesiastical court, ecclesiastical judges could initiate, investigate and try cases in their jurisdiction. Popularly it became the name for various med ...
. He may also have been alarmed by the increasingly repressive
Counter-Reformation
The Counter-Reformation (), also sometimes called the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to, and as an alternative to or from similar insights as, the Protestant Reformations at the time. It w ...
tenor of the Spanish court. Mor's pupil
Alonso Sánchez Coello continued to work in his master's style, and replaced him as the Spanish court painter.
Return to the Netherlands
On his return to the Netherlands, Mor probably traveled back and forth between Utrecht, Antwerp and Brussels. In this period he was in regular contact with de Granvelle and also worked at the Dutch court, where he portrayed
Margaret of Parma. After his return, Mor focused on the portrayal of citizens, especially of merchants and their wives in Antwerp. In addition to portraits like these (which included the Portrait of
Thomas Gresham), he also painted artisans, such as the goldsmith
Steven van Herwijck (1564). These works are markedly different from the paintings Mor produced for the court, showing off another side of his talent. When de Granvelle returned to
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
and the Netherlands showed increasing social and political unrest, Mor experienced some financial hardship. His financial problems were partially solved when the Duke of Alba granted him commissions and favors. He is not known to have been in Utrecht after 24 July 1567 and from 1568 onwards Mor lived in Antwerp where, in 1572, he registered as a master with the Antwerp guild. At Antwerp he painted a ''Venus and Adonis'' for the new
Stadhuis. It is possible that he visited England once again in 1568, judging from the Portrait of a ''Nobleman with Dog'' and of the Portrait of Sir
Henry Lee, which have been attributed to him. In 1559 and 1562 Mor painted two portraits of Margaret of Parma. On her way to Spain,
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria (; ; born Ana María Mauricia; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was Queen of France from 1615 to 1643 by marriage to King Louis XIII. She was also Queen of Navarre until the kingdom's annexation into the French crown ...
spent some time in Antwerp, where she was painted by Mor in 1570. Mor's portrait of Anna is his last-known court painting, although he was still being referred to as Philip II's court painter in 1573.
Little is known about Mor's life and career after 1570. It seems likely that he lost custom, maybe as result of competition by painters such as
Adriaen Thomasz Key,
Frans Pourbus the Elder (1545–1581) and
Frans Floris (1519/20-1570). The last portrait attributed to Mor is the Portrait of Hubertus Goltzius, dated 1576. Toward the end of his life, Mor focused on
history painting
History painting is a genre in painting defined by its subject matter rather than any artistic style or specific period. History paintings depict a moment in a narrative story, most often (but not exclusively) Greek and Roman mythology and B ...
s of religious and mythological subjects, but in this field of work he would never equal his earlier success as a portrait painter. He is believed to have been working on a ''Circumcision'' for the
Cathedral of Antwerp when he died in 1576.
Main works
Many of Mor's portraits were copied by others. Among those whose works have been confused with Mor's are
Alonso Sánchez Coello,
Francisco de Holanda, and
Cristóvão Lopes. A large number of
engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on a hard, usually flat surface by cutting grooves into it with a Burin (engraving), burin. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or Glass engraving, glass ar ...
s based on his work also circulated.
NB: Some attributions and locations may be out of date.
*''Portrait of
Philip II'' (c. 1549–1550) -
Oil on oak, 107.5 x 83.3 cm, Bilbao Fine Arts Museum
*''Portrait of Cardinal
Antoine Perrenot de Granvelle'' (1549) -
Oil on panel, 107 x 82 cm, Kunsthistorisches Museum
The Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien ( "Vienna Museum of art history, Art History", often referred to as the "Museum of Fine Arts, Vienna") is an art museum in Vienna, Austria. Housed in its festive palatial building on the Vienna Ring Road, i ...
, Vienna. See image above
*''
Cardinal Granvelle's Dwarf with a Dog'' (1549–1553) -
Oil on canvas, 126 x 92 cm, Louvre
The Louvre ( ), or the Louvre Museum ( ), is a national art museum in Paris, France, and one of the most famous museums in the world. It is located on the Rive Droite, Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement of Paris, 1st arron ...
, Paris
*''Portrait of a Man Pointing at a Table Clock'' (c. 1550) -
Oil on canvas, 100 x 80 cm, Louvre, Paris
*''Portrait of a Giovanni Battista di Castaldo'' (c. 1550) -
Oil on panel, 107.6 x 82.2 cm, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
*''Portrait of
John III of Portugal'' (c. 1550) -
Oil on canvas, 101 x 81 cm, Lázaro Galdiano Museum, Madrid; see image gallery below.
*''Portrait of
Catherine of Austria'' (c. 1552) -
Oil on panel, 107 x 84 cm, Museo del Prado, Madrid, inv. 2109; see image gallery below.
*''Portrait of
João Manuel, Prince of Portugal'' (c. 1552) Oil on panel, 107 x 84 cm,
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...
.
*''Portrait of
Infanta Maria, Lady of Viseu'' (c. 1552) -
Oil on canvas, 100 x 87 cm, Convent of Las Descalzas Reales, Madrid, inv. PN822.
*''Portrait of ''
Isabel, Duchess of Guimarães'' (1552) -
Oil on panel, 55 x 50 cm, Private collection, Germany.
*''Portrait of Prince
William I of Orange/Nassau'' (c. 1554) -
Oil on panel, 105 x 81.5 cm, Staatliche Museen, Kassel
Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...
; see image gallery below.
*''Portrait of a Man'' (c. 1555-1560) -
Oil on wood, 97.8 x 71.2 cm, National Gallery of Canada
The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...
, Ottawa
*''Portrait of
Philip II of Spain
Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...
in Armor'' (c. 1557) -
Oil on canvas, 186 x 82 cm, Monasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial
El Escorial, or the Royal Site of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (), or (), is a historical residence of the king of Spain located in the town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial, up the valley ( road distance) from the town of El Escorial, Madrid, El ...
, inv. 1653; see image gallery below.
*''Portrait of a Man in Armor'' (1558) -
Oil on canvas, 111 x 80 cm, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
*''Portrait of a Young Man''
y an anonymous follower of Mor(1558) -
Oil on panel, 97.5 x 69.9 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington
*''Self-portrait'' (1558) -
Oil on wood, 113 x 84 cm, Uffizi
The Uffizi Gallery ( ; , ) is a prominent art museum adjacent to the Piazza della Signoria in the Historic Centre of Florence in the region of Tuscany, Italy. One of the most important Italian museums and the most visited, it is also one of th ...
, Florence; see image above
*''Portrait of
Simon Renard'' (1560) -
Oil on canvas, Musée du Temps, Besançon.
*''Portrait of a Lady'' (c. 1560) -
Oil on oak, 116.8 x 86.9 cm, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa
*''Portrait of
Philip de Montmorency, Count of Hoorn'' (c. 1560) -
Oil on panel. Present location not known.
*''Portrait of Sir
Thomas Gresham'' (1560–1565) -
Oil on panel, 90 x 75.5 cm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam; see image above
*''Portrait of Lady Gresham (Anne Femely)'' (1560–1565) -
Oil on oak, 88 x 75.5 cm, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
*''Portrait of Metgen, wife of the artist'' (also known as ''Portrait of a married woman'') (c. 1560-1565)-
Oil on panel, 100 x 80 cm, Museo del Prado, Madrid, inv. 2114; see image gallery below.
*''Portrait of Spanish Nobleman'', (c. 1560) -
National Museum of Serbia, Belgrade, Oil on canvas 130 x 90 cm
*''Portrait of a Man'' (1560–1577) -
Oil on oak, 49.5 x 40.6 cm, National Gallery
The National Gallery is an art museum in Trafalgar Square in the City of Westminster, in Central London, England. Founded in 1824, it houses a collection of more than 2,300 paintings dating from the mid-13th century to 1900. The current di ...
, London
*''Portrait of a Nobleman, said to be Hernán Cortés'' (date unknown) -
Lobkowicz Palace, Prague
*''Portrait of
Margaret
Margaret is a feminine given name, which means "pearl". It is of Latin origin, via Ancient Greek and ultimately from Iranian languages, Old Iranian. It has been an English language, English name since the 11th century, and remained popular thro ...
, Duchess of Parma'' (c. 1562) -
oil on canvas, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin
The (, Painting Gallery) is an art museum in Berlin, Germany, and the museum where the main selection of paintings belonging to the Berlin State Museums (''Staatliche Museen zu Berlin'') is displayed. It was first opened in 1830, and the cur ...
, inv. L310A; see image gallery below.
*''Portrait of
Jeanne Lullier'' (1563) -
Oil on canvas, Musée du Temps, Besançon.
*''Portrait of
Maria of Portugal, Princess of Parma'' (c. 1565)
[Jordan, pp. 70, 168.] -
Oil on panel, 35 x 15 cm, Museo del Prado, Madrid, inv. 2117.
*''Portrait of Sir
Henry Lee of Ditchley'' (1568) -
Oil on panel, 64.1 x 53.3 cm, National Portrait Gallery, London; see image gallery below.
*''Portrait of a Gentleman'' (1569) -
Oil on canvas, 119.7 x 88.3 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washington
*''Portrait of
Hendrik Goltzius'' (c. 1570) -
Oil on wood, 66 x 50 cm, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels
*''Portrait of a Gentleman'' (c. 1570) -
Oil on panel, 122 x 98.5 cm, North Carolina Museum of Art
*''Portrait of
Mary I of England
Mary I (18 February 1516 – 17 November 1558), also known as Mary Tudor, was Queen of England and Ireland from July 1553 and Queen of Spain as the wife of King Philip II from January 1556 until her death in 1558. She made vigorous ...
'' (date unknown -
Oil on wood, 109 x 84 cm, Museo del Prado, Madrid; see image above
*''Portrait of a Lady'' -
Oil on wood panel, 107 x 72.1 cm, National Gallery of Victoria.
*''Portrait of
Margaret, Duchess of Parma'' (date unknown) -
oil on panel transferred on canvas, 97.8 x 71.7 cm, Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is an List of art museums#North America, art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at ...
.
*''Portrait of
Jane Dormer (?)'' -
Museo del Prado, Madrid; see image above.
*Portrait of Jan Scorel (1559–1560), oil on panel.
Society of Antiquaries of London
The Society of Antiquaries of London (SAL) is a learned society of historians and archaeologists in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1707, received its royal charter in 1751 and is a Charitable organization, registered charity. It is based ...
Gallery
Image:D. João III, Anthonis Mor, 1552.jpg, King John III of Portugal
Image:Infanta Caterina of Spain.jpg, Catherine of Portugal
Image:Antonio Moro - Willem I van Nassau.jpg, William of Orange
Image:King PhilipII of Spain.jpg, Philip II of Spain
Philip II (21 May 152713 September 1598), sometimes known in Spain as Philip the Prudent (), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from 1580, and King of Naples and List of Sicilian monarchs, Sicily from 1554 until his death in 1598. He ...
in armour
Image:Anthonis Mor 002.jpg, Metgen Mor, the artist's wife
Image:MargarethevonParma01.jpg, Margaret of Parma
Image:Anthonis Mor 024.jpg, Henry Lee of Ditchley
See also
*
Artists of the Tudor court
The artists of the Tudor court are the Painting, painters and Illuminated manuscript, limners engaged by the monarchs of Kingdom of England, England's Tudor dynasty and their courtiers between 1485 and 1603, from the reign of Henry VII of England ...
References and sources
References
Sources
* Annemarie Jordan, ''Retrato de Corte em Portugal. O Legado de António Moro (1552-1572'', (Lisbon: Quetzal Editores, 1994)
Annemarie Jordan, ''La Reina María de Inglaterra'', segunda mujer de Felipe II, Antonio Moro, Museo del Prado, Enciclopedia OnlineAnnemarie Jordan, ''Antonio Moro. Anton van Dashort Mor'', Museo del Prado, Enciclopedia Online* Georges Marlier, ''Anthonis Mor van Dashorst (Antonio Moro)'', Académie royale de Belgique, Classe des beaux-arts, Mémoires (Brussels: M. Hayez, 1934).
*
Trevor-Roper, Hugh; ''Princes and Artists, Patronage and Ideology at Four Habsburg Courts 1517-1633'', Thames & Hudson, London, 1976,
*
Joanna Woodall, ''Anthonis Mor; Art and Authority'' (Zwolle: Waanders Publishers, 2008).
* Marieke van Wamel ''Pictor regis. Anthonis Mor van Dashorst and his position as painter at the Habsburg court.'', Thesis BA University of Amsterdam, June 200
Pictor regis - Van Wamel* Marieke van Wamel ''Plumas y pinceles / Pennen en pinceelen. The portraits by Anthonis Mor van Dashorst and the treatises by Francisco de Holanda and Felipe de Guevara; a study into the mutual influences and the exchange of ideas on sixteenth century painting and portraiture''. University of Amsterdam, thesis Researchmaster June 2011
External links
*
Portrait by Antonis Mor at National Gallery, LondonPortrait of a man in armour at the Paul Getty Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mor, Antonis
1520s births
1570s deaths
Painters from Utrecht (city)
Dutch portrait painters
Painters from Antwerp
Dutch Renaissance painters
Painters at the Portuguese royal court