London, Botticelli and Mr. Barker

Oohh feel like l haven’t blogged for ages, too bad! Been busy trying to make progress with my PhD but it’s about time I share my thoughts.  I just got back from London where I spent a week reading and researching, researching and reading. It was nice to leave Edinburgh and spend some time in the sunny English capital. Not that I had any time to enjoy the sun! (and anyway, can I call it sun??). Research took me to the British Library (my very first time there!), National Gallery/National Portrait Gallery Archives and (my favourite) National Art Library at the V&A.

The purpose of my study trip was to research Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, today at the National Gallery. I spent a lot of time reading about it in the past few months, what an emotion to see the painting right in front of me at the Gallery! As explained in previous posts some scholars have hypothesised a connection between the panel and the Vespucci: the wasps flying around Mars head have been considered a symbol of the family (Vespucci > vespa > wasp). Although this explanation is fascinating and totally reasonable, the provenance of the panel and the connection with the Vespucci has never been confirmed and this is what I was (am) trying to ascertain.

All is known about the painting refers to the time of its arrival in the UK in the second half on the nineteenth century. A London collector, Alexander Barker, bought it in Florence around 1858-60 and the panel constituted one of the many Botticellis Barker possessed (among the others the four cassoni panels illustrating the Story of Nastagio degli Onesti at the Museo del Prado in Madrid). When Barker died his collection was sold at Christie’s in 1874 and some of his works were purchased by the National Gallery of London.

Unfortunately not much has survived about Barker. He is often described as an obscure collector and very little is known about him, his activity and his travels to Florence. My questions are: where in Florence did he find Venus and Mars? Who sold it to him (private dealer, auction house..)? The British Library has a book published in 1852 called The Lions of Florence. This little book was meant to be used as a guide of Florentine studios, restorers, art dealers and galleries for those (British) amateurs interested in purchasing Old Masters paintings in the Italian city. The author points out some dealers and restorers where good quality pictures could be found “by enquiring and hunting for, in remote places, streets and corners, where an indefatigable picture hunter – if he does not mind running up and down stair-cases, disturbing the proprietors at their meal, or even in bed, and wading through oceans of rubbish – may discover perhaps a gem, and certainly some second rate painting of value, especially of the old Florentine school”. This is great but.. how do I find out more? Where can I find information about those picture dealers and what they owed? The amount of material that could be out there is daunting and the Lions made me realize that the panel could have really been anywhere. The Lions, just like other material consulted in London, gave me more clues than answers. Overall I am still positive, aware that this is just the beginning and a lot of work still has to be done.