Cunera Olshoorn: Framed! & a happy Newyear!

Hello my friends,

A new year! Let us hope that in 2022 we finally get the better of that virus and life for all of us will turn back to normal. But let it also be a year with hopefully a lot of time for making miniatures!

For me the new year starts with the little Rascal Cunera. Diane Meyboom has finished and framed her stunning portrait after my last post on this miniature painting in september 2021.

But first, if you indulge me, a little history on Cunera. Because some of you asked me about her peculiar first name. And to be honest, I was intrigued as well. Where does it come from? This is what I found on the meaning of the name: 

The origin of this name is still today quite uncertain. The most probable theories include: 1) From the Ancient Germanic “*kôni / *kōnia” (bold, experienced (in battle), someone who understands, experienced, wise). 2) From the Ancient Germanic “*kunja / *cunja-” (noble, kinship, clan, dynasty).

Both possible meaning have a nice ring to it. Wise, bold, noble... But were her parents in the 1680's aware of this? Maybe but probably not. More likely was she named after saint Cunera of Rhenen or after a ancestor with the same name. 

Saint Cunera was the daughter of a british chieftain /King that sailed with saint Ursula to Cologne. Ursula was to marry the King there. All went south and most of the party were killed in a raid. Cunera was saved by King Radbod of the Frysians and bought to his household at the palace in Rhenen. This all takes place in the 4th century, so do not expect high gothic or renaissance palatial splendour.

Radbod grows fond of Cunera in the way that he trusts her to run the palace household in his absence. That evokes a dangerous jealousy in the queen and one night she strangles Cunera with the aid of a courtier using Cunera's own scarf. The murderers bury her body under the floor of the palace stables.

When the King returns from his trip no horse will go into the stable. (her first miracle) Her remains are quikly found under the floor and the royal murderes soon confesses her crime and is exciled away from court to die alone in the wilderness. Soon, after people claimed to be healed by Cunera from ailments to the throat or their cattle cured from diseases, she became a martyr saint. Her specialty is throat ailments (because of the throtling) and life stock diseases (because of the horses). 

But she was also a protector of sailors and ships! (because she sailed with Saint Ursula and survived the attack). That last patronage was struck of her record in the 19th century. When the Catholic Church 'cleaned up' the list of saint's and miracles.  But when Cunera was born in 1680, the family Olshoorn was in trade like many wealthy merchants families in the Dutch Republic. Cunera was still believed to keep sailors and ships safe in story seas. And the Olshoorn family were catholic, so that could very well be the reason for Cunera's unusual first name. Perhaps her parents hoped that the Saintly namesake would protect the families shipping interest a bit more than usual? Who knows. 

Whatever the story behind her first name may be, I love the excuisite miniature portrait Diane Meyboom has made after the original.

What was her life like? There is not much information available accept the dates of birth, marriage, birthing and death. We do know that she married a Van Ryckevorsel, another wealthy merchant family in Rotterdam. Cunera died at (only) 42 while giving birth to a baby girl. The baby was then named Cunera after her mother. 

The Rotterdam Museum also has a portrait of Cunera's daughter and namesake, together with her husband and 10 year old son. This portrait you can see in the picture above.  Somewhere in the future I will ask Diane to paint a miniature of that family portrait as well. But I will have to save up for that first. 

Well, that is it for now. I wish you all a happy and healthy 2022!! May it be a good year for all of you!

Huibrecht 

To gild the Lily

Hello my friends, 

My last post of this year is about gilding. To gild the lily means “to add unnecessary ornamentation to something beautiful in its own right.” This little frame may not need goldeaf applied to it, but I decided to do so none the less. :-) just some harmless unnecessary ornamentation... In the picture below you can see the frame in its original state. 

There are more blogs where this process is shown and on Youtube Josje has a series of 3 short video's where she explains the process in English very clearly. (the link brings you to the first of the three video's.) So I will only tell about the gilding process itself in broad strokes.  please watch these or other tutorial (video's) if you want to try applying goldleaf yourself. With a little practice it really is not that difficult!

The portrait above is of 'Lilly' Liliane Zonneschut. An imaginary ancestor of Sir Carel Polyander Zonneschut. I can't find where I got the picture of the portrait from, so I can not say who really made the portrait of this young woman in a blue dress posing as Artemis, Greek Goddes of the hunt. You have seen this portrait before on my blog. Last year to showcase the silvery frame and last week she  peeked around the corner in my short Christmas post. 

The frame surrounding Liliane is a little silver plated frame that mimics the sometimes heavily carved 17th century baroque frames. But to really mimic it, it had to be a gilded frame. 

Up to now I used gold paint to add some luster to a miniature. Gold paint works well on several occasions, but sometimes goldleaf is just better/prettier. My partner gave me a starterset for gilding for my birthday this year and I really wanted to try it before the year was over. 

After cleaning and degreassing the surfaces to gilt, I added the red coloured goldsise. the colour mimics that of Bole clay that was originaly used. the deep red shines (very delicately) through the slightly translucent gold leaf and enriches the colour of the endresult. I have read that the hue of the gold is different when you use a white, or green or other undercoat. Red is said to give the most satisfying result, and I believe them. because this is not real gold leaf but gold coloured leaf metal (I will buy the real stuff once I am trough the leaves that come with the starter kit) I had to apply a coat of fixative which works like a varnish to protect the leafmetal from corroding over time. 

Next it was Liliane her turn to get a little makeover. Unfortunately I do not recall where I found this picture, but I love this young girl in her pale blue satin dress, posing as the goddess of the hunt. She looks no older than 14 or 15 years but her expression shows a great self awarenss. The real lady was probably not a push over, and rightly so! To fit in the frame, however, I had to cut away the greyhound on the right, which is a shame, but oh well, it is what it is. 

To give this print more the resemblance of an oilpainting I tried two different methods I have read about online and in dollshouse magazine articles. First method was using Modge Podge or woodglue. Apply a thin layer on the print and use a brush to dabb and swirl to create the illusion of brushstrokes. The sheen of the translucent dried glue would give the appearance of old varnish. 

I do not have Modge Podge so I resorted to using woodglue. The result above was not satisfying. The transparency workes well but the bubbles and the blodges look appalling. I may have used too much glue. I will try again with less glue to see how that goes.

But first I tried using gloss varnish. First I added a thin and even layer on the print. When that had dried I added a second and thicker layer and used the brush to dabb and push it around over the portrait. This dried up in the way you can see in the picture above. I really like the result. Unless the second try with woodglue wins me over, this will be my method for working over prints of paintings.

I am very happy with the result. I already have more projects in mind to gild. The gold paint on the putti candlestands or gueridons I have made would look better when properly gilded. Don't you think? But that is a project for 2022.

I wish you all a good Newyear my friends. May 2022 bring health and good fortune to you all!

Huibrecht

  

Cunera Olshoorn; Remember this little girl?

Hello my friends,

In april 2021 I showed you the first stages of the portrait of Cunera Olshoorn that hangs in the (temprarily closed) Rotterdam Museum. Apart from being a beautiful painting (in my opninion.) it also happens to have a family connection to my partner. 

The painting of the miniature portrait had progressed in april to the stage in the picture below.

The original portrait was painted in 1683. At that time Cunera was only 2 years old. So the face is probably the only real thing from the girl in this composition. Posing for a painting is nigh impossible for a two year old. 

Portraying children with older bodies and/or unnatural (for their age) poses was not uncommon in that time. Symbolism was sometimes more important than realism. This picture, like many paintings and portraits of that era have multiple layers of meaning. 

Many items depicted in the painting are not just part of the pretty scenery. They have hidden meanings. The fact that she's seen descending a set of steps, holding flowering rose, having a dog accompanying her around her feet, and the blooming or wilted roses strewn around all have a symbolic meaning. 

These point to youth, fidelity, growing up, the fragility of health/life and the uncertainties of the future. A bit sombre when you think about it. Perhaps she was a sickly child or her parents lost some children/newborns before Cunera was born? Who knows. 

It seems as though the portrait is intended as  a celebration of a beautiful child, but at the same time a warning that good things should not be taken for granted. But thankfully she did not die in childhood like many did in thise days. We do know that Cunera made it into adulthood, got married and started her own family. 

And even in this childrens portrait the parents want to show that they were cultured and educated people. Although you may not recognise it, the statue on the right side of Cunera is modelled after the so called Flora Farnese. The goddes Flora in the famous Farnese marbles. One of the first grand renaissance collections of classical statuary.  Statues very well known in the 17th and 18th centuries. The original stands in Rome. The copy in this photo stands in the Parc de Tuilleries in Paris. 

But back to the miniature painting by Diane. In the pictures above you can see how the multiple (thin) layers of paint and colour have transformed the picture.

It is almost finished, but not entirely. After Diane has finished the painting, she will also make a frame for the painting. It will be based on the frame surrounding the original portrait.

Well that's it for now. Be safe. 

Huibrecht 

Cunera Olshoorn, a devilish little angel.

Hello my friends,

I told you about the Bisschop dollshouse in the Rotterdam Museum last year. In the same museum hangs a portrait of a little girl called Cunera. Unfortunately the picture below is very dark. 

Apart from being a beautiful painting, depicting the girl in an idealised garden accompanied by her dog, the fun fact fore  me is that she is indirectly related to my partner. Very distant family, but related none the less. Because of this fact I want a miniature painting of her.

Most paintings in Huis ter Swinnendael will just be prints, glued on card, but a few will be real miniatures. Like Cunera.

I contacted Diane Meyboom who makes astonishing miniature drawings, etchings and paintings. If you want to see more of her work, this is the link to her website. She accepted the commission to paint Cunera in miniature and last december, just before the museum would close its doors for a 4 year period, we visited the museum together to take pictures and discuss all the details that needed to be discussed.

When we were about to leave, Diane suggested to take a picture of me next to the painting. And there it went wrong. As you can clearly see the little minx poked me in the eye! The devilish little brat! 

Well alright, I had to sneeze at the moment that she took the picture, but it does look like Cunera pokes me in the eye does it not? 😅

I look forward to the end result and can't wait to see it finished. But patience is a virtue! And Diane keeps sending me pictures of the progress. I love seeing every step from blank canvas to the finished portrait.  Here I post a few of them. 

 The last picture below shows the lapis lazuli blue used on Cunera's dress. I already love it although it is not yet finished. I will keep you updated on Cunera's progress. 

Huibrecht