BABEL Collection of Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen

⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎⭐︎Never to miss for all
Official Site
Official Site 2

Site: Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
Until 2nd July, 2017

It is second time for the Tower of Babel, the second version to come to Japan.  In contrast with 1993 exhibition, this time the Tower of Babel is not a guest principal dancer but main hero of the plot.  The prelude was played by Joachim Patinir's landscapes, including Sodom, and the fantastic scenes by Boss, followed by prints by the Followers of Boss and Brugel the elder himself.

The Babel is what could be called a giant miniature, which mandates a monocular to fully enjoy the details never to be rivaled.  All the more at this exhibition, where the first row of spectators may not stop in front of the work. The explanatory panels and the enlarged spiral path are so helpful to learn the  miracle done by Brugel.

While I prefer the first version in Wien, the second one in Rotterdam is also a real masterpiece, and even this work by itself deserve to come to see.

And 3 more works by Boss also wait you.  The Pedlar was apparently once parts of a triptych.  According to the catalogue of Prado Exhibition in 2016, it was with the Ships of Fools in Louvre, Allegory of Intemperance in Yale Univ. Art Gallery and Death and the Miser in National Gallery of Art, Washington. The draft lines seen on the work suggest very thin layers of pigments, which reminds me that Boss was contemporary with Leonard and Giorgione, and might have visited Venezia.  I never agree with The Japanese catching phrase of this exhibition "the Treasure of Netherland in 16th Century: Surpassing Boss", the delicate brush touch of Boss was succeeded by Brugel indeed.

St. Christpher has regained the vivid coloring after restoration. The scene is enigmatic as always with the rest works of Boss, and he might have suggested pious life is the hardest task for humans full of "peccatum originale".  

A small fragment attributed to Boss is no to be neglected. The fine brush work and the details around the mouth and the eye makes me to agree to the attribution.  If only the whole work had survived!

While not a few of the ground floor paintings seemed exhibited due to aspect of art history, charming were Christ by Dieric Bouts and the Wife of Potiphar Showing Clothes of Joseph by Lucas van Leyden.

Many prints of Followers of Boss under Cock are falsely inscribed as "Jheronymus Boss Inventor.", which shows why copyright and author's moral right shall be entitled.