Three Stories About the Painting Vision of Saint Ildephonsus
Vision of Saint Ildephonsus is one of seven paintings the Carnegie Museum of Art acquired that were once part of the important Northbrook Collection. The following stories trace part of this painting’s journey from artist’s studio to the walls of CMOA.
A Moment in History: Bruges, ca. 1530
- Current Owner
- Andrien Ysenbrandt
- Current Location
- Bruges, Belgium
- Miles Traveled
- 0 miles
- Number of Owners
- One
The painting Vision of Saint Ildephonsus depicts the vision of Saint Ildephonsus, the seventh century theologian and Bishop of Toledo. The Virgin Mary appeared while he was praying in church and presented him with a priestly vestment in thanks for his devotion.
Most depictions of this subject are by Spanish artists. But it is not surprising that Adrian Ysenbrandt, a Netherlandish artist, also took on the subject. During this period, large parts of Europe, including what is now the Netherlands, Belgium, and Spain were under the rule of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and artistic trade within the empire was common. Documentary evidence shows that Ysenbrandt shipped paintings to Spain, suggesting that he painted not only for the local market but also for export.
A Moment in History: Bruges, 1902
- Current Owner
- Thomas George Baring
- Current Location
- London, England
- Miles Traveled
- 180 miles
- Number of Owners
- Four
Thomas Baring, M. P. purchased Vision of Saint Ildephonsus in 1856 as a work by the Flemish artist Bernard van Orley. The painting was exhibited several times in London over the next fifty years, first as the work of that artist and later, simply as the work of an unknown artist of the Early Netherlandish School. In 1902, the painting returned to its place of creation; it was one of nearly 400 works assembled in Bruges for the seminal exhibition of Early Netherlandish Art, which resulted in intensive study and reevaluation of the works of several early Netherlandish artists. Consequently, this painting was accepted as a work of Adrian Ysenbrandt and it was as a work by this artist that it made its next public appearance, at an exhibition in London in 1906.
A Moment in History: London, 1927
- Current Owner
- Francis George Baring
- Current Location
- London, England
- Miles Traveled
- 180 miles
- Number of Owners
- Five
To succeed in uncovering the life stories of artworks, a provenance researcher must be an art history detective: diligent, methodical, thorough, and lucky. The process is especially complicated when works have alternate versions or copies. For example, the 1889 Northbrook Collection catalogue records two versions of Vision of Saint Ildephonsus: the Northbrook painting and “a similar picture” in another British collection. So, which of the two versions is the one shown here? Together with other research, CMOA uncovered physical evidence that this is the Northbrook painting. The key was comparing an illustration of the Northbrook painting in a 1927 exhibition catalogue at London’s Royal Academy with an archival photograph of the museum’s painting before restoration: both showed an identical narrow crack on the panel’s left side. The crack has since been repaired so it is invisible.
Digital Wall Labels
Select another painting for more details and to see the animated timeline:
- Painting Pieter Cornelisz. van der Morsch, by Frans Hals
- Vision of Saint Ildephonsus, by Andrien Ysenbrandt
- Hero, Ursula, and Beatrice in Leonato’s Garden, by Reverend Matthew William Peters
- Shepherd Boy with Recorder, by Unknown Northern Italian
- Landscape with a Natural Arch, by Gaspard Dughet
- Portrait of a Young Man, by Deminico Puligo
- Ann Franks Day (Lady Ann Fenoulhet), by Sir Joshua Reynolds
