ABSTRACT
O n e o f de Vos ' s m o s t i n t e r e s t i n g a n d , a t t h e s a m e t i m e , e n i g m a t i c w o r k s is t h e S t a l l o f J u b a l (ca. 1 5 7 0 - 8 0 , F i g u r e 11.1) t h a t h a s c o m e d o w n t o u s i n t h e f o r m o f a n e n g r a v i n g b y J o h a n n S a d e l e r ( 1 5 5 0 - 1 6 0 0 1 1 0). 4T h i s e n g r a v i n g w a s o n e o f s i x t e e n s u b j e c t s from t h e B o o k o f G e n e s i s t h a t S a d e l e r m a d e a f t e r p a i n t i n g s b y de Vos. A n e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h i s e n g r a v i n g r e v e a l s t h a t i t r e f l e c t s t h e p h i l o s o p h y
o f t h e I t a l i a n h u m a n i s t s . B y t h e e a r l y s i x t e e n t h c e n t u r y , t h e c l a s s i c i s m t h a t h a d c o m e to d o m i n a t e t h e a r t s a n d l e t t e r s h a d b e e n f u s e d w i t h t h e C h r i s t i a n h e r i t a g e ;a n d a l t h o u g h V o s ' s p r o t a g o n i s t is t h e O l d T e s t a m e n t f i g u r e ,J u b a l , w h o is p l a c e d i n as i x t e e n t h - c e n t u r y F l e m i s h s e t t i n g , t h e w o r l d t h a t i t e v o k e s is t h a t o f c l a s s i c a l a n t i q u i t y . T h e d e s c r i p t i v e L a t i n i n s c r i p t i o n a t t h e b o t t o m o f t h e e n g r a v i n g b e g i n s
b y s t a t i n g : ' J u b a l f a s h i o n s i n s t r u m e n t s o f m u s i c , b o t h l y r e s a n d k i t h a r a s , a n d
F i g u r e 11.1 J o h a n n S a d e l e r , S t a l l o f J u b a l , e n g r a v i n g , P a r i s , B i b l i o t h e q u e N a t i o n a l e ( P h o t o : B i b l i o t h e q u e N a t i o n a l e de F r a n c e )
t e a c h e s s u b t l y h o w to b l o w t h e s i n g l e - p i p e d a u l a s ' . T h e t e r m s for the c i t e d i n s t r u m e n t s , h o w e v e r , are n o t J e w i s h , b u t r a t h e r Greek. A n d t h e i n s c r i p t i o n c o n t i n u e s b y n o t i n g : ' W h i l e N y m p h s r e j o i c e , t h e y c e l e b r a t e w i t h m e r r y g a m e s a n d j o y f u l l y d a n c e in ar i n g ' . With t h i s p l a c e m e n t o f t h e s c e n e in t h e m y t h o l o g i c a l w o r l d , J u b a l h a s b e c o m e O l y m p u s o r A p o l l o , o r e v e n H e r m e s . Vos h a s t r a n s p o r t e d us from t h e s i x t e e n t h - c e n t u r y w o r k s h o p a n d v i l l a g e o f his figures i n t o t h e w o r l d o f G r e e k antiquity. T h a t Vos w a s n o t as o l i t a r y a r t i s t in t h i s a s s o c i a t i o n o f b i b l i c a l a n d
m y t h o l o g i c a l figures is e v i d e n c e d b y t h e w o r k o f a n o t h e r s i x t e e n t h - c e n t u r y e n g r a v e r , t h e S w i s s , Tobias S t i m m e r (1539~84). In his u n i q u e s e r i e s o f t e n w o o d c u t s o f w o m e n m u s i c i a n s , S t i m m e r n o t e s in t h e G e r m a n v e r s e b e l o w t h e viol player: ' T h e o l d e s t i n s t r u m e n t is t h e viol, w h i c h J u b a l i n v e n t e d b e f o r e t h e F l o o d . T h e n t h e g o d , A p o l l o , was also c o n c e r n e d with it; i n d e e d , t h e A n c i e n t s w r i t e t h a t M e r c u r y g a v e it to h i m for ah e r a l d ' s s t a f f ' . 5 J u b a l , a c c o r d i n g to J e w i s h t r a d i t i o n , was t h e first m u s i c i a n i n h i s t o r y : ' t h e
f a t h e r o f all t h o s e w h o p l a y e d t h e k i n n a r a n d t h e ugab ( G e n e s i s 4: 21 ) ' . H i s r o l e i n c l u d e d b e i n g t h e ' i n v e n t o r ' o f m u s i c a l i n s t r u m e n t s , and, b y e x t e n s i o n , t h e c r e a t o r o f t h e m u s i c p r o f e s s i o n , a n d t h e ' f a t h e r ' , t h a t is, t h e p a t r o n o f m u s i c i a n s . 6T h e n a m e s o f t h e s e s o - c a l l e d first i n s t r u m e n t s s h o u l d n o t be u n d e r s t o o d literally. J u b a l ' s two i n s t r u m e n t s , t h e k i n n a r a n d ugab, f r e q u e n t l y t r a n s l a t e d as l y r e a n d flute, do n o t r e p r e s e n t s i n g l e s p e c i e s o f i n s t r u m e n t s , b u t are g e n e r a l t e r m s for s t r i n g e d a n d w i n d i n s t r u m e n t s . 7 Vos, in t h e c i t e d i n s c r i p t i o n at t h e b o t t o m o f the e n g r a v i n g u s e s t h e G r e e k
w o r d m a n a u l a n , m e a n i n g as o l o on t h e m a n a u l a s , b u t h e is a c t u a l l y r e f e r r i n g to t h e i n s t r u m e n t itself. Am a n a u l a s is as i n g l e - p i p e d a u l a s t h a t w a s t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t w i n d i n s t r u m e n t o f a n c i e n t G r e e c e , a n d m o r e f r e q u e n t l y c o n s i s t e d o f two p i p e s . 8I t w a s an o b o e - t y p e i n s t r u m e n t w i t h d o u b l e r e e d a n d an u m b e r o f t o n e h o l e s , r a n g i n g from four to fifteen in l a t e r s p e c i m e n s . T h e w o r k m a n in V o s ' e n g r a v i n g is e n g a g e d in b o r i n g t h e s e t o n e h o l e s in an o v e r s i z e d aalus, o r i g i n a l l y an o r i e n t a l i n s t r u m e n t . 9A c c o r d i n g to l e g e n d , t h e a a l u s w a s i n t r o d u c e d i n t o G r e e c e a b o u t 900 B C b y O l y m p u s , w h o w a s l a t e r g l o r i f i e d as t h e i n v e n t o r o f m u s i c . 10I t was u s e d in m a n y c e r e m o n i e s , e s p e c i a l l y t h o s e in h o n o r o f D i o n y s u s , a n d in t e r m s o f t h i s e n g r a v i n g , it a c c o m p a n i e d m o s t o f t h e d a n c e s ( s a c r e d , s o c i a l o r folk) o f a n c i e n t G r e e c e . A l t h o u g h an arm viol, at r a n s v e r s e flute a n d ab a g p i p e a c c o m p a n i e s t h e f r e n e t i c d a n c i n g in t h e f o r e g r o u n d , w h a t a p p e a r s to be alarge s h a w m , as i x t e e n t h - c e n t u r y d e s c e n d a n t o f t h e aulas, is p r o v i d i n g t h e m u s i c for t h e r i n g d a n c e t h a t is t a k i n g p l a c e in t h e far b a c k g r o u n d . 11
T h e m a i n b o d y o f a u t o s , as on t h e o n e J u b a l ' s h e l p e r is b o r i n g f i n g e r h o l e s , w a s ap i p e c a l l e d ab o m b y x . 12 I t w a s o f ac y l i n d r i c a l shape, l e a d i n g s o m e t i m e s , as i n t h i s c a s e , to an o p e n , s l i g h t l y w i d e n e d bell. T h e p i p e w a s m a d e o f r e e d , o r o f b o x o r l o t u s w o o d , o f b o n e o r h o m , o f i v o r y o r e v e n b e a t e n b r a s s . V a s ' b o m b y x is c l e a r l y o f w o o d , as e v i d e n c e d b y s c a t t e r e d e x a m p l e s o f r a w m a t e r i a l for p i p e s o n t h e g r o u n d , o n e o f w h i c h ay o u n g b o y is a t t e m p t i n g to saw. C l o s e r e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h i s figure i n d i c a t e s h e m a y r e p r e s e n t D i o n y s u s ( B a c c h u s ) , t h e g o d o f w i n e . D i o n y s u s is f r e q u e n t l y d e p i c t e d as an a k e d y o u t h , o c c a s i o n a l l y e v e n an i n f a n t , w e a r i n g ac r o w n o f v i n e s a n d g r a p e s . O n e o f h i s a t t r i b u t e s is ap i n e c o n e , an a n c i e n t f e r t i l i t y s y m b o l , a n d t h i s y o u t h ' s h e a d is c l e a r l y c o v e r e d w i t h c o n e s . I n G r e e c e , t h e c u l t o f D i o n y s u s s e e m s to h a v e h a d ap a r t i c u l a r a t t r a c t i o n
for w o m e n . T h e M a e n a d , o r B a c c h a n t e , D i o n y s u s ' s f e m a l e d e v o t e e , w i t h h e r t y p i c a l s w i r l i n g drapery, a n d h e r figure e x p r e s s i n g p h y s i c a l a b a n d o n m e n t m a y b e r e p r e s e n t e d b y t h e f o r e m o s t d a n c i n g figure in t h e n e a r b a c k g r o u n d . H o m e r ' s a c c o u n t s o f t h e h e r o i c age d e s c r i b e t h e c h o r a l d a n c e o f y o u n g
m e n , a l o n e o r t o g e t h e r w i t h y o u n g w o m e n , at m a r r i a g e s , a t v i n t a g e , o r m e r e l y to g i v e v e n t t o t h e i r y o u t h f u l e x u b e r a n c e . M o r e specifically, t h e L a t i n w o r d c h o r e a , 13 w h i c h a p p e a r s o n the i n s c r i p t i o n o f t h e e n g r a v i n g , r e f e r s t o ad a n c e in aring. 14 T h e G r e e k s m u s t have r e c e i v e d this form from C r e t a n a n d M y c e n a e a n c u l t u r e s . C r e t a n s c u l p t u r e s i l l u s t r a t e d a n c e s in ac i r c l e a r o u n d t h e l y r e p l a y e r a n d a l s o c o u p l e d a n c e s c o n n e c t e d w i t h t h e i r cults. 15 T h e e n g r a v i n g d e p i c t s ar i n g d a n c e i n a c t i o n in t h e f a r b a c k g r o u n d , w h i l e i n t h e m i d d l e p o r t i o n o f t h e s c e n e are t h r e e p a i r s o r c o u p l e s d a n c i n g i n ah i g h l y a n i m a t e d m a n n e r . M o r e o v e r , t h i s b a r e - b r e a s t e d d a n c i n g M a e n a d o n ar e l i e f o f P a t r a s is s i m i l a r to t h e f o r e m o s t d a n c e r i n V a s ' e n g r a v i n g , a n d t h e G r e e k l e a p d a n c e r s o n t h i s v a s e b e a r al i k e n e s s to t h e a c t i o n o f t h e o t h e r d a n c e r s . 16 A n o t h e r p o s s i b l e a s s o c i a t i o n w i t h t h e w o r l d o f a n t i q u i t y is t h a t t h e y o u n g
m a i d e n , w h o is t h e m o s t p r o m i n e n t o f t h e u n i n h i b i t e d d a n c e r s , r e p r e s e n t s T e r p s i c h o r e , t h e m u s e o f d a n c i n g a n d song, a n d o n e o f t h e c o m p a n i o n s o f A p o l l o . A m o n g h e r a t t r i b u t e s w a s t h e v i o l , o n e o f w h i c h is am e m b e r o f t h e i n s t r u m e n t a l t r i o t h a t a c c o m p a n i e s her. M o r e o v e r , t h e t h r e e c h u b b y i n f a n t s , w h o d a n c e w i t h e q u a l a b a n d o n m e n t at h e r feet, l o o k l i k e w i n g l e s s p u t t i . T h e s e w i n g e d s p i r i t s h a d t h e i r o r i g i n in G r e e k a n d R o m a n a n t i q u i t y a n d at t i m e s , w e r e t h e a t t r i b u t e o f t h e M u s e s . A l t h o u g h J u b a l ' s a t e l i e r is as i x t e e n t h - c e n t u r y t h a t c h e d - r o o f w o r k s h o p ,
a n d t h e i n s t r u m e n t s , i n v a r i o u s s t a g e s o f c o n s t r u c t i o n , a r e t h o s e o f t h e R e n a i s s a n c e ( b a g p i p e s , r e c o r d e r s , s h a w m s , t r a n s v e r s e flutes a n d v i o l s ) , h i s h e l p e r s a n d p o t e n t i a l c u s t o m e r s are c l e a r l y from the c l a s s i c a l w o r l d . T h e figure
t h a t a p p e a r s to b e t r y i n g o u t at r a n s v e r s e flute is w e a r i n g ac o n i c a l - s h a p e d cap. I n c l a s s i c a l A t h e n s a n d R o m e , t h i s cap w a s k n o w n as ap i l o s i n G r e e c e a n d ap i l l e u s i n R o m e , a n d i n d i c a t e d am e m b e r o f t h e a r t i s a n c l a s s . 17 T h e c r a f t s m a n , w h o a p p e a r s to b e h a n g i n g as m a l l v i o l o n t h e s i d e o f t h e d o o r w a y p e r h a p s for d i s p l a y p u r p o s e s , a n d t h e v i o l p l a y e r o f t h e i n s t r u m e n t a l t r i o in t h e f o r e g r o u n d , are w e a r i n g b r o a d - b r i m m e d felt h a t s w i t h flat c r o w n s k n o w n as ap e t a s o s i n G r e e c e a n d p e t a s u s in Rome. T h e s e w e r e u s u a l l y w o r n b y t r a v e l e r s o f t h a t t i m e . 1 8 T h e figure b y t h e flute p l a y e r , w h o a p p e a r s to b e r e a c h i n g for o n e o f t h e
d i s p l a y e d i n s t r u m e n t s , is w e a r i n g at u n i c a . 19 B e n e a t h t h e o v e r h a n g o f t h e s h o p window, ab a r e - b r e a s t e d w o m a n is h a n g i n g ab a g p i p e for display. H e r hair, as o p p o s e d to a n y o f t h e o t h e r figures, falls d o w n h e r b a c k i n t w o l o n g b r a i d s . T h i s is n o t r e f l e c t i v e o f e i t h e r t h e c l a s s i c a l a n t i q u i t y o r t h e s i x t e e n t h c e n t u r y , b u t r a t h e r o f t h e e a r l y M i d d l e A g e s , a n d s u g g e s t s t h a t Vos w a s p o r t r a y i n g a s l a v e . 2 0 O n t h e o t h e r h a n d , t h e m a n w h o b o r e s t h e h o l e s i n t h e b o m b y x c l e a r l y d i s p l a y s t h e c u r l e d l o c k s f o u n d o n so m a n y s t a t u e s o f G r e e k m a l e s . 21 A t t h e s a m e t i m e , J u b a l ' s a n c i e n t J e w i s h h e r i t a g e is d i s t i n g u i s h e d b y l o n g , u n k e p t hair, afull b e a r d a n d afur s k i n n e d g a r m e n t t h a t c o v e r s h i m f r o m t h e w a i s t down. In fact, h i s p o r t r a y a l is so s i m i l a r to as t o n e r e l i e f o f J u b a l b y G i o t t o a n d A n d r e a P i s a n o on t h e f o u r t e e n t h - c e n t u r y C a m p a n i l e o f t h e D u o m o i n F l o r e n c e , e v e n to t h e h u n c h e d s i t t i n g p o s i t i o n o f t h e body, t h a t o n e c a n s u g g e s t t h a t Vos m u s t h a v e s e e n t h e r e l i e f w h e n h e w a s i n F l o r e n c e , a n d i t w a s t h e s o u r c e o f his o w n d e p i c t i o n o f t h e J e w i s h m u s i c i a n . M o r e o v e r , t h e b o m b y x w h i c h h a s b e e n d i s c u s s e d in t h e e n g r a v i n g , is v i r t u a l l y t h e s a m e s h a p e a n d s i z e as t h a t i n s t r u m e n t s h o w n in G i o t t o ' s r e l i e f . B e s i d e s t h e p r e v i o u s l y m e n t i o n e d s a w a n d drill, o t h e r t o o l s o f as i x t e e n t h -
c e n t u r y i n s t r u m e n t m a k e r are s t r e w n on t h e g r o u n d b e f o r e t h e w o r k s h o p a n d on J u b a l ' s w o r k t a b l e . 2 2 O n t h e far left, ay o u n g a s s i s t a n t o p e r a t e s b y m e a n s o f af o o t t r e a d l e , ap r i m i t i v e lathe. I t is n o t e w o r t h y t h a t d u r i n g t h e R e n a i s s a n c e t h e g u i l d s e n c o u r a g e d s p e c i a l i z a t i o n o f t h e c r a f t s m a n , a n d t h e n u m b e r o f s p e c i f i c t r a d e s w i t h t h e i r d i s t i n c t t o o l s , s u c h as t h e m u s i c a l i n s t r u m e n t m a k e r , g r e a t l y i n c r e a s e d . B y t h e f i f t e e n t h c e n t u r y , i n s t r u m e n t b u i l d e r s w e r e a l r e a d y a c t i v e i n
A n t w e r p . I t w a s , h o w e v e r , d u r i n g t h e s e c o n d h a l f o f t h e s i x t e e n t h c e n t u r y a n d t h e first h a l f o f t h e s e v e n t e e n t h t h a t t h e t r a d e r e a c h e d i t s a p o g e e . 23 I t s h o u l d b e n o t e d t h a t t h i s t i m e f r a m e c o i n c i d e s w i t h t h e f l o u r i s h i n g e n g r a v i n g a c t i v i t y i n A n t w e r p . A s w a s so o f t e n t h e c a s e i n t h e R e n a i s s a n c e , t h e c r a f t a n d t r a d e w a s p a s s e d t h r o u g h o n e family. A n e x a m p l e o f t h i s is t h e B u r l on f a m i l y o f A n t w e r p ; P e e t e r B u r l o n is r e c o r d e d as alute m a k e r i n t h e 1598 g u i l d
r e c o r d s , a n d P e e t e r , H a n s a n d F r a n s B u r l o n w e r e all s e v e n t e e n t h - c e n t u r y v i o l m a k e r s . 2 4 Is it p o s s i b l e t h a t Vos h a d j u s t s u c h af a m i l y w o r k s h o p in h i s m i n d ' s e y e w h e n he c r e a t e d t h e e n g r a v i n g o f J u b a l a n d h i s s t a l l ? I t is n o t e w o r t h y t h a t all b o o k s e l l e r s , b o o k b i n d e r s a n d p r i n t e r s b e l o n g e d in t h e late s i x t e e n t h c e n t u r y t o t h e g u i l d o f St L u k e , w h i c h w a s e s t a b l i s h e d in 13 82 b y t h e g o l d a n d s i l v e r s m i t h s , s c u l p t o r s a n d p a i n t e r s o f t h e city. Ar e g u l a t i o n o f 1557 d e c r e e d t h a t m u s i c a l i n s t r u m e n t m a k e r s s h o u l d j o i n t h i s same guild; 25 t h u s Vos, a n d p e r h a p s J o h a n n Sadeler, t h e e n g r a v e r , w o u l d h a v e k n o w n m e m b e r s o f t h e B u r l on family. I n d e e d , it is e v e n p o s s i b l e t h a t t h e c i t y o f A n t w e r p m a y h a v e b e e n reflected in the engraving. W h i l e afortified v i l l a g e a p p e a r s to be t h e scene o f the engraving, an i m p o s i n g c i t y gate b u i l d i n g w i t h alarge a r c h w a y appears in the background. A n t w e r p w a s w e l l k n o w n for its t r i u m p h a l arches and o t h e r s t r u c t u r e s w h i c h h a d b e e n e r e c t e d for g r a n d e n t r i e s o f nobility, a n d singers a n d i n s t r u m e n t a l i s t s p e r f o r m e d from m a n y o f t h e s e arches. 2 6 P e r h a p s t h e m o s t m a g n i f i c e n t e n t r y c o n c e i v e d for a n y f i g u r e d u r i n g
t h e s i x t e e n t h c e n t u r y w a s t h a t for P r i n c e P h i l i p o f Spain, a t A n t w e r p , in 1549. Its m a g n i f i c e n c e was k n o w n t h r o u g h o u t Europe, a n d i l l u s t r a t e d t e x t s c o m m e m o r a t i n g the e v e n t were i s s u e d in Latin, F r e n c h a n d F l e m i s h . The v a r i o u s arches r e f l e c t e d t h e fusion o f the w o r l d o f a n t i q u i t y w i t h e l e m e n t s o f the C h r i s t i a n faith. Mercury, Ceres and the Temple o f J a n u s w e r e all glorified; b u t the c l i m a c t i c final arch r e v e a l e d God, t h e F a t h e r who, p o s e d b e f o r e a g r a n d i o s e r e v o l v i n g h e a v e n a n d flanked b y Virtues, i n v e s t e d P r i n c e P h i l i p w i t h s c e p t e r a n d sword, and p l a c e d aj e w e l e d c r o w n on h i s head. 2 7 Thus t h e future k i n g o f S p a i n and the B i b l i c a l Jubal w e r e a p o t h e o s i z e d b y h u m a n i s t i c e l e m e n t s t h a t were e x p r e s s e d , d i s s e m i n a t e d and p r e s e r v e d b y t h e m e d i u m o f engraving.
