Maarten van Heemskerck

The back cover of a book shown at an angle on a white background. The cover features sepia ink drawings of a Roman arch on the left and a detailed Roman sandal on the right, with a block of German text and a barcode between them.

A studio shot of the hardcover book Maarten van Heemskerck: Das Römische Zeichnungsbuch, lying at an angle on a white background. The book's off-white cover is illustrated with sepia-toned line drawings of ancient Roman busts, sculptures, and architectural ruins, in the style of a sketchbook.

An open book laid flat against a white background, showing a two-page spread of classical ink drawings on aged paper. The left page features a detailed sketch of a lion's head with a thick, curly mane. The right page contains a study of a man's head with wavy hair and a beard, looking upwards with an intense expression.

An open art book seen from above, showcasing two pages of Renaissance-style figure studies in brown ink on aged paper. The left page features sketches of a standing and a seated nude female figure. The right page is filled with studies of muscular, crouching figures in pensive or sorrowful poses, detailed with cross-hatching for shading.

An open art book on a white surface. The left page displays several detailed sketches on aged paper, including an ornate panel, a foot study in red chalk, and an ostrich. The right page is a solid pale green with the text [ZWEI FEHLENDE SEITEN], which is German for two missing pages.

A side-by-side image. On the left is an ink drawing on aged paper showing two studies of a very muscular male torso seen from the back. The muscles are rendered with detailed cross-hatching. On the right is a solid light green page with the text [ZWEI FEHLENDE SEITEN] at the top, which is German for "two missing pages".

An old master drawing featuring two studies on a single sheet of paper. On the left, a pen and ink drawing shows a winged, bare-chested female figure holding a circular object while seated on a reclining bull; next to this is a sketch of an ornate candelabrum. On the right, a red chalk study depicts muscular, possibly animal, forms.

Two sheets of Renaissance-style anatomical drawings on aged paper. The left sheet and part of the right sheet contain highly detailed pen-and-ink studies of the musculature of horse legs and hooves. The right sheet also features a softer, red chalk study of a nude male torso and back.

A diptych of two vertical pen and brown ink drawings on paper. The drawing on the left shows a close-up of a Roman sandal on a pedestal in front of a ruined classical arch. The drawing on the right shows a large, ornate classical urn with scrolled handles on a plinth, with a crumbling tower and other ruins in the background.

A diptych of two pen and brown ink drawings on off-white paper, showing wide landscapes of ancient Roman ruins. The panel on the left features a large triumphal arch and the remains of several temples, with a fortified complex on a hill behind. The panel on the right depicts a large temple with an extensive colonnade, surrounded by other crumbling buildings and towers. Small human figures are scattered throughout both scenes.

A two-page spread of a book with a minimalist layout. The left page is a solid block of pale sage green. The right page is white and contains the beginning of a chapter in German. The title reads DAS RÖMISCHE ZEICHNUNGSBUCH DES MAARTEN VAN HEEMSKERCK, with the author Tatjana Bartsch listed above it, followed by the introductory paragraph.

An open book showing a two-page spread of academic text written in German. The text is formatted in two justified columns on each page, with page numbers II and III at the bottom.

Maarten van Heemskerck

Das Römische Zeichnungsbuch

€ 28.00

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Edited by: Tatjana Bartsch, Christien Melzer

Graphic Design: Rutger Fuchs

Artist: Maarten van Heemskerck

Texts by: Tatjana Bartsch, Christien Melzer

German

April 2024, 184 Pages, 134 Photos

Hardcover

148mm x 232mm

ISBN: 978-3-7757-5788-1

HATJE CANTZ VERLAG
Mommsenstr. 27
10629 Berlin
Germany
E-Mail: contact@hatjecantz.de

According to Article 9(7) of the GPSR Regulation, no additional security information is required for books without supplements or special functions.

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Close-up of the Renaissance artist

Between 1532 and 1536/37, the Dutch artist Maarten van Heemskerck traveled to Rome. Most of the drawings created there were made by van Heemskerck in a sketchbook that he filled with motifs as he wandered through the city, and whose original binding has been lost. Thanks to state-of-the-art technology, researchers at the Berlin Kupferstichkabinett have now largely reconstructed the original sequence of the book's pages. This forms the basis of the present facsimile. In his fascinating studies, van Heemskerck captured the ancient sculptures, ruins, and Roman cityscapes. His sketches display a refined eye for composition and perspective as well as an extraordinary sensibility of drawing. In the sketchbook, the artist developed a space for individual experimentation, as well as a valuable trove of motifs from which he would draw throughout his life.

This book is also available in english.

MAARTEN VAN HEEMSKERCK (1498-1574) was one of the most famous Dutch painters of the sixteenth century. Today he is best known for his magnificent Roman drawings.

EXHIBITION
Kupferstichkabinett, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Preußischer Kulturbesitz
April 26-August 4, 2024