This generously illustrated and striking collection of essays will be of particular interest to those who specialize in medieval and Renaissance illustrated books as well as histories of collecting early modern objects beyond Europe. Most of the contributions stem from a 2015 exhibition and its related conference in Melbourne, the more appropriately titled An Illumination: the Rothschild Prayer Book and Other Works from the Kerry Stokes Collection, c. 1280–1685. Curated by the eminent art historian Margaret Manion, at the Ian Potter Museum of Art, the exhibition and conference drew attention to the extraordinary private collection of Australian businessman Kerry Stokes that is housed in Perth.
The story of Stokes as a collector is noteworthy in its own right. Famously, Stokes purchased the sixteenth-century Rothschild Prayer Book at a 2014 Christie's auction for 13.5 million dollars (US), setting a new record for the price of a manuscript. Known for its lavish illustrations by Gerard Dou and marking a high endpoint for the tradition of illuminated manuscripts, the Rothschild Prayer Book had not been seen in public for centuries prior to the auction. Collectors and journalists alike took notice of the sale, some bewildered that this coveted manuscript would come to reside in Australia, decidedly remote from the courtly context in the Netherlands, for which it was originally created.
Yet, as noted by Anne Dunlop in her evocative opening essay, the Rothschild Prayer Book is only one of many precious early modern objects in Australia. The marked lack of international awareness of early modern art in Australian collections is part of what she seeks to redress as editor of this publication. This aim is only partially satisfied, given that, apart from Dunlop's essay, the focus is primarily on contextualizing objects from the Stokes collection, rather than providing a much-needed and comprehensive overview of early modern works in all Australian collections: a history of collecting that remains to be written.
Given Stokes's bibliophilic interests, it is not surprising to find that nine of the fifteen essays are focused on medieval and early modern books, with topics including illuminated manuscripts, early forms of books of hours, and the transition from handwritten manuscripts to print. The newly acquired Rothschild Prayer Book is a particular focus, with essays by Kay Sutton and Kate Challis examining the questions that continue to swirl around its creation, patronage, and legacy. Dagmar Eichberger's excellent essay on women's reading habits during the Renaissance is an especially intelligent contribution. The case studies by Margaret Manion and other scholars, on a range of medieval and Renaissance books, are detailed with rigor and clarity, highlighting that the strong tradition of early modern scholarship in Australia, especially at the University of Melbourne, shows no signs of abating. Charles Zika's essay on a carnival chronicle from sixteenth-century Nuremberg is also notable for its erudition and scholarly insights.
The final essays deserve special mention for their focus on objects from the Stokes collection other than books. Two richly sculpted sixteenth-century Italian objects are case studies for Miya Tokumitsu, who carefully contextualizes bronze writing caskets, and Callum Reid, who discusses a cassone in terms of ownership as much as its ceremonial and decorative functions. Finally, there are case studies that deal with painted works: Ursula Betka analyzes a fifteenth-century Spanish altarpiece that features the dormition of the Virgin, and Larry Silver explores a crucifixion panel attributed to Pieter Brueghel the Younger, linking it backward to his more celebrated father in highly erudite fashion.
These latter essays are among the very few in the volume that focus on objects other than books, and also reinforce the principle link for the objects scrutinized as their presence in the Stokes collection. As such, the subtitle of the volume (European Art in Australian Collections) is something of a misnomer; its strength lies elsewhere, in pointing a critical and scholarly lens at the private Stokes collection, one that is clearly in need of, and will only benefit from, further scholarly research. Moreover, the future display of such a collection, as much as the early modern works in Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney, warrants further discussion. The tantalizing title Antipodean Early Modern is in itself cause for reflection, especially as Australia continues to orient itself more firmly away from Europe and with an eye to the Asia-Pacific. In this era of globalism and ever-shifting geographies and temporalities, questions surrounding what and how to display in public galleries and museums have taken on an unprecedented urgency. The role of the Rothschild Prayer Book in such discussions remains to be seen.
