8.2 Technique and Landscape Construction
Color variations
The 45 drawings of the Master of the Roman Songbook have several technical features in common. The smaller, square works are mostly traced on paper, while the larger, wide-format sketches are generally done on vellum. The underdrawing in black chalk or graphite is barely visible. For the final composition, the artist used rich pen and ink strokes in shades ranging between brown and dark grey/black. The different shades create an atmospheric depth effect: in the foreground, the lines are thicker and lighter in colour, but towards the back they become thinner and darker. The chiaroscuro is defined by precise cross-hatching in combination with small dots. The drawing from Berlin [36] is probably the finest example of these fine nuances of colour, light and shadow . The drawing from Berlin [36] is probably the finest example of these fine nuances of colour, light and shadow.
In the smaller drawings, depth is achieved with less ink. Due to the thinner and less pronounced lines, the contrast between the foreground and background is less pronounced. Washes and highlights were used in only one case, namely in Landscape with Shepherds and Buildings [44]; however, such finishing is an exception and was not found in any of the other works.
Foliage
Another striking feature of the Master of the Roman Songbook's works is the treatment of the foliage. Each composition is framed by abundant vegetation. The artist drew the leafy branches with thick curling swirls and fluid strokes of the pen. Even bare branches are delineated with single, uninterrupted strokes. Extensive areas around the crowns of the trees are left blank or filled in with single dots. They contrast strongly with the dark, thick foliage in the lower part, and the effect is quite elegant.
Structure of the landscape
The Master of the Roman Songbook's landscapes are all constructed with overlapping sections creating a coulisse effect. The vantage point is always high, giving the compositions a certain allure. In each work, foliage trees frame the scenes from one or both sides. This help to create a convincing suggestion of depth.
Buildings, ruins, boats, animals and other elements on the hills and mountains in the middle plan and background are always rendered in detail, despite their minuteness. The artist must have had a personal stock of architectural elements (towers, bridges, arch portals, ruins) and natural elements (rocky mountains, islands, peninsulas, rivers) that he or she could reuse and adapt to every single composition. For instance, a round tower can be seen in at least a dozen drawings,1 and similar ruins in five.2 Finally, even when there is no cloud to be seen, the sky is always filled with horizontal lines.
The landscapes are populated by figures, sometimes without any interaction. When the figures in the foreground play a relevant role in the representation, they are depicted more extensively and in more detail [36, 40, 41]. In other cases, the figures are shown at a smaller scale to fit the dimensions of the landscapes.
36
Master of the Roman Songbook
Merry company in the open air, c. 1650
Berlin (city, Germany), Kupferstichkabinett der Staatlichen Museen zu Berlin, inv./cat.nr. KdZ 30295
44
Master of the Roman Songbook
Landscape with shepherds and buildings, c. 1650
40
Master of the Roman Songbook
Two soldiers shaking hands or Castor and Pollux, c. 1655
London (England), private collection Henry Scipio Reitlinger
41
Master of the Roman Songbook
Vrolijk gezelschap in een tuin, c. 1655
London (England), private collection Henry Scipio Reitlinger