Young Bomberg and the Old Masters

This is the exhibition catalogue of the small exhibition in Room1 of the National Gallery, London of “Young Bomberg and the Old Masters”. Room 1 is a small but accessible space near to the main entrance used for small, specialist exhibits. The catalogue is more than just a list of the paintings in this exhibition. It gives an introduction to an often forgotten painter who grew up in the shadow of the post-impressionists. He was a Whitechapel boy who had the V&A, the National Gallery and the British Museum on his doorstep. Although he embraced the modern, he always respected the old masters.The first impression is of a slim catalogue, but this hides a substantial read. It gives a useful overview of the early years of David Bomberg (1890 to 1957), a painter who showed so much promise but never got established in his life time. Perhaps if he had lived in Paris rather than London, had been born ten years earlier, had been willing to compromise and if the art market had not stopped during the First World War he might have been more successful. Bomberg continued to paint and for a time was a revered teacher at a London art school, but it was only after his death in 1957 that he was re-discovered, although the re-discovery was mainly of his early work, the work of the young Bomberg.THE BOOK is 64 pages covering 7 chapters (a). It is highly illustrated, divided into two interspersed streams: the catalogue illustrations from the exhibition (b) and the figures for other images (c). His painting The Mud Bath (1914) is on the front cover. This was based on stylised figures at a public baths. It was derided by the critics but greatly admired by the small circle in the vanguard of English art. Notably, there are four sets of preparatory studies and the final paintings: Vision of Ezekiel (d), Ju-Jitsu (e), In the Hold (f), Sappers at Work (g). These show the inspiration that produced the more abstract final works._________________________________________________________________________________________________________(a) The chapters are: A Long-Neglected Artist; Early Struggle for the Whitechapel Boy; The Rebellious Student; Michelangelo and the Mud Bath; Bomberg at War; Sappers at work and El Greco;The Life of David Bomberg.(b) There are 11 catalogue illustrations, many full page: cat 1 Sandro Botticelli  Portrait of a Young Man  (1485) (NG); cat 2 David Bomberg Self Portrait (1913) (NG); cat 3 David Bomberg Study for Vision of Ezekial (1912) (Tate); cat 4 David Bomberg Vision of Ezekiel (1912) (Tate); cat 5 David Bomberg Study for Ju-Jitsu (1912-13) (Tate); cat 6 David Bomberg Ju-Jitsu (1913) (Tate); cat 7 David Bomberg Study for In the Hold (1914) (Tate); cat 8 David Bomberg In the Hold (1914) (Tate); cat 9 David Bomberg The Mud Bath (1914) (Tate); cat 10 David Bomberg Study for Sappers at work (1919) (Tate); cat 11 Studio of El Greco  Agony in the Garden of Gethsemane  (1590) NG).(c) There are 50 figures. They include the Bomberg paintings and drawings that are not in the exhibition and old master paintings from the National Gallery that may have influenced him. The Bomberg illustrations that are not in the exhibition are: Sleeping Men (1911), graphite and watercolour on paper; Joy of Life (1912), oil on canvas; Family Bereavement (1913), charcoal and conté on paper; Head of a Poet (1913), pencil on paper; Jewish Theatre (1913) chalk on paper; The Dancer (1914); Billet (1915) crayon on paper; Figures Helping a Wounded Soldier (1916/17), pen and ink on paper; Sappers at Work (1919), oil on canvas; Russian Ballet (1914/19) colour lithograph; Last Self Portrait (19156) oil on canvas. It is known that he made many drawings of paintings from the National Gallery but these were later destroyed, so the choice of the old masters is speculative. The non-Bomberg paintings and drawings include: Michelangelo (7); Sandro Botticelli, 4 paintings including  Mystic Nativity  and  Venus and Mars ; Caravaggio  Supper at Emmaus ; El Greco is represented by “Christ Driving the Traders from the Temple”; Hans Holbein (2); Dirk Bouts  The Entombment ; Bronzino (1); Bastiano da Sanalio (1); Antonio del Pollaiuolo,  Battle of the Nudes ; Antonio and Piero del Pollaiuolo,  St Stephen ; Piero della Francesca,  Baptism of Christ ; Jacob Epstein (1); Wassily Kandinsky (1); Edouard Manet,  The Execution Of The Emperor Maximillian  (NG); Andrea Mantegna, “Agony in the Garden”; Pontormo,  Joseph with Jacob in Egypt ; Nicolas Poussin, “A Bacchanalian Revel before a Term”; Rembrandt (1); John Singer Sargent (1); Titian, “Bacchus and Ariadne”; Paolo Ucello, “Battle of San Romano”; Marcello Venusti “Purification of the Temple”; Veronese, ”Unfaithfullness”.(d) Vision of Ezekiel: The final study is in chalk and graphite on paper is nearer the human form with some faces clearly identifiable. The final version is more abstract but also more dynamic with Bomberg’s choice of colours.(e) Ju-Jitsu: The study is in charcoal on paper. The movement of the figures is clearer. Bomberg uses a 64-square grid he was introduced to by his teacher Sickert. This grid continues into the final composition, but the abstract fracturing of the final paintings loses the movement of the study.(f) In the Hold: The study is charcoal on paper. There is a 64-square grid, which is also clearly visible in the final version. Although highly stylised, people rising from a ship’s hold can be discerned in the study. This is lost in the final version. Perhaps the style of the study could have been exactly replication in an additional final painting. However, this loss was deliberate. Bomberg said in an interview that “I have superimposed a scheme of 64 squares, whereby the subject itself is resolved into its constituent forms which henceforth are all that matters.”(g) Sappers at Work: The study is for a final painting that Bomberg created on commission, but was rejected. This painting is not reproduced in the book. Bomberg then created a new painting which was accepted. This is the painting reproduced in the book.