Johnny Depp Resembles Thomas Baker







Gianlorenzo Bernini

Portrait Bust of Thomas Baker (1606–58)

Rome, c. 1638

Marble

V&A: A.63-1921

Photo © Victoria and Albert Museum, London

   

Last week I sat down with one of the Gallery’s very experienced volunteer guides to learn about her must see pieces in the Princely Treasures exhibition. Rosita has been a Gallery guide for 12 years and is a very active member of the Gallery team as well as the Friends of the Art Gallery of WA. When I asked Rosita which piece she liked the most and why she was quick to announce that her favourite is the Portrait Bust of Thomas Baker which she affectionately refers to as ‘Johnny Depp’. As soon as the words came out of her mouth, the connection was so apparent – Johnny Depp really has a striking resemblance to the late Thomas Baker.

The stories behind these pieces are so remarkable and hugely fascinating. In my opinion facts are useful but stories are so much more engaging and the story behind this bust certainly doesn’t disappoint. The enthusiasm Rosita exudes is contagious and her description is so detailed and captivating that I found myself picturing the whole event in my mind.

And so the story goes…

The Pope decided he wanted to give Charles I, King of England, a portrait bust as a gift. The dilemma however, was that Charles I was in England and Gianlorenzo Bernini was in Rome. To overcome this problem Charles I instructed his Court artist, Van Dyke, to draw a three dimensional sketch that could be sent to Bernini. Once the portrait was produced Van Dyke tells Thomas Baker, who was the sheriff, that he must hand deliver the sketch to Bernini in Rome.

When Thomas Baker arrived in Rome to give Bernini the portrait he cheekily requested Bernini create a portrait for himself also. Bernini agreed, and because of Bernini’s remarkable ability to see a person only once and reproduce a striking replica he proceeded to carve the Portrait Bust of Thomas Baker you see pictured above. Bernini was fascinated by Thomas Baker face and thus focused all his attention on his bust rather than on Charles’s. When the Pope became aware of this neglect he told Bernini to stop carving Thomas Baker’s bust and to finish Charles’s instead. Bernini conceded and thus Thomas Baker’s bust was finished by one of his assistants instead.

Who’d have thought such controversy surrounded such a piece. Thanks for sharing Rosita, I certainly learnt a lot from our chat.

Renae

Rosita with her beloved Bernini Bust



Rosita with Jeanne - Antoinette Poissom, Marquise de Pompadour cut-out - located by the Princely Treasures ticketing desk.



Which Princely Personality are you?

Take our quiz and find out which historical figure you are most like.

In social situations you would describe yourself as:

1. The quiet one: You like to sit back and let others make the decisions
2. The wild one: You’re always up for gambling, partying, you name it
3. The entertaining one: always singing, dancing and making others laugh
4. The flirty one: You love making others blush, and aren’t shy about letting others know you think they’re cute

Your favourite subject in school was:

1. History and Geography
2. Textiles: the only way to inject fabulous fashion into the dreary school days
3. Drama: you’re a triple threat, and then some
4. English: you never could get your head out of the books

You find your biggest flaw is:

1. You lack self confidence
2. People think you’re shallow and superficial, when you aren’t
3. People judge you by your family, rather than for yourself
4. You have trouble committing to people

If we asked, your friends would describe you as:

1. Cold and serious.
2. Beautiful and glamorous.
3. Empathetic and talented.
4. Ambitious and successful.

In what field would be your dream job?

1. Education: A teacher or professor
2. Fashion: a fashion designer, or a model
3. The arts: signer, actress, or playing an instrument would keep you happy
4. Big business: CEO, president, something for you ruthless ambition.

Now tally your answers and find out who you would be.

Mostly A’s…

You are the last king of France, King Louis XVI. You resemble Louis XVI, a quiet, intelligent man who lacked the self confidence to be a ruler, preferring the academic pursuits to the political. Mistaken for being cold and hostile, you really are just shy, rather taking a back seat to making the big decisions. That’s not a problem, as long as you don’t reach the same sticky end as Louis XVI did!

Mostly B’s…

You are the glamorous, infamous, party girl herself; Marie Antoinette. You are on the cutting edge of fashion and everything cool, wild and always up for a good time, much like the last queen of France. People sometimes think you’re superficial, but at heart you are sweet and loving, if not a little extravagant.

 

Mostly C’s…

You are the talented Madame Pompadour, the official mistress of Louis XV. Madame Pompadour and you both share an artistic flair, enjoying the stage, opera, or even playing an instrument. It’s not all about the drama though; both Madame Pompadour and yourself are empathetic to the feelings of those around you, striving hard to win everybody over.

Mostly D’s…

You have a lot in common with the Russian Empress Catherine the Great II. Ambitious and confident, you won’t let obstacles stand in your way. You know what you want and don’t care about what people say, as long as you get it. Your flirty streak sometimes gets you into trouble, but you know its other people’s jealousy that sparks the rumours, and so far from the truth it’s laughable.

True vs False

As one may suspect, the truth is often the subsidiary factor or unnecessary detail that turns an amazing tale into something aligned with a school history paper. I love a good story and I love a good false fact. I say who needs the truth all the time; let’s enjoy some fabrications that make history all the more enjoyable…

Kelly (our intern) has intuitively taken the time and researched many of the rumours surrounding the vast facets of courtly life. Our intention here is not to spoil any of the “truths” surrounding these apparent myths but rather to enlighten our avid followers. These are our facts, which may or may not be accurate…. everything is debatable, which I think makes fact claiming all the more enjoyable.



And ps… we’ve included web links under each claim which ultimately prove our “truths” to be undoubtedly factual… or so I like to tell myself. Enjoy!   



Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour
(1721– 64) France, 1758
Oil on Canvas
V&A: 487-1882
©Victoria and Albert Museum / V&A Images





Myth: the breasts of the beautiful Madame Pompadour were used as a model for champagne glasses.  



FALSE



This rumour has been associated with many different famed beauties of the European courts, including Madam Pompadour and Marie Antoinette. In fact, the champagne glass was designed and created in England around 1663, long before these women were even born. (http://www.snopes.com/business/origins/champagne.asp)



Myth: Charles II of Sweden is responsible for starting the longstanding tradition of giving flowers as a gift.

TRUE

Charles II of Sweden introduced the practice of floriography to his court in 1714. The idea was, all flowers had individual meanings, and a bouquet of flowers could convey a secret message to the receiver. The trend spread across the European courts, and the custom of giving flowers has survived today. (http://www.thewitchesalmanac.com/floriography.pdf)

Myth: Marie Antoinette, upon hearing that the French peasants were suffering a bread famine, was famously quoted as saying “let them eat cake.”

FALSE

Although this phrase is often attached to the indulgent French Queen, Marie Antoinette cannot be quoted for the line “let them eat cake”. The phrase has been attributed to Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a philosopher and writer who included the phrase in his work ‘confessions’, which were written when Antoinette was only nine years old. (http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/antoinettemarie/a/histmyths4.htm)



Myth: Hairstyles and wigs became so grandiose, the by the 18^th century wigs stood over one meter tall.

FALSE

Hairstyles became more elaborate over the course of the 18^th century, but hair and wigs over a meter tall only appeared in satire. It is believed that hairstyles that tall never came into vogue. Other rumors about women not washing for weeks to preserve their hair, or finding vermin nested in their wigs, are believed to be false as well.

(http://www.marquise.de/en/1700/howto/frisuren/frisuren.shtml)
 



Myth: objects were woven into a Lady’s hair, and at one stage there was a fad for large model ships used to be used as a hairpiece.
 

TRUE





As unbelievable as it sounds, there was a brief fad ignited by the victory of the French Frigate La Belle Poule against the English in the American war of independence. To celebrate their victory, French courtiers would fix a model ship into their hair, the layers of hair acting as the sails for the ship. The fad, although famous, is believed to have only lasted for a few weeks, before the fashionable Parisian courts moved onto more outrageous things. (http://xenophongroup.com/mcjoynt/poule.htm)

Myth: Catherine II the Great of Russia died in 1796, when the toilet she was sitting on collapsed under her.

FALSE

Although Catherine the Great did not die on the toilet, she did have a stroke in her bathroom that proved to be fatal. In fact, Catherine died a few days later, and not in her bathroom. (http://europeanhistory.about.com/od/catherinethegreat/a/histmyths1.htm)