Johannes Lutma

Lutma was a virtuoso, and is portrayed in this painting as such. The tools, a hammer and punches, refer to his technical specialism, namely chasing precious metal. The abstract auricular ornament below his portrait showcases his talent as a designer. Both aspects come together in the extremely modern salt cellar at the right, a testimonial to his artistry.

These salt cellars reflect modern Baroque imagery. The central figures are Lutma’s variants of a design by a celebrated contemporary sculptor working in Rome, Francois Duquesnoy. The creatures on the base below and the abstracted shell above them refer to the world of the sea.

In Lutma’s hands, the kwab or auricular motifs were scaled-up and abstracted and therefore could be used for multiple purposes. He summarized his ideas in a series of cartouches in the middle of the 17th century, which were subsequently published in print form by his sons.

How Lutma’s inventions turned out in practice is evident from his actual works of art. Monster masks and folded pieces of meat flow into each other and form openings. These provide space for depictions of coats of arms, representations and symbols. These make it immediately clear who the objects were intended for.

Decades before his designs appeared in print, Lutma applied the principles they embodied in various formats. This medal is less than 4.5 centimetres high, and yet its expressive power is the same as the large, ten-year older funeral shields above.

Lutma’s designs could also be executed in other materials. This monumental choir screen for the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam is an interplay of marble and brass. The classicizing framework contrasts with the interlocking and openwork motifs, which at the time were associated with the flames that had consumed the Nieuwe Kerk in 1645.

Lutma represented abstract ideas by combining different Roman myths. Here the theme is the Dutch war against water. Depicted on the basin is the sea god Neptune commanding the storms to subside, so that the goddess Ceres on the ewer can make the land flourish.

Lutma combined classicizing reliefs with large-scale and varied ornamentation. The choice of motifs reinforces the maritime theme: a sea monster forms the handle, and sea creatures such as squids and barnacles, as well as foam are recognizable in a host of details.

This drinking cup is closest to the Van Vianens’ inventions, and at the same time immediately shows how it differs from them. Lutma focuses on a single moment, thereby yielding a far more dramatic effect. The creature on the edge is reflected in the water, unaware of the dangerous monster awaiting it below the surface.

In 1656, Johannes Lutma, then active in the trade for thirty years, was honoured in all kinds of ways and by various artists. By portraying the goldsmith with a work of art that had launched his career, the painter emphasized that although art is ever young, time passes inexorably for the artist.