The Seasons
réf. 305Augsburg. Original Drawing for Book Illustration. 160 x 197 mm. 6 ¼ X 7 ¾ inches. Drawn on blue paper laid down on 19th century paper. Black double fillet ink border. Shows some light wear but otherwise in very good condition. An attractive and well executed drawing in brown and white ink which illustrates the Book of Life surrounded by figures which probably illustrate the four seasons. This motif is crowned by a chorus of angels and saints also drawn in fine detail. Originally thought to be an Italian drawing the small-scale figures and the delicate pen strokes suggest the Augsburg School of the mid-18th century. Artists like Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner Joseph Christ and Godfried Göz all painters of considerable skill and reputation who also worked closely with local publishers creating designs for prints and book illustrations. The choice of blue paper and the application of white ink to heighten the image is typical of Augsburg style of the 1750's. For further information see Thomas Kaufmann's monograph Central European Drawings 1680-1800. Princeton 1989 and an essay by Peter Stoll in OPUS "Empire of Prints. The Imperial City of Augsburg and the Printed Image in the 17th and 18th Centuries" 2016. Both works are well illustrated and show examples of the drawings and prints from Augsburg artists during the period. unknown books
