Allegorical 18th-Century Engraving of America by Johann Hertel, Augsburg c.1750
€ 350
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
1750
Sheet size
25.5 × 20.7 cm (10.0 × 8.1 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-13806-93
What the condition grades mean
Excellent
Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good
Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good
Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair
Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.
Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.
Condition
The print is in excellent condition for its age on strong paper, well-preserved and minimal signs of wear. Some light toning or foxing may be present, consistent with historical prints.
About this sheet
America, an original copper engraving of about 1750, an allegory of the continent from a series of the four continents, published at Augsburg by Johann Georg Hertel. The plate is numbered "CV." at the upper left and "105." at the upper right, with the Latin motto "Ut copia omnium rerum, ita Deorum praecipue, quos caeca finxit pietas, abundat" under the title, and a German verse at the foot: "Abgoetterey hier im Gebrauch, die Erd sehr reich an Schaetzen auch." The draftsman's credit is at the lower left and "Hertel excud." at the lower right.
America is a seated woman in a feathered crown and skirt, with a bow and arrow at her side and a man in a feathered headdress behind her holding a spear. A crocodile or alligator lies at the lower right, and the foreground is heaped with shells, coral, a drum and other trophies. Behind them the landscape opens to palms, deer and fenced plantations at the left, and a mountain with a smoking summit, a hut and a temple with a sun at the right, with boats on a river and figures at work.
The verse gives the European verdict on America: idolatry in the customs, and a land rich in treasure.
