Friederike Gossmann, Actress, Antique Steel Engraving by A. Weger, circa 1860
€ 125
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1860
Mapmaker / artist
August Weger (engraver), Th. Zehl jr. (printer)
Publisher
Th. Zehl jr., Leipzig (printer)
Technique
Steel engraving
Coloring
Uncolored
Condition
Fair
Reference
BG-14343-68
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
Fair to good condition for its age. A long closed tear runs across the lower part of the image. Foxing and staining across the sheet, including the image, and small nicks at the upper edge. Please review the images for further condition details.
About this sheet
This original steel engraving is a portrait of the German actress Friederike Goßmann, shown at three-quarter length in an off-the-shoulder evening dress. Her dark hair is drawn back and dressed with roses and ribbons, a fine chain with a pendant sits at her throat, and a spray of roses runs down the dark bodice. A light shawl falls over one arm, she holds a posy of flowers at her side, and her right hand rests on the gathered tulle of her skirt. The figure is set in a soft oval of fine engraved tone that fades into the paper.
Beneath the image is her facsimile signature, "Friederike Goßmann", with a long flourish. The engraver's credit runs diagonally at the lower right, "Stahlstich v. A. Weger in Leipzig", and the printer's line below the signature reads "Druck v. Th. Zehl jr. Leipzig". August Weger (1823 to 1892) was one of the busiest portrait engravers in Leipzig, and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam holds an impression of this same portrait by Weger, printed by Zehl.
Friederike Goßmann was born in Würzburg in 1838 and made her debut at the court theater in Munich. After engagements in Königsberg and Hamburg she joined the Vienna Burgtheater in 1857, where she became a favorite in comic and ingénue parts. She was so closely identified with the title role of Charlotte Birch-Pfeiffer's comedy "Die Grille" that Vienna knew her by that name. In 1861 she married Anton von Prokesch-Osten, the son of the Austrian diplomat, and left the Burgtheater, returning to the stage later as a guest performer.
The engraving is delicately worked, with stippled flesh tones, crisp hatching in the dress and lace, and a lively, direct expression. It would suit a study, a music room or a collection of theater portraits, and looks best in a narrow dark frame with a cream mat.
Condition: Fair to good condition for its age. A long closed tear runs across the lower part of the image. Foxing and staining across the sheet, including the image, and small nicks at the upper edge. Please review the images for further condition details.
This is an original antique print, not a modern reproduction. This item is sold unframed. Any framed or interior images are shown for presentation and inspiration only, unless the listing explicitly states that the item is sold framed.
