Johann Georg Palitzsch, Astronomer, Lithograph by F.A. Zimmermann, circa 1840
€ 155
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1840
Mapmaker / artist
F. A. Zimmermann (lithographer)
Publisher
Not named on the sheet
Technique
Lithograph
Coloring
Uncolored
Sheet size
27 × 18 cm (10.6 × 7.1 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14343-34
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
Good condition for its age. Light toning and a few small spots to the margins; light soiling and a pencil mark in the lower right corner. The image is clean. Please review the images for further condition details.
About this sheet
An original lithographed portrait of Johann Georg Palitzsch, the self taught astronomer of Prohlis near Dresden, drawn on stone by F. A. Zimmermann. He is shown half length, turned slightly to the left, with a broad, good humored face, his hair worn long and curling at the neck, in a plain buttoned coat with a white neckcloth. The likeness is vignetted, the soft crayon tones fading into the paper.
Beneath the portrait the name is lettered in an elaborate Fraktur script surrounded by calligraphic flourishes as "Johann Georg Pahlitzsch.", an old spelling of the family name. The credit "Lithogr. von F. A. Zimmermann." runs along the lower right of the image, and the margin carries the series marks "III. 24." at left and "B. II." at right, showing that the sheet was issued as part of a numbered series of portraits.
Johann Georg Palitzsch (1723 to 1788) farmed his own land at Prohlis and taught himself astronomy, botany and natural science. On Christmas night 1758 he became the first person to observe the predicted return of Halley's Comet, confirming Edmond Halley's prediction and making his name known across Europe.
Lithography, invented by Alois Senefelder in 1796, allowed the artist to draw directly on the stone, and German portrait lithographs of the 1830s and 1840s keep the softness of a chalk drawing. The calligraphic title and the delicate crayon work here are typical of Saxon portrait series of that period.
This portrait will appeal to anyone interested in the history of astronomy, comets and amateur science, and it would hang well in a study or library.
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.
