Muse with Lyre by a Column with Three Profiles, Copper Engraving, circa 1805
€ 280
Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)
Date
circa 1805
Mapmaker / artist
K. W. Zimmermann (artist), A. Brückner (engraver)
Publisher
Not named on the sheet
Technique
Copper engraving
Coloring
Uncolored
Sheet size
33 × 25 cm (13.0 × 9.8 in)
Condition
Good
Reference
BG-14343-81
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, a few small spots and faint soiling to the edges of the margins. The image is clean with a strong plate mark. Please review the images for further condition details.
About this sheet
An original copper engraving of a muse standing beside a memorial column carved with three male profiles in a medallion, drawn by K. W. Zimmermann in Weimar and engraved by A. Brückner in Leipzig. The plate is lettered in script "K. W. Zimmermann del. Weimar. 4." at lower left and "A. Brückner sc. Leipzig. No. 1." at lower right, below a broad ruled border.
The muse, in a long classical gown and mantle with her hair bound up, stands in a woodland glade and rests her right hand on a lyre set on top of the column. In her left hand she holds a laurel wreath, and further laurel and scrolls of writing lie on the column beside the lyre. The medallion on the column shows three overlapping profile heads facing left, the foremost an older man in a skullcap. Leafy trees frame the scene on both sides and tall plants grow in the foreground.
Weimar around 1800 was the home of the most famous circle in German literature, where Wieland, Herder, Goethe and Schiller lived and worked under the patronage of the ducal court, and allegories of the muses honoring poets were a favorite subject for the illustrated almanacs and periodicals of the time. The plate number and the pairing of a Weimar draftsman with a Leipzig engraver are typical of the book trade of Saxony and Thuringia, where Leipzig was the great center of publishing.
The print is a fine line engraving in the neoclassical manner, with crisp foliage and clear modeling in the drapery, and the strong plate mark and wide margins show it off well. It is an appealing piece for anyone who loves German literature or the art of the Goethe era, and it would frame beautifully for a library or study.
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.
