Martin Engelbrecht (German, 1684-1756), Plus
Laocoon /
Laocoon / Apollo and Poetus
engravings on laid paper (3)
each marked for artist l.r.
each marked
C.P.S.C.M. l.l., and numbered
3,
4, and
1 u.r. respectively
early 18th century
9 x 7 in. (largest plate); 16 x 10 in. (each paper)
Plus, four engravings on laid with classical subjects by unknown artists, Continental, ca. 18th century, including one of Laocoon, one of a man weeping among ruins, one of a woman weeping before a bust, and one of an interaction between Greek mythological characters (possibly a scene from a vase); all unframed and unsigned; largest plate 12 x 7.5 in. (man weeping).
From The Old Master Print Collection of Johann Petz (Germany, 1818-1880), Descended in the Family of the Artist Petz was born at Lermoos, Tyrol, in 1818 and showed an early interest in wood carving and drawing. Petz worked as a shepherd for his family as a boy, but fled as a young man to a distant relative in Wildermiemingen to pursue the study of sculpture and drawing, which he did for three and a half years. In 1837, he decided to further his studies in Munich, and by chance he came into contact with the sculptor Konrad Eberhard (German, 1768-1859). Eberhard recognized Petz’s talent and took the young man on as a pupil, and several years later, secured for him a commission for the memorial statue for the famous German scholar Heinrich Klee (1800-1840). Petz’s design outlined a Gothic niche surmounted by a pinnacles and finials, which would house a sandstone sculpture of the Good Shepherd. This marked the beginning of the young artist’s career and established his reputation in Munich.
Petz was influenced by Nazarene and Neo-Gothic movements in Bavaria, otherwise known as the Pre-Raphaelite movement in England. Petz would also go on to receive commissions for churches, altars, and tombstones in England and the United States, and was highly sought after as a sculptor and church designer. Several locations for which he designed churches and their decorations are Cham, Arnschwang, Seeon, Vilsbiburg, Isen, and Riedering. Most notably, he contributed the design for a sculpture of the Last Supper for the Frauenkirche in Munich in 1859, which was regrettably lost in air raids during World War II. During his career Petz also worked with Joseph Otto Entres (Germany, 1804-1870) and Joseph Knabl (Germany, 1819-1881).
Provenance: The Old Master Print Collection of Johann Petz (Germany, 1818-1880)
Condition
Each paper of work by Engelbrecht has water stain: two present l.l. and last present l.r., each has toning and wrinkling of paper, plate numbered
3 (
Laocoon) has stain across plate, and plate numbered
1 (
Laocoon) has another water stain on left side. Additional impressions have wrinkled paper, toning, and some small tears.
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