St. Christopher Facing Right

Durer, Albrecht

238662 Durer, Albrecht St. Christopher Facing Right 1521 B. 52; M. 52 4 5/8'' x 2 7/8'' Engraving on wove paper, trimmed on the plate mark. Signed in the stone with the artist's monogram and dated on a stone in the lower left foreground. Collector's stamps of Samuel Salomonovitch Scheikevitch (Lugt 2264, 2367), verso, blue ink and Carl Wiesbock (Lugt 2576), verso, brown ink. An early Meder b impression, before the diagonal scratch across the two raised fingers of the Infant Christ and the parallel scratch above the head. According to Walter Strauss, The Complete Engravings, Etching and Drypoints of Albrecht Durer, 1972, a Meder b impression is, "even, ink toned, sometimes brownish". Moriz Thausing, Durer, Geschichte seines Lebens und siener Kunst, 1882 (director of the Albertini)., notes that this engraving was possibly based on the drawings of St. Christopher made by Durer in May, 1521 for Joachim Patenir, as mentioned in Durer's diary. Freidrich Winkler, Albrecht Durer, Leben und Werk, 1957 also comments on the earnestness and radiance of this engraving. This is one the first engravings Durer created after his long stay in the Netherlands. He began his journey in 1520 with his wife and a maid, in order to appeal to the new Emperor, Charles V, to confirm his annuity. No engravings were executed during the duration of his year long journey. However the patron saint of travelers, St. Christopher became the subject of one of his first endeavors when he returned. Provenance: S.S. Scheikevitch (Lugt 2264, 2367), verso, blue ink, a lawyer from Moscow, who moved to Paris in 1896 and remained there until his death. A collector of old prints, engravings and drawings, he aquired his collection from other well-known collectors. Carl Wiesbock (Lugt 2576), verso, brown ink, an artist and antique dealer from Vienna. Cark Wiesbock was a strange, miserly man. He painted a number of copies of old pictures, perfect copies, that we often times dangereuses and difficult to distinguish from the real piece. Wiesbock rarely shared his collection with others and if he did, it was with those of whom he trusted.

Reg. No.

238662

Size

4 5/8" x 2 7/8"

Medium

ENGRAVING

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