Giuseppe Camerata II’s engraving, “Half-Length Figure with a Beard”, c1754, after Dietricy

Giuseppe Camerata II (aka Joseph Camerata) (1718–1803)

“Half-Length Figure with a Beard”, c1754 (1751–57), after a painting in the Dresden Gallery (Galerie Electorale de Dresde) by Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich (aka commonly known as Dietricy) (1712–1774), published in Leipzig by Dyck—a German printer, publisher and bookseller in Leipzig (fl.c1750–1760s). Note that Camerata was invited to Dresden in 1751 to execute engravings after the paintings in the Dresden Gallery.

Engraving and etching on laid paper, trimmed along (or slightly within) the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 28.5 x 19.6 cm; (image borderline) 23 x 17.8 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “à Dresde chez l'Auteur.”; (centre) “Tableau de la Gallerie Electorale de Dresde peint/ par C. W. E. Dietricy, et grave de la grandeur del’/Original par Joseph Camerata Professeur de l’Academie.” (Painting from the Electoral Gallery of Dresden painted by C. W. E. Dietricy, and engraved to the size of Original by Joseph Camerata Professor of the Academy.); (right) “à Leipsik chez Dyck.”

LeBlanc 27 (Charles Leblanc, 1854, “Manuel de l'amateur d'estampes, contenant un dictionnaire des graveurs de toutes les nations: ouvrage destiné à faire suite au Manuel du libraire par J.Ch. Brunet”, vol. 1, Paris, p. 573; see https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k96927958/f582 & https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k96927958/f583).

See also the description of this print offered by the Philadelphia Museum of Art: https://philamuseum.org/collection/object/26940.

Note that Camerata made two engravings after Dietricy of different compositions featuring the same bearded man (cat. 27 and 28 [see https://hvrd.art/o/242391]). Charles Leblanc’s catalogue descriptions of these prints differentiates them on the basis of the size of the portrayed beards. I’ve decided that this print matches the description of cat. 27, “grande barbe à mi corps” (big half-length beard) compared to cat. 28 described as a medium beard (“moyenne barbe”).

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression showing no sign of wear to the printing plate, trimmed with a margin around the image borderline and laid onto a sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There is thinning to the upper corners, otherwise the sheet is in a good condition with no tears, holes, folds, significant stains or foxing.

I am selling this exceptionally fine and strong impression—note how the artist has had the discipline and skill to intermingle both black and white lines in the beard—for the total cost of AU$224 (currently US$161.75/EUR137.68/GBP117.85 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this exquisitely subtle rendering of a head, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.