Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich’s etching, “The Hermit on the Bridge”, 1744

Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich (aka Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietricy) (1712–1774)

“The Hermit on the Bridge” (aka “Der Einsiedler auf der Brücke”; “Landschap met kerk en links een kluizenaar op de brug”; “Landscape with a Church Amid Trees on a Mound and a Wooden bridge”), 1744, after a pen and black ink drawing by the artist in the collection of the British Museum (see https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1854-1020-320). Not that the British Museum does not appear to hold a copy of this etching. 

Etching on laid paper with a narrow margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 16 x 19.7 cm; (plate) 15.3 x 19 cm.

State iii (of v) with the reworked fir trees in the abyss and rock at right added by Dietrich in 1764 and with the mottled toning to the sky above the bridge added by Adrian Zingg (1734–1816), but before the addition of the number “54” at upper right corner. Alternatively, this impression may be from state v with the number erased, but this is unlikely as there are still traces of the borderline on the right which is no longer visible in state iv (see Linck [1846] pp. 238–240).

Linck 146 (J F Linck 1846, “Monographie der von dem vormals K. Poln. und Churfürstl. Sächs. Hofmaler und Professor etc. C. W. E. Dietrich radirten, geschabten und in Holz geschnittenen . Abrisse der Lebensgeschichte des Künstlers”, Berlin, pp. 238–240, cat. no. 146).

The Rijksmuseum offers descriptions of this print in its first and second states: (state i) http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.105704; & (state ii) http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.105705.

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed impression trimmed with a narrow margin around the platemark and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There are replenished losses to the margin, otherwise the sheet is in a very good condition with no stains or foxing.

I am selling this curiously interesting etching—note the unusual composition with the vertical alignment of the foreground fir tree and distant bell tower, and what I see as a stylistic leaning to the sparkling landscapes of Allaert van Everdingen (1621–1675)—for AU$215 in total (currently US$151.93/EUR144.03/GBP120.87 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 portrayed sundrenched landscape with a distant hermitage (according to J F Linck [1846]) and a monk with a cane crossing a bridge above a waterfall by an artist who is famous for his considerable skill in referencing the styles of earlier artists—please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.