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拍品专文
AUGSBURG AND THE DRENTWETT: THE CAPITAL OF SILVER SCULPTURE
These four figures are part of Augsburg's tradition of silver sculptures, a specialty of the Drentwett family of goldsmiths in the second half of the 17th century.
Helmut Seling in Die Augsburger Gold und Silberschmiede, 1529-1868, Munich, 2007 lists at least thirty silversmiths from the Drentwett dynasty in Augsburg from the late 16th to the early 19th century, of whom Abraham II (1647-1729) is probably the best-known member.
Abraham II became master in 1675 and married Susanna Peters, the daughter of a fellow goldsmith, the same year. In the German tradition, particularly from Augsburg, Drenwett cast his figures, which generally gave more movement, fluidity and originality to his compositions, as well as demonstrating a real talent for creative sculpting. His works include a pair of andirons with figures of Vulcan and Prometheus, now in the Palace of Armour in Moscow; two busts of Mars and Bellona in the Schatzkammer in Munich; a statuette of Jupiter in the Grüne Gewölbe in Dresde illustrated in Exhibition catalogue, Quand Versailles était meublé d'argent, Versailles, 2007, p. 158-159, No. 27; and statuettes of Hercules, Omphale and Venus in the Kassel museum.
Like many goldsmiths, including Jamnitzer, he was inspired by Italian bronzes as explained by Hans Weirauch in Italienische Bronzen als vorbilder deutscher Goldsmiedekunst in Studien zur Geschichte des Europischen Plastick: Festschrift Theodor Müller, Munich, 1965, p. 277, in this instance the figures are after models by Girolamo Campagna (1549-1626).
TABLE OR FURNITURE ORNAMENTS
These types of statuettes depicting mythological figures were nevertheless quite rare, as representations of saints or portraits of sovereigns were more common at the time. These statuettes could have been used as table ornaments, demonstrating the growing interest of collectors in sculptural figures which continued into the 18th century with porcelain figurines. Alternatively, it is also possible that they could have adorned a cabinet or a sculptural silver composition such as a table clock similar to one by Abraham Drentwett's dated 1680-1683 illustrated in H. Seling, Die Kunst der Augsburger Goldschmiede 1529-1868, Vol. II, No 605.
THEMATIC ORNAMENTS
These four figures certainly complement each other around the theme of the Judgement of Paris, which remains one of the most important in art history, appreciated for its philosophy and the universalism of its message that love is the driving force of the world itself. In the story, Paris, a young prince of Troy, arbitrated a quarrel between the mother goddess Hera, the war goddess Athena, and the goddess of love, Aphrodite, fighting over a golden apple, thrown by Eris, goddess of discord to punish them, and that was to go to 'the most beautiful'. Each of them made an offer to Paris to sway his judgement: Hera offered the control of Asia and wealth, Athena promised victory in battle, but also beauty and wisdom; as for Aphrodite, she promised him Helen, the most beautiful of all mortals. The judgement of Paris represents that fateful moment when love directs the mortal's action and makes him chose Aphrodite. Under the power of Aphrodite, Helen, married to the Spartan king Menelaus, falls in love with Paris and runs away with him: this is the trigger for the Trojan War, the terrible conflict described in the Iliad and the Odyssey.
These four figures are part of Augsburg's tradition of silver sculptures, a specialty of the Drentwett family of goldsmiths in the second half of the 17th century.
Helmut Seling in Die Augsburger Gold und Silberschmiede, 1529-1868, Munich, 2007 lists at least thirty silversmiths from the Drentwett dynasty in Augsburg from the late 16th to the early 19th century, of whom Abraham II (1647-1729) is probably the best-known member.
Abraham II became master in 1675 and married Susanna Peters, the daughter of a fellow goldsmith, the same year. In the German tradition, particularly from Augsburg, Drenwett cast his figures, which generally gave more movement, fluidity and originality to his compositions, as well as demonstrating a real talent for creative sculpting. His works include a pair of andirons with figures of Vulcan and Prometheus, now in the Palace of Armour in Moscow; two busts of Mars and Bellona in the Schatzkammer in Munich; a statuette of Jupiter in the Grüne Gewölbe in Dresde illustrated in Exhibition catalogue, Quand Versailles était meublé d'argent, Versailles, 2007, p. 158-159, No. 27; and statuettes of Hercules, Omphale and Venus in the Kassel museum.
Like many goldsmiths, including Jamnitzer, he was inspired by Italian bronzes as explained by Hans Weirauch in Italienische Bronzen als vorbilder deutscher Goldsmiedekunst in Studien zur Geschichte des Europischen Plastick: Festschrift Theodor Müller, Munich, 1965, p. 277, in this instance the figures are after models by Girolamo Campagna (1549-1626).
TABLE OR FURNITURE ORNAMENTS
These types of statuettes depicting mythological figures were nevertheless quite rare, as representations of saints or portraits of sovereigns were more common at the time. These statuettes could have been used as table ornaments, demonstrating the growing interest of collectors in sculptural figures which continued into the 18th century with porcelain figurines. Alternatively, it is also possible that they could have adorned a cabinet or a sculptural silver composition such as a table clock similar to one by Abraham Drentwett's dated 1680-1683 illustrated in H. Seling, Die Kunst der Augsburger Goldschmiede 1529-1868, Vol. II, No 605.
THEMATIC ORNAMENTS
These four figures certainly complement each other around the theme of the Judgement of Paris, which remains one of the most important in art history, appreciated for its philosophy and the universalism of its message that love is the driving force of the world itself. In the story, Paris, a young prince of Troy, arbitrated a quarrel between the mother goddess Hera, the war goddess Athena, and the goddess of love, Aphrodite, fighting over a golden apple, thrown by Eris, goddess of discord to punish them, and that was to go to 'the most beautiful'. Each of them made an offer to Paris to sway his judgement: Hera offered the control of Asia and wealth, Athena promised victory in battle, but also beauty and wisdom; as for Aphrodite, she promised him Helen, the most beautiful of all mortals. The judgement of Paris represents that fateful moment when love directs the mortal's action and makes him chose Aphrodite. Under the power of Aphrodite, Helen, married to the Spartan king Menelaus, falls in love with Paris and runs away with him: this is the trigger for the Trojan War, the terrible conflict described in the Iliad and the Odyssey.