DOI Artikel:
Kandt, Kevin E.: Some notes on two allegorical drawings attributed to Andreas Schlüter the Younger from the Jacob Kabrun collection in the National Museum of Gdańsk
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43437#0188
Kevin when such inscriptions exist together with a documented provenance - as
E. Kandt with the Gdańsk drawings - additional weight can certainly be given to the
attribution.
Despite the contrived furor generated by all these “sensational new discov-
eries” in recent years, I still believe it prudent to exercise a judicious amount of
caution regarding each forthcoming attribution to Andreas Schluter. We must
refrain from indulging in such risky suppositions no matter how tempting it
may be to “recognize” at every opportunity an unknown work by the artist.
Important here is to remain objective and continue thorough and system-
atic research into the various artists and architects who worked in the Ber-
lin art-milieu circa 1700,67 and especially those who worked and/or trained as
draftsmen in Schluter’s studio.68 It is indeed vital that more verifiable examples
of drawings be available for comparison before any definitive pronouncements
of attribution can be permanently established.
With this caveat in mind, one can begin to see how the Gdańsk drawings
may be two more, little-known examples that are at least somehow associated
with Andreas Schluter’s workshop or circle and how they could provide some
more insight into the artist’s technique as a draftsman. The drawings in ques-
tion demonstrate how a much freer approach for the figures was employed
in contrast to the non-figural objects. Technically, this was done by means of
short, almost segmental, non-contiguous pen strokes to create the fluid con-
tours or outlines of the forms he depicted (quite similar in the manner used
when creating a clay model or bozzetto, i.e. by adding the material to shape
the desired forms) and this truly artistic representation was combined with
a very controlled, highly-skilled method of architectural drawing. This nota-
ble use of contrastive techniques can be seen in a number of works attrib-
uted to Schluter. In this respect, the Astronomy and Time drawings match
the methods of execution used in the more securely attributed Berlin-period
drawings mentioned above for the towers of the Parochial Church and Pal-
ace Chapel, (figs. 18-19) In the newly-identified drawing of the Villa von
Kameke, the figures representing sculptural decorations - especially the fig-
ures atop the central block and the hanging putti groups located below at the
left and right sides - show the same “additive” line-drawing technique as the
National Museum drawings, (fig. 20)
67 To be considered in this case are: Christian Eltester, Samuel Theodor Gericke, Paul
Carl Leygebe, Theodor Lubieniecki, Michael Probener, Augustin Terwestern, and Johann
Friedrich Wentzel. For these artists consult Thieme, Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon... under the
appropriate entries.
68 Important here are: Paul Decker the Younger and Henry Reetz. For these artists, see:
Thieme/Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon... 1905-1950, vol. 8, p. 524-525; Bernd Adam, Henry
Reetz. Vom Architekten in Berlin der Schluterzeit zum Hofbaumeister in Hannover, [in:] Preufien
1701 - Eine europaische Geschichte, exhibition catalogue - essays vol., Deutsche Historisches
Museum /Stiftung Preufiische Schlosser und Garten, Berlin-Brandenburg (eds.), Berlin 2001,
p. 289-296.
186
E. Kandt with the Gdańsk drawings - additional weight can certainly be given to the
attribution.
Despite the contrived furor generated by all these “sensational new discov-
eries” in recent years, I still believe it prudent to exercise a judicious amount of
caution regarding each forthcoming attribution to Andreas Schluter. We must
refrain from indulging in such risky suppositions no matter how tempting it
may be to “recognize” at every opportunity an unknown work by the artist.
Important here is to remain objective and continue thorough and system-
atic research into the various artists and architects who worked in the Ber-
lin art-milieu circa 1700,67 and especially those who worked and/or trained as
draftsmen in Schluter’s studio.68 It is indeed vital that more verifiable examples
of drawings be available for comparison before any definitive pronouncements
of attribution can be permanently established.
With this caveat in mind, one can begin to see how the Gdańsk drawings
may be two more, little-known examples that are at least somehow associated
with Andreas Schluter’s workshop or circle and how they could provide some
more insight into the artist’s technique as a draftsman. The drawings in ques-
tion demonstrate how a much freer approach for the figures was employed
in contrast to the non-figural objects. Technically, this was done by means of
short, almost segmental, non-contiguous pen strokes to create the fluid con-
tours or outlines of the forms he depicted (quite similar in the manner used
when creating a clay model or bozzetto, i.e. by adding the material to shape
the desired forms) and this truly artistic representation was combined with
a very controlled, highly-skilled method of architectural drawing. This nota-
ble use of contrastive techniques can be seen in a number of works attrib-
uted to Schluter. In this respect, the Astronomy and Time drawings match
the methods of execution used in the more securely attributed Berlin-period
drawings mentioned above for the towers of the Parochial Church and Pal-
ace Chapel, (figs. 18-19) In the newly-identified drawing of the Villa von
Kameke, the figures representing sculptural decorations - especially the fig-
ures atop the central block and the hanging putti groups located below at the
left and right sides - show the same “additive” line-drawing technique as the
National Museum drawings, (fig. 20)
67 To be considered in this case are: Christian Eltester, Samuel Theodor Gericke, Paul
Carl Leygebe, Theodor Lubieniecki, Michael Probener, Augustin Terwestern, and Johann
Friedrich Wentzel. For these artists consult Thieme, Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon... under the
appropriate entries.
68 Important here are: Paul Decker the Younger and Henry Reetz. For these artists, see:
Thieme/Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon... 1905-1950, vol. 8, p. 524-525; Bernd Adam, Henry
Reetz. Vom Architekten in Berlin der Schluterzeit zum Hofbaumeister in Hannover, [in:] Preufien
1701 - Eine europaische Geschichte, exhibition catalogue - essays vol., Deutsche Historisches
Museum /Stiftung Preufiische Schlosser und Garten, Berlin-Brandenburg (eds.), Berlin 2001,
p. 289-296.
186