Christoph Murer

Estimate

14,000 - 18,000 USD

bidding is closed

Description

Christoph Murer
the prodigal son being entertained by musicians, the harvest taking place in the distance
Pen and black ink and black and gray wash;
also bears monogram of Tobias Stimmer and date in gray wash, lower center: TS 1589

Provenance

Werner Kübler, 1612, his signature and date in black ink, lower center

Literature

R. Hasler, Die Scheibenriss-Sammlung Wyss, 2 vols., Bern 1997, vol. II, pp. 27-8, under cat. no 387, reproduced fig. 387.1

Condition

Unframed. Laid down. Some creases in the upper part of the sheet from where laid down. There is a small loss towards the lower centre of the right edge, and a thinning of the paper at the centre of the lower edge (with possibly a small loss). Some slight ink stains, but otherwise the condition is fine and the ink still strong.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

This design for a scene from the life of the Prodigal Son, in which only the left half of the frame is worked up, belongs to a series from which two other designs survive, both bearing the same inscription and date. The drawings are in Munich, and depict the Prodigal Son as a swine herd, and his ultimate return home.¹Both are heightened with gold, but not by Murer himself. A 1603 copy of the present drawing by Hans Rudolf Lando is in the Wyss Collection at the Bernischen Historischen Museum.²It is not known who commissioned this unusual series of glass panels.