Jost Amman

W. Thiery, Meiringen circa 1780, thence by inheritance;
with Antiquariat N.N., Coburg, circa 1910;
Prof. Dr. Redslob, Weimar, circa 1930;
sale, Berlin, Hollstein und Puppel, 27-28 February 1933, lot 574

K. Pilz, Die Zeichnungen und das graphische Werk des Jost Amman 1539-1591, Zürich 1933, p. 293, cat. no. 46, reproduced plate IV

Unframed. Diagonal crease, lower right corner. Other minor creases and surface wrinkles, right and bottom edges. Some light stains, left and right side. Otherwise good and fresh.
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.

Amman took up residence in Nuremberg in 1561, and thereafter devoted himself increasingly to the designing of book illustrations. During these later years he did continue to make glass designs, but it seems more likely that the present, splendid and highly elaborate design, executed some three years after the artist's arrival in Nuremberg, is based on an earlier prototype, either by Amman himself or by another artist.  

The three scenes depicted in the present composition are all taken from the life of the prophet Daniel.  The central episode shows the prophet standing with King Cyrus before the idol Bel.  The King was convinced that every night the idol came alive, as the copious offerings of food and drink that were left for him each evening always vanished by morning.  Daniel warned Cyrus that the feast was being consumed by the priests who attended the false idol, and when the King refused to believe him, Daniel suggested that he scatter sawdust on the floor to prove it.  When the King discovered the priests' footprints the following morning, Daniel was vindicated and the priests met their deaths.

The scene to the upper left depicts a similar episode.  A dragon was kept by King Nebuchadnezzar in the temple of Bel which, when Daniel denounced the worship of false gods, the king showed to him, saying it "liveth and eateth and drinketh; you cannot say that he is no living god; therefore worship him".  Daniel, however, stood his ground and fed the creature fat, tar and hair which killed it, proving that it was mortal and not a god. In the top right corner of the sheet, we see the much more familiar subject of Daniel in the lions' den.

We are extremely grateful to Dr. Paul Taylor of the Warburg Institute for elucidating the subject.

See also lots 2 and 21.