Franz de Paula Ferg

Anonymous sale, London, Christie's, December 11, 1992, lot 47;
With Richard Green, London;
From whom acquired by Dimitri Mavrommatis, London;
By whom sold ("Property from the London Residence of Dimitri Mavrommatis"), London, Sotheby's, December 5, 2007, lot 69, there purchased by the present collector.

The first composition, with a house on the left: This is a high quality copper plate which is flat, and quite thick. Overall the painting appears to be in quite a good state. It seems slightly dirty, perhaps due to an older varnish which is obscuring older retouches. Having said that, there are no significant areas of repair and to the naked eye the painting is in favorable condition. The second painting, with house/elevated cottage on the right: This picture also has a very nice, thick copper plate. It also appears slightly dirty, possibly from an older varnish which obscures older retouches, except through UV some retouching is visible in a small area to the left of the tall tree on right. There do not appear to be other significant areas of repair visible to the naked eye. Both pictures are in carved and giltwood frames.
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.

This form of signature indicates that Ferg may have executed this work after 1724 when he settled in London. A large proportion of works signed FV have long English provenances, the V supposedly indicating the English spelling of his town of birth, Vienna. Previously Ferg had traveled quite extensively throughout Germany and Austria, spending extended periods in Franconia, Bamberg, Leipzig, Dresden and Lower Saxony, and this pair of coppers, along with all of his mountainous river landscapes, were presumably inspired by his travels through the Alps and up the Rhine valley. Originally he studied landscape painting with his father Adam Pankraz Ferg (1651-1729) and staffage painting with Johann Graf (1653-1710) in Vienna. While his landscapes display a distinctly German coloring they are also indebted to earlier Dutch, Flemish and Italian models in their fusion of landscape and genre. While his landscapes were collected widely, Ferg died prematurely in London in 1740 a very unhappy man, having made what sources describe only as an 'unfortunate' marriage.