- 673
Rare watercolor presentation fraktur of merfolk, flowers, and crown, Johann Henrich Otto (1733-c. 1800) Probably Lancaster or Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, circa 1785
Estimate
8,000 - 10,000 USD
Log in to view results
bidding is closed
Description
- PRESENTATION FRAKTUR OF MERFOLK, FLOWERS, AND CROWN
- Watercolor and ink on block-printed paper
- 12 3/4 by 15 5/8 in.
- C. 1785
Inscribed on recto, ink: Henrich [illegible]
Provenance
Robert Carlen, Philadelphia
Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, Cambridge, Maryland
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, "Important Frakturs, Embroidered Pictures, Theorem Paintings, and Cutwork Pictures from the Collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch," January 24, 1974, lot 125
Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, Cambridge, Maryland
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, "Important Frakturs, Embroidered Pictures, Theorem Paintings, and Cutwork Pictures from the Collection of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch," January 24, 1974, lot 125
Exhibited
"Compass: Folk Art in Four Directions," New York, The South Street Seaport Museum, June 20-October 7, 2012
Literature
American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 199, fig. 167
Condition
Appears to be in very good condition. The piece is framed, the frame is not original. The pictorial elements are block printed in black, with hand coloring.
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.
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
Henrich Otto, probably a schoolmaster in Berks, Lancaster, Lebanon, and Northumberland Counties, arrived from Germany in 1753. This example probably postdates the first printed Taufscheine of about 1784; like them it features designs stamped from woodcuts. A merman (left) and mermaid (right) appear on a sandy beach; a crown and flowers are at the top of the drawing. His contribution to the design vocabulary of Pennsylvania German fraktur is substantial; long after his parrots first appeared in print, for example, they were being copied by his successors in his craft. -F.S.W.