Description
The Flemish artist David Ryckaert III was the artist who created the original painting in 1649 – now referred to as The Alchemist – on which the print was based. It was issued with other etchings as part of Theatrum Artis Pictoriae, Quo Tabulae Depictae Quae In Caesarea Vindobonensi Pinacotheca Servantur, published in Vienna in 1729. This book of etchings recorded images of various important paintings in royal collections in Vienna. The Alchemist original painting is now in the collection what is commonly referred to as the picture gallery, in the Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Gemäldegalerie, in Vienna. The original composition by Ryckaert was later adapted by the German artist Christopher Paudiss, who is solely credited as the source of the image in the etching by von Prenner. The Kunsthistorisches describes the original painting in their collection as a vanitas:
Ryckaert’s alchemist is sitting in his candle-lit study; his desk is laden with objects readily identified as symbols of Vanitas – skull, hourglass, books and manuscripts function as reminders of the transience of all earthly things. A symbol of death, the skeleton depicted in the book he is holding completes this allegorical composition. The old man’s gaze aimlessly wanders over the globe in the foreground, presumably a reminder of the fact that the whole world is subject to the universality of death.
Anton Joseph von Prenner (1683-1761) was an Austrian engraver, painter, and publisher. Details about his life are largely unknown; however, he is believed to have been born in Wallerstein, Bavaria in 1683. Von Prenner’s artistic career began with various religious and allegorical commissions throughout Eastern Europe, including various altarpiece paintings and mural work. In 1728, von Prenner moved to Vienna to accept a position as court engraver to Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, the last Habsburg dynasty ruler. In this role, von Prenner introduced a sophisticated use of light and shadow to court artworks. At this time Von Prenner created and published a series of etchings of notable paintings in the royal collections of Vienna for Theatrum Artis Pictoriae, Quo Tabulae Depictae Quae In Caesarea Vindobonensi Pinacotheca Servantur (Vienna 1729). Von Prenner was particularly noted for his artistic ability to capture the demeanors and idiosyncrasies of the Viennese Habsburg aristocrats and today is a celebrated figure in Austrian portraiture.
Christopher Paudiss (also known as Christophe Baudiz) (1618-1667) was a German Baroque painter known for everyday life scenes and portraiture, active in modern-day Stuttgart, Prague, Dresden, Vienna, and Salzburg. Paudiss was a student of Dutch Golden Age painter Rembrandt and incorporated popular memento mori motifs, such as skulls, hourglasses, and extinguished candles, into his works. Paudiss’ made numerous genre paintings with a notably bleak, dark color palette; however, Paudiss is also known for his portrait commissions of aristocrats and a few religious works. Today, The Freisinger Diözesanmuseum holds the largest collections of his works. Other paintings by Paudiss can be found at the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
David Ryckaert III (1612-1661) was a Flemish genre painter based in Antwerp. Born into a family of artists and art dealers, Ryckaert III began his career in landscape scenes before pivoting early on into figurative work, primarily painting lively peasants, studious alchemists, and eerie, fantastical hellscapes. Ryckaert III found significant success as a painter, serving as master of the famed Antwerp Guild of Saint Luke from 1636-1637 while contributing to the decoration of Habsburg governor Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand’s ceremonial parade alongside Jan van Eyck and Rubens. His work was well received by patrons of his period, with notable collectors including the Archduke Leopold Wilheim of Austria.
Condition: Generally very good, recently professionally cleaned and deacidified, with light remaining, wear, handling, toning, soft creases. Later blank margins professionally supplied as backed on mulberry paper.
References:
“A man studying an anatomy text in a studio.” Science History Institute Museum and Library. https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/c821gk430 (5 December 2024).
“A philosopher in his study, reading a book containing a print of a skeleton.” Wellcome Collection. https://wellcomecollection.org/works/u5ua3nt3 (5 December 2024).
“Anton Joseph von Prenner.” RKD Netherlands Institute for Art History. https://research.rkd.nl/en/detail/https%3A%2f%2fdata.rkd.nl%2fartists%2f64733#Biographical (5 December 2024).
“Christopher Paudiss.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Paudi%C3%9F (9 December 2024).
“David Ryckaert III.” Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Ryckaert_III (9 December 2024).
