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ex-libris THE WORLD OF EX-LIBRIS |
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A historical retrospective 2 EX-LIBRIS FROM THE ENLIGHTENMENT TO DECADENCE 1700 -1860 |
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2g PICTORIAL EX-LIBRIS IN SWITZERLAND 1700-1820
At the crossroads of Europe, Swiss ex-libris and graphic arts in
general were subjected to many diverse influences. As we have
noted previously, they relate more to French than to German ex-libris
in the 18th century, but on occasion one can feel an influence
from the North as well as from Italy. In Bern and Zürich,
artists such as Dunker or Aeberli developed their own aesthetics
and in turn influenced artists in other countries. Though affected
by the French Revolution and occupied by Bonaparte, in
Switzerland intellectuals on the whole did not see their book collections
destroyed, and their ex-libris survived with them.
Sometimes provincial in style, the finer examples are comparable
to the best elsewhere in Europe.
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2g/1. Bernard Picart (F, 1673-1733)  AMéDéE LULLIN, C2,
123 x 76, 1722. Weg 4497.
Viz. AHS 1888, p. 228, etc.
Picart was born in Paris but worked in Amsterdam; Lullin, a church minister and professor of theology of Geneva (1695-1756), commissioned this plate from him and it was copied by at least five other engravers for other customers. |
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2g/2. ? (CH) RIEU, C2, 120 x 80, c.1750. Weg 5946.
Viz. AFE-L 1910 p. 39. Between book label and bookplate, this ex-libris belonged to Henri Rieu (1721-1787) of Geneva. It is probably the work of a silver engraver. |
2g/3. Georg Daniel Heumann (D, 1691-1759) ALBRECHT
VON HALLER, C2, 64 x 100, 1743. Weg 3296.
Viz. SBEL 1901/2 p. 25. Haller (1708-1777) was one of the ‘universal’ minds of the 18th century, scientist and humanist. His large library was bought by the University of Torino. He used several ex-libris for his books, nearly all on the subject of metamorphosis. This is the only print known bearing Haller’s signature. |
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2g/4. Johann Ludwig. Aeberli (CH, 1723-1786) & Adrian
Zingg (CH, 1734-1816) EMMANUEL F. VON FISCHER, C2, 74 x
51, c.1758. Weg 2157.
Viz. AFEL 1898 p. 182, AHS 1929 p.14, etc. Aeberli, active in Bern, was an important artist who marked the aesthetics of his time. An engraver himself,it is surprising that this plate was engraved by Zingg, also a Swiss but working in Dresden. The Bernese statesman von Fischer (1732-1811) was taken to Paris as a hostage in 1798, to guarantee the tranquility of Bern during the occupation by Bonaparte. |
2g/5. Serafino Giovannini (I) AUGUSTE PIDOU, C2,
65 x 106, c.1790. Weg 5629.
Pidou (1754-1821) was a ‘collaborator’ with Bonaparte, and a member of the Helvetic Senate in Paris in 1802. Like many of his generation, he travelled to Italy, and it was in Rome that his ex-libris was engraved. |
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2g/6. Balthasar Anton Dunker (CH, 1746-1807) AMADEUS
GRUBER, C2, 61 x 82, c.1800. Weg 3181.
Viz. SBEL 1904 p. 9, Stickelberger p. 88, ill. Gruber (1759-1829) was town councillor in Bern. Dunker, author of close to thirty ex-libris, is one of the most important graphic artists of his time. |
2g/7. Balthasar Anton Dunker (CH, 1746-1807)
DE LERBER, C2, 61 x 91, c.1800. Weg 4360.
Viz. Wegmann, ill. pl. 75.
Another example of Dunker’s fine compositions. It seems very original for a Bernese to have a maritime scene as an ex-libris, but as the owner of the bookplate has not been precisely identified, there is no way of telling if the choice of image refers to an incident in his life. |
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2g/8. Johann Rudolf Holzhalb (CH, 1723-1806) RUDOLF
ABRAHAM SPRüNGLI, C2, 73 x 61, c.1800. Weg 6706.
Viz. SBE-L 1903 p. 32, Stickelberger p. 95, etc. Sprüngli (?-1819), church minister in Unterseen and Belp, had an extensive library. A crude copy of this bookplate was engraved by another hand (Weg 6708), obviously not by Holzhalb. This ex-libris shows another example of the ‘Freedom hat’, used during the Revolutionary period. |
2g/9. Christian Gottlob Geissler (D/CH, 1729-1814) J. L.
ROBILLARD, C2, 78 x 64, c.1800. Weg 5985.
Viz. Stickelberger p. 116, fig. 83.
One of the five ex-libris of this engraver and miniaturist from Augsburg who settled in Geneva, for Robillard (1786-1845) who was appointed in 1814 director of the famous porcelain factory of Nyon. |
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2g/10. R. Stauffer (CH) RUDOLF SCHWEIZER, C2, 57 x 78,
c.1810. Weg 6487.
Viz. Wegmann ill. pl. 29. One of several engravers with the name Stauffer active in Bern, for a church minister (Verbi Dei Minister). The goat is an interesting short-legged, long-horned alpine variety, today practically extinct. |
2g/11. ? (CH) RUDOLF EMMANUEL EFFINGER VON WILDECK, C2,
59 x 78, c.1800. Weg 1660.
Viz. Wegmann ill. pl. 24. The owner (1771-1847) was a lieutenant in the service of the Netherlands and Commander-in-Chief of the Bernese in 1813. Egyptian motifs were common in French decoration after Bonaparte’s campaign in Egypt, but they are uncommon in ex-libris of the time. |
End of 2g
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