762 - F. EZDORF (1807–1858), The Farmer on the Knüppel Bridge, 1850, Etching

F. EZDORF (1807–1858), The Farmer on the Knüppel Bridge, 1850, Etching Friedrich Ezdorf (1807, Pößneck – 1858, Würzburg): The Farmer on the Truncheon Bridge in a River Valley, 1850, Etching Technique: Etching on China paper, mounted on paper Inscription: Signed and dated by the artist in the lower left corner of the printing plate: “F. Ezdorf 1850.” Date: 1850 Description: Friedrich Ezdorf began his artistic training at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and initially worked as a porcelain painter. As his career progressed, he increasingly devoted himself to landscape painting. In addition to impressive nature paintings, which depict motifs from coastal landscapes as well as alpine regions, Ezdorf also created several etchings, which were primarily inspired by the landscape paintings of his older brother, Johann Christian Michel Ezdorf (1801–1851). Here, the younger Ezdorf depicts a winding river landscape surrounded by steep, rocky banks and towering rock formations. A farmer is wading across the river—which was likely swollen in the spring by melting snow from the nearby mountains—over a makeshift bridge of sticks. On his shoulders, he carries a long log, perhaps intended for repairing the bridge. Behind the wooded hill, the ridge of a mountain hut can be seen; it is accessible via the bridge and connected to the outside world. The impression of this etching is very strong and clear. The shading has been partially worked over with a roulette, creating a fine pattern that emphasizes the two-dimensionality of these areas. Keywords: Valley, Mountains, Mountain river, Bridge, Nature, 19th century, Romanticism, Landscape, Germany, Size: Paper: 31.4 cm x 27.3 cm (12.4 x 10.7 in), Plate: 22.2 cm x 19.3 cm (8.7 x 7.6 in), Image: 19.5 cm x 18.5 cm (7.7 x 7.3 in) Condition: Very good condition. The print is slightly rubbed in places. Faint soiling is visible on the sheet margin.