831 - J. STEINER (1757–1818), A Hermit in the Forest, Etching

J. STEINER (1757–1818), A Hermit in the Forest, Etching Johann Conrad Steiner (1757, Winterthur – 1818, Taegerwilen): Hermit sitting in the forest next to his hermitage, 19th century, Etching Technique: Etching on paper Inscription: Signed in pencil lower right with “Steiner.” Date: 19th century Description: A devout man in a monk’s habit sits on a bench in the forest and looks up from his reading. His long beard and the rosary hanging at his side suggest that he is a clergyman seeking the silence of the forest to find closeness to God in his small hermitage. Resting his hand on a stick, the old man seems to be listening to the sounds coming from his nearby dwelling. At the top of a makeshift staircase, the hermit’s small house can be seen, where a young man stands, curiously poking his head through the open shutters. Although he disturbs the hermit in his quiet contemplation, the young man nevertheless serves as a dynamic element in this depiction and ensures that this motif has an exciting story to tell. The etching is characterized by fine strokes that form a dense network of lines through countless, often short, strokes. This technique is particularly vividly expressed in the detailed rendering of the plants and the foliage of the trees. The materiality of the clay soil and the clothing of the pious hermit also becomes tangible and vivid. Keywords: Monk, hermit, hermitage, 19th century, Romanticism, Religious, Germany, Size: Paper: 24.5 cm x 19.5 cm (9.6 x 7.7 in) Condition: Very good condition. Isolated pale foxing is visible along the edges.