5248 - Herz, Johann Daniel

Herz, Johann Daniel The Nativity (The Adoration of the Magi). Copperplate engraving from a single plate. 87 x 64.6 cm. Circa 1723. Nagler probably 3, Le Blanc probably 1. Marked with the initials MW and an inscription cartouche. A complete catalog of the extensive body of printwork by the Augsburg-born copperplate engraver and publisher Johann Daniel Herz has yet to be compiled; his oeuvre has so far been inadequately documented. Unfortunately, the information provided by Nagler remains only summary in nature. One reason for this may be that it is often quite difficult to distinguish between the artist’s own works and his publishing projects. Herz was a highly prolific copper engraver who contributed to notable large-scale projects such as Paul Decker’s monumental *Architectura civilis* (1711–16) and Johann Elias Ridinger’s *Neue Reitkunst*. This extraordinarily impressive depiction of the Nativity is extremely rare and, with its rich diversity and stylistic variation in the different linework and cross-hatching, is also a technical masterpiece. It is also a single plate from which this print was made; Herz had apparently specialized in the production of large-format prints in Augsburg, as a series of comparable engravings suggests. According to the inscription in the lower left corner, this is an original composition by the artist. Whether the entry titled “Adoration of the Magi” in Nagler refers to our print remains uncertain; iconographically, the Nativity is depicted on the left in the foreground, and the Annunciation to the Shepherds on the right in the middle ground. A magnificent, bold, and striking print with a narrow margin on all sides. Slightly stained, a few short tears along the margins, some of which are closed; on the reverse, vertical and horizontal folds, the one on the right cracked and closed; in the center, a tiny hole below the floating angel; further signs of age and wear; mounted on fine paper over the entire reverse; otherwise—especially considering the sheet’s dimensions—a very fine specimen. Extremely rare; we have been unable to locate any other copy. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog. - Please ask for condition reports for individual lots, as the condition is usually not mentioned in the catalog.