5282 - Rode, Christian Bernhard

Rode, Christian Bernhard and Johann Heinrich Rode (1727–1759, Berlin). The High Altar in St. Mary’s Church in Berlin: The Descent from the Cross; Christ on the Mount of Olives; Christ and Doubting Thomas. 3 etchings with gravure points. 43.4 x 23.6 cm and approx. 29.5 x 21 cm, respectively. 1755 and 1757, respectively. Jacobs 67A, 68A, and 69A; Just 46, 47, and 48. Markings: crowned coat of arms; inscription. The prominent Berlin history painter Christian Bernhard Rode created the paintings for the high altar in St. Mary’s Church—Berlin’s oldest church—which was consecrated in 1762. The altar has been in continuous use ever since; most recently, both the altar and the paintings underwent extensive restoration. The three plates were published by his brother Johann Heinrich in Berlin; the latter also contributed the engraving of the Descent from the Cross. Excellent, crisp prints with margins around the plates, each featuring strong and distinctive linework. Minor signs of age and wear; some insignificant foxing, primarily in the white margins; the edges are in places slightly bumped; small pencil annotations; otherwise uniformly and very beautifully preserved. From a previously unknown collection of L. A. de Vries (not listed in Lugt). - 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.