Allegory of the investiture of the Holy Roman Emperor

In the central cartouche, the title: “Das dürch den Rathschlütss des Himmels erwählte allerhochste Oberhaüpt  des in Röm Reichs mürde in einem Emblematischen Wand-Calender auf das Jahr MDCCXLVI vorgestellet von Johan Andreas Pfeffel… ”.

Emblematic calendar for the year 1746 published by Johann Andrea Pfeffel - engraver, painter and publisher from Augsburg (1674 - 1748), engraved by Philipp Gottfried Harder (1710 - 1749) after a drawing a by Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner.

The large engraving is an allegorical depiction of the investiture of the Holy Roman Emperor by the Celestial Council. 26 Latin captions in the drawing explain the images.

Etching, 1746, signed in the lower margin "I. W. Baumgartner del" and "P. G. Harder sculpsit"

An example of this etching was in the Drugulin collection (4438) (see Drugulin's Historical Atlas (1867), p. 380.

Johann Wolfgang Baumgartner (1702 – 1761) is one of the most important and recognized painters of the Augsburg Rococo school. In addition to large-scale paintings for altars and frescoes on church ceilings, he created a series of sketches, sketches and models, many of which were published in engravings. Motifs from the legends of the saints predominate. Numerous works by his hand are found in private and public collections.

Johan Andreas Pfeffel (1674 -1748), An engraver and art publisher, Pfeffel was born in 1674 in Bischoffingen. He attended the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna where he learned the use of chiseling and scraping. In 1711 he settled in Augsburg where he opened an art store with Christian Engelbrecht, which was very successful. He produced numerous works, including large-scale portraits of contemporary figures, politicians, theatrical scenes, views of famous places, large drawings on religious orders, collections of images of saints for the devotional use of the people, art books, and ornaments of various kinds. The famous Physica Sacra Bible byJohann Jakob Scheuchzer appeared in 1731-1735 with his publishing house. As for engraving work he also relied on other artists such as Johann Evangelist Holzer. His son (1715-1768) also became a copperplate engraver. Johann Andreas Pfeffel died in Augsburg in 1748.

Magnificent proof, printed on two sheets of contemporary paper, trimmed to copperplate or thin margins, in excellent condition. Very rare.