Dietrich, called Dietricy, Christian Wilhelm Ernst (Weimar 1712 – Dresden 1774). Pont Rustique. Peasants on foot, mounted on horseback, with cattle or packed mule on a wooden bridge curving along a precipice. Etching by Franz Edmund Weirotter (Innsbruck 1730 – Vienna 1771). Inscribed: Dessiné par Dietricy. / Gravé par Weirotter. / Dédié à Monsieur Adrien Zingg Graveur. Par son Serviteur et Ami Weirotter., otherwise as above. 28.7 x 36 cm.
Nagler, Weirotter, 24, 2. – With the address of Basan-Poignant (about 1785). – Smoothed center fold. – On buff laid paper.
“ As painter D. is reputed to be a typical example of the eclecticism in the 18th century. He had a complete command of the repertoire of all known schools of painting of his time which he treated in parallel. Especial preference he had for the ‘Italianizing’ Netherlanders and Netherlandish small masters. But also Rembrandt and his successors, Rubens and Jordaens, Watteau, Titian, Ricci and Rosa, had substantial influence on D.’s work. His ability
to approach the model with great insight ,
but nevertheless to preserve a stylistic originality
have brought him success. This eclecticism has to be understood just as from the view of art-theoretical demands of the 18th century for selection and imitation. Just by this artistic attitude D. represents a strong German personality in the then internationally reputed Dresden which today frequently is dismissed as uncreative. This is the reception-historical prerequisite for D.’s long neglect, but also for the interest in more recent days”
(Petra Schniewind-Michel, Allgemeines Künstler-Lexikon XXVII, 2000, p. 297).
First educated by his father, under Alexander Thiele Dietricy turned to landscape painting,
“ yet his innate talent served him more then all instruction …
Winckelmann in Rome (proclaimed him)
the Raffael of landscape painting ”
(Nagler, III, 393 ff.).
Who together writes from Rome per Jan. 28, 1764, to Johann Georg Wille on Weirotter:
“ Mr. Weirotter has together made me a present of own works which I count to the best in their kind … This young artist will be a credit to his country ”
(Decultot and others, Wille Correspondence, 1999, p. 314).
Accordingly then still 130 years later in Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (XLI, 520f.):
“ Connoisseurs and friends of his sheets had to pay dearly for impressions of single sheets …
As etcher W(eirotter) is reckoned among the most excellent artists .”
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