Two from the same sheet: attribution of male etched portraits of the first third of the 18th century from the collection of the Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after M.A. Vrubel

Abstract

The article supports the attribution of two male engraved portraits of the 18th century from the collection of the Omsk Regional Museum of Fine Arts named after M.A. Vrubel on the basis of figurative and stylistic analysis using a technological and historical-subject method. The works were considered to be the works of unknown French masters. Until now, these sheets have practically not been included in the field of attention of researchers of the museum collection. During the study the names of the heroes of the works were established — the German physicians Veit Riedlin (1656–1724) and Johann Moritz Hoffmann (1653–1727). Hoffmann’s portrait was executed by the German engraver from Nuremberg Georg Lichtensteger (1700–1781) after the invention of Johann Christoph Fillisch (1692–1742). The name of the author of the image Veit Riedlin remains unknown. However, the portrait goes back compositionally to an engraving by the Augsburg master Philip Kilian (1628–1693) after the original by Johann Ulrich Mayr (1629–1704) of 1685–1686. Both works were created in 1730 and were published in a scientific journal Academy Leopoldina. The results of the study will allow the graphic collection to be presented as fully as possible in the scientific catalogue of the museum collection, the works can be included in thematic exhibition projects and used in educational museum projects.