Technique: Hand colored Etching on Paper, Original-Cover Cardboard

Inscription: Lower middle dated: "1823". Inscribed on the title page: Beschreibung der Vierundzwanzig Rheinansichten welche die englische Uebersetzung nach dem Geheimenrath von Gerning's Rheinreise begleitet, nebst eine Karte; London. Published by R. Ackermann, 101, Strand, and printed by S. Schulze, 13, Poland Street. 1823.

Date: 1823

Description: Christian Georg Schütz the younger, scion of the Frankfurt family of artists, began an apprenticeship in his grandfather's artist's workshop at the age of 12 and soon followed in his footsteps. His artistic development, with a focus on the depiction of landscapes, followed very closely that of the elder, with whom he also embarked on his first journeys along the Rhine. The Rhine valley, which was particularly popular in the Romantic period and was usually strongly transfigured, with its wine villages crowded into countless valleys, often with unexpectedly magnificent churches and picturesque half-timbered buildings, surmounted by picturesque castle ruins on craggy cliffs, was still at the beginning of its burgeoning popularity at the beginning of the 19th century. Schütz travelled through the Rhine valley five times and, influenced by the impressions of these study trips, produced a large number of views. At the beginning, these still followed the calm drawing style of the late 18th century, but eventually they became more and more dramatically staged and the artist consciously composed the scenery of people and the mood of the light. As early as 1808, Schütz himself published an album of prints based on sketches from a past journey along the dreamy Rhine valley. About ten years later, Schütz received a specific commission from the Frankfurt collector Baron Johann Isaac von Gerning to produce templates for a series of engravings that were to be published in an illustrated travel guide. Published by the German Ackermann-Verlag in London, A Picturesque Tour along the Rhine, from Mentz to Cologne was published in 1820 and contained 24 coloured views of the Rhine. Thomas Sutherland and David Havell, two renowned English reproduction engravers, were chosen as engravers for the aquatint etchings and faithfully reproduced the original watercolours. It was not until two and three years later that editions with German text were published. The present edition dates from 1823 and is the same size as the magnificent first edition and is complete in its original condition, including folding map and introduction. Today, the travelogue is considered one of the most beautiful pictorial works on the burgeoning Rhine Romanticism of the 19th century. Its early publication in England as well as its wide distribution in the British Isles testifies to the enthusiasm of the British for the Rhine Valley, which was to provide a tremendous stream of pleasure travellers in the course of the century. As if to illustrate a Rhine journey, for example as a souvenir or also to recruit further pleasure travellers, the 24 views show particularly striking places and vistas which, in addition to their discreet romanticisation, also provide reliable depictions of the topography on the Rhine at the beginning of the century. The depictions show: Mainz, Wiesbaden-Biebrich, Johannisberg Castle, Bingen, Bingen Mäuseturm, Fürstenberg Castle, Bacharach, Pfalzgrafenstein near Kaub, Oberwesel, Loreley with salmon fishermen, Rheinfels Castle and St. Goar, Thurnberg Castle ruins, Bornhofen, Liebenstein Castle ruins, Boppard, Braubach, St. Johannis near Nieder-Lahnstein, Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and Koblenz, Engers and Sayn, Andernach and Neuwied, Hammerstein Ruin, Drachenfels and Rolandseck, Godesberg with Siebengebirge and Cologne.

Person: Verlag R. Ackermann

Publisher in London

Keywords: Mainz, Cologne, Bingen, Johannesberg, Biebrich, Mäuseturm, Fürstenberg, Bacharach, Pfalz, Laub, Oberwesel, Lurley, St, Goarshausen, St, Goar, Thurnberg, Bornhofen, Liebenstein, Boppard, Braubach, Marksburg, Johanneskirche, Lahn, Ehrenbreitstein, Koblenz, Engers, Sayn, Neuwied, Andernach, Hammerstein, Drachenfels, Rolandseck, Godesberg, Siebenberge, Rhine, 19th century, Romanticism, Landscape, Germany,