A WATERCOLOR AND INK DECORATED GEBURTS UND TAUFSCHEIN

Details

A WATERCOLOR AND INK DECORATED GEBURTS UND TAUFSCHEIN
INITIALLED, "S.B.," BY SAMUEL BENTZ, THE "MOUNT PLEASANT ARTIST," 1792 - 1850, LANCASTER COUNTY, DATED 1829

The rectangular certificate decorated in maroon, pale olive, green and taupe pigments centering a Roman and Arabic chapter ringed clockface initialled at the base, "S.B.," and flanked on either side by striped spheres on cyma-scrolled supports above gridded and alternatingly pigmented columns, enclosing an ink inscribed birth record of Leah Dissinger, [trans.], "Daughter of John Dissinger and his wedded wife Susanna born a Danner. was born the 1st day of November 1828, and was baptised the 4th December 1829, by Daniel Hertz. The baptismal witnesses were her parents."--9 5/8in. high, 7½in. wide

Provenance

Exhibited

Lancaster, Pennsylvania, The Heritage Center of Lancaster County, "By Hand and Eye," May 4 - October 31, 1976

Lot Essay

Comprising part of a known group of watercolor illuminated certificates, the artist of these fraktur was unknown until only recently. Characteriseized by an overall astragal plan and boldly geometric forms, the majority of Bentz's fraktur are anonymous as to authorship. In contras, the example illustrated here is unusual in its inclusion of Bentz's initials, and is one of only a few certificates with any identification that ultimately unlocked the mystery of his identity.

Working in Lancaster County from 1810-1842, Samuel Bentz (1792-1850) was principally a schoolmaster. Formerly known as the 'Mount Pleasant Artist,' Bentz was probably associated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Brickerville, Warwick Township. For another watercolor drawing by Samuel Bentz, see lot 203.