Description:
Illustration depicting the portrait busts of George Washington, General Horatio Gates, Benjamin Franklin, Prasid (Henry) Laurens, and John Paul Jones, taken from a German book, General Historical Paperback, or, outline of the Strangest New World Events, containing for 1784 the history of the Revolution of North America (see German title below). Engraved by Daniel Berger (1744-1825), Berlin, Germany, 1784. The busts are laid out with two at the top, one in the middle, and two at the bottom. Inscribed at the bottom of the plate "1. General Washington. 2. General Gates./ 3. Dr. Franklin. 4. Prasid Laurens. 5. Paul Jones." Below that in the right lower corner is an engraved inscription, "D. Berger Sculps. 1784." Gottfried Daniel Berger (25 October 1744 - 17 November 1825) was a German engraver. Born in Berlin, Berger was the son of Friedrich Gottlieb Berger who was also an engraver. In 1757 Berger was being instructed by the French painter Blaise Nicholas Le Sueur, who at the time was the director of the Prussian Academy of Arts. In May 1774, his training was further supplemented by Georg Friedrich Schmidt until the artist's death eight months later. Berger received professional support from Le Sueur, who provided contacts with influential figures including the painter and director of the Sanssouci Picture Gallery Matthias of Austria, the bank director and art connoisseur Carl Philipp Caesar and anatomy professor Johann Friedrich Meckel. In this way, Berger received numerous important commissions, such as the production of illustrations for medical and biological works or reproductions of paintings.In 1778, Berger was a full member of the Academy of Arts, and in 1787 he was inducted into the rectorship and was appointed professor of engraving. In 1816, Berger became Vice Director of the Academy. He died November 17, 1825 in Berlin This illustration appeared in Allgemeines historisches Taschenbuch, oder, Abriss der merkwürdigsten neuen Welt-Begebenheiten : enthaltend für 1784 die Geschichte der Revolution von Nord-America von M.C. Sprengel ... mit 18 Kupfern und einer illuminirt. Landcharte / by Matthias Christian Sprengel. Berlin : Haude und Spener 1784- p. 182 ff.. These portraits are derived from drawings by Du Simitière, Cochin, Copley, and Notté.
Tags:
historical figures; presidents Link to share this object record:
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