1824 Domestic Cats - Mammals - G. Mind ; K.J. Brodtmann hand colored FOLIO lithography

Gottfried Mind was a Swiss autistic savant, born in 1768, specialising in the drawing of cats, dogs and children. For his outstanding artistic talent and exquisite observation of these animals, Mind was called the 'Raphael of the Cats'. 

His father had come as a joiner and form-cutter to Switzerland from Hungary. Because of Mind's weak constitution he was mostly left to himself. Mind received his education in the 'Academy for poor children' near Berne, founded by Pestalozzi. 

Mind's special talent was discovered and awakened by chance. At the time when Sigmund Hendenberger (his art teacher) was painting a picture of the peasant cleaving wood before his cottage, with his wife sitting by, and feeding her child with pap out of a pot, round which a cat is prowling, Mind cast a broad stare on the sketch of this last figure, and said in his rugged, laconic way, "That is no cat!" Hendenberger asked, with a smile, whether Mind thought he could do it better. Mind offered to try; he went into a corner, and drew the cat, which Hendenberger liked so much that he made his new pupil finish it out, and the master copied the scholar's work. 

In EXQUISITE ORIGINAL hand coloured. As such extremely rare.

Stone lithography was the first printmaking technology that allowed a traditional artist to work using traditional techniques, and to create prints that could rival an original painting in terms of detail, mood and color variations.

Handsomely illustrated by one of the finest stone lithographers of the day, Joseph Brodtmann (1787-1862), whose works have always been admired for their scientific accuracy as well as their aesthetic appeal. Brodtmann employed techniques for "texture" that are quite similar to that of an aquatint

A handsome example of his Brodtmann's aesthetic sense and skill in the medium complemented by EXCEPTIONAL ORIGINAL HAND COLOURING (found only very rarely). 

Trained as a physician, Schinz (1777-1861) taught natural history at the University in his native Zürich, where he also served as curator for the natural history society. He was a prolific and popular author of zoological works, including volumes on birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. 

[Issued in: SCHINZ, HEINRICH RUDOLF]. BRODTMANN, KARL JOSEPH, Lithographer.

NATURGESCHICHTE UND ABBILDUNGEN DER SÄUGETHIERE]

[Zürich: Brodtmann, 1824].

FOLIO LEAF: 33 x 23.4 cm

Item Condition: Please view images carefully.