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Samuel Amsler19th century Swiss engraver.
Date of Birth: 17.12.1791
Country:  Switzerland |
Content:
- Samuel Amsler: Master Engraver of the 19th Century
- Career Beginnings and Influences
- Collaboration and Monumental Prints
- Professorship and Masterful Engravings
- Later Works and Legacy
- Final Masterpiece and Legacy
Samuel Amsler: Master Engraver of the 19th Century
Early Life and TrainingSamuel Amsler, a renowned Swiss engraver of the 19th century, was born on December 17, 1791, in Schinznach-Dorf, Switzerland. He received his early training in engraving from Georg Christoph Oberkogler and later from Johann Jakob Lips (1758-1817) in Zurich. In 1814, Amsler moved to Munich and studied under Karl Ernst Hess.
Career Beginnings and Influences
Amsler's first major work was a reproduction of Carl Dolce's "Magdalene," after which he traveled to Rome in 1816 and became associated with the German Nazarene movement. He displayed remarkable skill in combining the simplicity of Marcantonio with reverence for the subject matter in his engravings of Bertel Thorvaldsen's statues. Amsler was a devoted admirer of Raphael and excelled in reproducing his works.
Collaboration and Monumental Prints
Together with Karl Barth, Amsler created the frontispiece for the "Nibelungenlied" after a drawing by Peter Joseph von Cornelius. During his second stay in Rome (1820-24), he embarked on his most ambitious project: an engraving of Thorvaldsen's "Triumphal Procession of Alexander" (published with commentary by Schorn in Munich, 1835).
Professorship and Masterful Engravings
In 1829, Amsler was appointed Professor at the Munich Academy. Two years later, he completed his large engraving of Raphael's "Entombment" (located in the Villa Borghese). His precise draftsmanship and bold, expressive engraving style, which captured the essence of the originals, earned him recognition among the finest copper engravers.
Later Works and Legacy
Among Amsler's subsequent notable engravings were Raphael's "Holy Family" from the Munich Pinakothek (1835) and "Madonna di casa Tempi" (1836). He also produced numerous smaller works based on paintings by Kaulbach, Schwanthaler, and Cornelius. His engraving of Domenichino's "St. John" stands as one of his most significant achievements.
Final Masterpiece and Legacy
Amsler's final major work, completed between 1840 and 1847, was an engraving of Johann Friedrich Overbeck's "Triumph of Faith in the Arts" (in Frankfurt, at the Städel Institute). Amsler's exceptional engraving skills left an enduring mark on the art world. He passed away on May 18, 1849, in Munich.
