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Retreat of Tatars

Johann Wilhelm Baur

  • Retreat of Tatars 2
Basic information
ID
Г-IV-1033
Author
Johann Wilhelm Baur
Name
Retreat of Tatars
Date of creation
1634
Country
Germany
Technique
etching
Material
paper
Dimensions (height x width, cm)
10.7 x 14.8
Additionally
Type
graphic art
Genre
battle painting
Plot
Battle
Provenance
Lviv Historical Museum
Information about author
Author
Johann Wilhelm Baur
Artist's lifetime
1607–1640
Country
Germany
Biography
Johann Wilhelm Baur was a leading German engraver and miniature painter of the first half of the 17th century. He began his studies in the German graphic artist and draftsman Friedrich Brentel's workshop in Strasbourg. His activities during this period, however, are hardly known. The artist gained fame after a trip to Italy, where he most likely arrived in 1626. It is assumed that Johann Wilhelm Baur settled in Rome, where he worked for Paolo Giordano II Orsini. Despite this, his first dated work, "Landscape with Vesuvius", was created in 1631, during his stay in Naples between 1631 and 1633. He later returned to Rome and executed some of his most successful graphic series. The artist went to Vienna in 1637. Although Johann Wilhelm Baur also worked as a painter, he became known primarily as a graphic artist who specialised in architectural landscapes, genre street scenes, and battles. In his works, he skilfully combined the style of the French graphic artist Jacques Callot and Florentine Stefano della Bella, with whom Baur was personally acquainted.
Object description
The engraving depicts Hungarian soldiers fleeing the battlefield. A Hungarian rider is galloping up the hill in the centre of the composition. On the left, behind the rider, terrified infantrymen are running away. In the background, the artist schematically depicted several horsemen looking back towards the enemy. The sheet is part of the "Capricci di Varie Battaglie" ("Fantasies of Various Battles") series, which consists of 16 engravings. It was first published in Rome in 1635. The main theme of the series is imaginary battles between the armies of different nations. Johann Wilhelm Baur most likely began his work on engravings during his trip to Italy in 1634. This series was dedicated to the noble Italian family Orsini.
Inscriptions
At the bottom right, there is the inscription: "Jo. Will: Baur. Inven e fecit 1634"
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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