GRABADOS ARENBERG 19.10.2019

Tekeningen & schilderijen 19de eeuw – Dessins & peintures XIX e s.
Exceptional collection of 23 Rhineland gouaches
by Bleuler
354
BLEULER, Johann Heinrich; BLEULER, Johann Ludwig -
Malerische Ansichten aus den Grossherzogtum Berg. c. 1805-1811.
23 gouaches with underlying outline etching, sl. varying sizes c. 32 x 47 on 40
x 54 cm, all with black border (occasionally paint loss in borders and a few very
light stains on n. 16, but generally in excellent condition). German manuscript on
paper (c. 23 x 37,5 cm), [4] ff. written in brown ink with double ruled borders. In
contemporary half leather box with label «Vues du duché de Berck».
15.000 / 20.000 €
Unique suite factice of Louis Bleuler’s gouaches, presumably based upon a
trip by his father Johann Heinrich Bleuler (1758-1823) to the Grand Duchy of
Berg, a territorial grand duchy established by Napoleon Bonaparte after his
victory at the 1805 Battle of Austerlitz. The Grand Duchy, on territories between
the French Empire at the Rhine river and the German Kingdom of Westphalia,
was soon disestablished after the 1813 Battle of Leipzig. As such, this suite might
be based upon the rare work of Louis Bleuler’s father Johann Heinrich Bleuler
(1758-1823). Although Bleuler’s landscapes are often sold as full gouache
paintings, the technique earlier developed by Johann Ludwig Aberli (1723-1786)
was much more sophisticated. A rudimentary sketch was made by outline
etching that could be used as a painting aid for watercolouring afterwards.
However, at the end of the 1780s the watercolour was changed into gouache,
whereby the gouache painters also used the underlying outline etching. The
resulting views could be hardly distinguished from original gouache paintings.
A reminder of this change of technique is visible in the painting «Das Volmetal
bei Hagen» (present both in Stadtmuseum Hagen and in our series). The copy of
Hagen is still watercoloured, while our copy is eminently gouached. On the other
hand «Limburg an der Lenne» is a slightly different composition from the copy of
Hagen, but it still includes the tall tower of the castle that collapsed as a result
of the lightning in 1811, and is hence a useful tool to date the collection. Only in
1827 did Louis Bleuler start working on a sequence of prints featuring landscapes
along the Rhine, so our series precedes Louis’ famous Rhine Collection, entitled
«Voyage pittoresque aux Bords du Rhin dessiné et publié par Louis Bleuler
peintre editeur au Chateau de Laufen tout près la chute du Rhin de Schafhouse
en Suisse« (start of the edition in 1827, completed in 1842/43).
It includes: 1. Blankenstein an der Lenne, 2. Mulheim an der Ruhr (obere Seite)
(some spots), 3. Mulheim an der Ruhr (untere seite), 4. Barmen von der Seite von
Elberfeld, 5. Barmen & Wupperfeld von der seite von Ritershausen, 6. Elberfeld
(only 1 of 2 mentioned in the manuscript list), 7. Die Abtey und das Staedtchen
Siegburg an der Sieg, 8. Wetter und Vollmerstein an der Lenne, 9. Schloss Cleff
& Hattingen an der Ruhr, 10. Letmaten an der Lenne, 11. Altona an der Elbe/
Lenne, 12. Ansicht der Grüne bey Isserlohn, 13-14. Limburg an der Lenne (2),
15. Schloss Klusenstein bey Isserlohn, 16. Aufsicht nach Kettwig und Sarnen an
der Ruhr, 17. Das Volmetal bei Hagen, 18. Aufsicht nach dem Mineralbrunnen
bey Schwelm, 19. Burg bey Sohlingen, 20-21, Pyrmont (2), 22. Remscheid, 23.
Schloss Schwarzenberg an der Lenne.
The box also contains a manuscript text entitled «Malerische Ansichten aus
den Grossherzogtum Berg». The text provides a list with 22 descriptions of 21
paintings included in the box; of Elberfeld there is only 1 (of 2) gouaches present
and the last two mentioned on the list, concerning Pyrmont, are in a different
handwriting, presumably that of Louis who added also after the name Bleuler
«Sohn aus Feurthalen bey Schlafhausen». Two supplementary paintings:
«Remscheid» and «Schloss Schwarzenberg an der Lenne» are not mentioned in
the list. Needless to say, these idyllic paintings represent remarkable testimonies
of the pre-industrial landscape without the later bridges, roads and railways.
Ref. Werner Rutishauser: Bleuler, Johann Heinrich (der Ältere, Vater), in: SIKART
Lexikon zur Kunst in der Schweiz. - Idem: Bleuler, Johann Ludwig (Louis). - Ralf
Blank: Stadtmuseum Hagen. (2018-06-24). Gemälde: «Das Volmetal bei
Hagen» and «Das Lennetal bei Limburg». Retrieved from https://westfalen.
museum-digital.de.
355
BOON, P. Constantin - Vue de la porte du rivage, Bruxelles.
1870.
Dessin, plume, pinceau et lavis à l’encre bistre, 10,2 x 15,7 cm (à vue), papier vélin,
signé et daté en bas à dr. (rouss. sur les bords). Sous passe-partout, vitre et cadre
de bois (non désencadré).
100 / 120 €
356
BOSSUET, François Antoine - Jeu de clair-obscur dans un édifice
religieux avec deux moines.
Aquarelle, 13,5 x 19,5 cm, papier vélin, signée au pinceau en bas à g. Sous
passe-partout de velours rouge, cartel en métal, vitre et cadre de bois doré
(non décadré).
200 / 300 €
Bossuet (Ypres 1798-1889 Bruxelles) peignit dans un style romantique
essentiellement des paysages, vues de villes et monuments d’architecture.
357
BOULANGER, Hippolyte - Belgian landscape. [Brussels], C. 1853-
1874.
Drawing, charcoal, 11,4 x 33,1 cm, thick brown paper, ms. signature lower left
(waterstains, some spots, edges sl. frayed). Glued on mod. support, under passepartout.
150 / 200 €
110 • ARENBERG AUCTIONS • 19.10.2019