Zweytes Konigliches Lust Haufs

Zweytes Konigliches Lust Haufs is a splendid engraving realized in the early XVIII century by the German engraver Georg Schmidt  (1712-1775) after an original artwork by the architect Paul Decker . The state of preservation is good. On the left margin of the paper, there are three tears of which a deeper one in the center. Other damages were restored. On the higher right, there is a small hole and brown edge owing to a burn.

On the lower center, there is the title and the inscription “ P. Decker inv. et fec . / Cum Priv. S. C. Maj ”. On the lower right, “ Inch. Georg Schmidt Sculps. 31 / Ieremias Wolff excud. Aug. Vind ”.

The architect Paul Decker , author of the original artwork, was also an important painter, whose artworks embellished many important palaces in Berlin. He wrote an interesting treatise on architecture, published in 1711, and the book Architectura theoricopractica , published in 1720. The engraver Georg Friedrich Schmidt was one of the main representatives of German burin engraving of the XVIII century. He was well-known for making portraits and for illustrating literary works by Federico II of Prussia. With the editor Ieremias Wolff, he published a series of engravings on copper that show Prince Eugenio di Savoia ’s deeds of war in Italy, in southern Germany and in the Spanish Netherlands during the Spanish Secession War.

The artwork, besides showing a masterful engraving, is interesting as historical testimony of traditions and as example of 17 ^th -century architectural projects.