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Gerburts und Taufschein (Birth and Baptismal Certificate)

Gerburts und Taufschein (Birth and Baptismal Certificate)

Attributed to: Earl Township Artist No. 1 (American [Berks County, PA], active c. 1810 - 1840)

Made for: Sÿrus Dewitsheiser (American [Berks County, PA], born 1826)

Date: c.1827
Medium: laid paper, iron gall ink, watercolor
Dimensions:
Framed: 13 1/8 x 16 5/8 x 3/4 in. (33.3 x 42.2 x 1.9 cm)
Sheet: 9 3/4 x 13 1/16 in. (24.8 x 33.2 cm)
Credit Line:Museum Purchase
Object number: 1939.115.1
The Earl Township Artist #1 is known by only a few remaining examples of hand-drawn fraktur, some of which remain blank, intended as stock on hand for future use.  The artist has been given the designation of the township located near Reading, Pennsylvania noted on each of the examples in this surviving group.  It is likely that he was a schoolmaster in the area but thus far, he has not been specifically identified.  His fraktur are characterized by downturned drooping dotted tulips, cross-hatching and elongated leaves.  Although he is one of the few artists to use a pale pink hue, his colors are generally more intense.  His formats were both horizontal and vertical with rectangular or circular reserves for text. 
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