Lorenz Natter

Johann Lorenz Natter (* March 21, 1705 in Biberach an der Riss, † October 27, 1763 in St. Petersburg ) was a German gem cutters, gem engraver and medalist.

Life

Lorenz Natter was born on March 21, 1705 in a house at the fruit market in Biberach an der Riss, the son of Garnsieders Ulrich snake to the world and only learned the goldsmith's craft, before moving to the doctrine received by the seal cutter Johann Rudolf Ochs to Bern 1724. Contemporaries portrayed him as saying. " Endowed with great talents, he made even under mediocre instructions significant progress, and as he continuously strove for perfection, his reputation was soon established itself as one of the most famous and the most brilliant Edelsteingraveure. "

In order to perfect his knowledge or that he went to Rome and entered into between 1732 and 1735 in the service of art communicate the Tuscan Grand Duke Gian Gastone de ' Medici, who sent him to Florence, where he executed a number of works, including portraits of his Prince and Cardinal Alessandro Albani included, which he described as " ΝΑΤΤΕΡ έποίει ".

In Florence Lorenz Natter met the antiquary Baron Philipp von Stosch, know who instructed him in ancient history and recorded in the newly founded by his Masonic Lodge in Florence. Two years before the Grand Duke of Tuscany and should die with him the family of the Medici in the male line, Lorenz Natter left the farm to continue his studies in Rome of antiquity. In Rome, Pope Clement XII honored. his work with an award.

In 1740 he moved to London to the court of George III. of Great Britain, who was Elector of Hanover at the same time. In England Lorenz Natter met his wife and married her the same year. In 1742, he produced a medal on Sir Robert Walpole, the first Prime Minister of Great Britain and mighty, as well as a cameo in five positions to which he gave the title of " victory Britannia ". Both are among his major works. He learned an award, as the antiquarian society in London received him with all honor among their members. He retaliated by issuing provided with 37 etchings in 1754, a specialized scientific work entitled " Traité de la méthode antique de graver en pierres fines comparée avec la méthode modern expliquée en diverses planches " in English and French, in which he short and simply explained the ancient stones and showed his extensive knowledge of history and mythology. As his excellent reputation as a medalist he was way ahead, he was commissioned by many European royal courts orders.

In 1757 he traveled IV of Orange to the Dutch court of William in The Hague, where he was appointed solemnly to Obermedailleur and where some of his other works were created. Then he stayed a longer time at the court of King Christian VI. of Denmark, who rewarded him handsomely and where he gained further fame.

Further stations of his restless wandering life were the former alongside Paris Medailleurzentrum Stockholm and Dresden. In 1761 he produced the official medal at the coronation of George III. from to Britain and his wife Charlotte. Most recently, he traveled was on the advice of Count Nikita Ivanovich Panin, the High Steward of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna and a well-known expert art collector, 1762 to Saint Petersburg, fell ill on the way and reached with difficulty Petersburg, where he after prolonged suffering on October 27, 1763 far from his home died at age 57.

Importance

From him a few works have been preserved. His work " Traité de la méthode de graver en pierres fines antique avec la méthode comparée modern expliquée en diverses planches " exists in a French and a rare English edition. Natter is a prominent and early proponent of klassisistischen style in the glyptic art of the 18th century. The Gemmenschneiden he dominated like no other. For practice, he cut old gems so real after that you could copy and the original differ from each other only with difficulty. One of these " works " is the " Medusa by Sophikles ". Several of his gems carry the " Υςοχδ ", which he used for water snake snake, which produces the well Daktyliothekar Philipp Daniel Lippert tempted to keep this work erroneously for Greek works. As a rule, he drew Works with " snake ", " N. " or " J.L.N. ".

Works

Treatises

• Lorenz Natter: " Traité de la méthode de graver en pierres fines antique avec la méthode comparée modern expliquée en diverses planches " Haberkorn, 1754

Medals

• Medallion to the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Gian Gastone de ' Medici 1732/1735
• Medallion on the Cardinal Alessandro Albani 1732/1735
• Medallion on Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole, 1742
• Medallion on the coronation of King George III. from Britain in 1761
• Medallion on the coronation of Queen Charlotte of the United Kingdom 1761

Gems

• Five-layer Gemme " victory Britannia " to 1742.
• Carnelian intaglio with the breast image van Swieten
• Medusa by Sophikles