Ceiling fresco in the German Pavilion of the Dresden Zwinger

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The ceiling fresco in the German Pavilion of the Dresden Zwinger was painted by Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini in 1725 . The fresco was destroyed in the fire of 1849 .

description

The theme was the presentation "The four continents", whose art treasures August collected. In the center sat Apollo as the leader of the Muses and Bringer of Light. It was intended as a counterpart to Hercules in the Marble Hall. The depicted Fama proclaims the ruler's glory with a trumpet, as does a raised Saxonia. According to George Knox, the ceiling painting, opposite the windows, pays homage to the merits of August and the Saxon government. In the foreground on the left is an allegory of the cardinal virtues with a column , symbolizing " power , splendor and strength ". Next to it is an allegory with a mirror, which shows " self-knowledge , wisdom and truth ".

At the left end of the ceiling stands “Europe” together with an allegory of the various arts, here that of “painting” standing at an easel. “Painting” is observed through the allegory of “ prudence , modesty and moderation ” (“Nobility” (Gravity) | George Knox ). At the right end of the ceiling is "Asia". Above the window wall is "Africa" ​​on the right and "America" ​​on the left.

On the wall of the German pavilion between the entrance to the Redoutensaal there were arched niches in which Pellegrini set mythological scenes in a grisaille painting. George Knox describes the eight niches on the wall, each with two figures. One of the two figures represented a god or goddess from ancient times.

“The eight bays of the wall are treated in a manner that descends from the standing figures in niches of the golden room of the Mauritshuis, except that in view of the more monumental character of the ensemble, each scene has essentially two figures, one of them apparently a god or goddess of antiquity, although these are not always easy to decipher: the first includes “a river god”; the second “a young man holding a key”, the third “Magnanimity”, the fourth “Mercury”, the fifth “A woman holding twin babies”, the sixth “Venus at the forge of Vulcan”, the seventh “Appollo and a sleeping woman ”, the eighth“ Hercules and Minerva ”.”

- George Knox: Antonio Pellegrini 1675-1741. Oxford University Press Inc., New York 1995, p. 185
  • Ceiling fresco The four continents

  • Ceiling fresco “The Four Continents”, left half

  • Ceiling fresco “The Four Continents”, right half

General view, oil sketch
Round arch niches on the wall of the German Pavilion with mythological scenes (Pellegrini)

Art historical significance

According to George Knox, the ceiling painting was the prototype for the later work of Giovanni Battista Tiepolo :

reception

Various illustrations of this work have survived. For example, a drawing in Dresden that reproduces a design for a wall and the ceiling painting above it. An oil design sketch in Cologne shows part of the ceiling painting. A well-known but lost drawing shows all the details on two parts.

literature

  • Harald Marx (Hrsg.): The decorative monumental paintings in the Dresden Zwinger. In: ders. (Ed.): On the decorative painting of the 18th century in Saxony. (Art history dissertation). Halle / Saale 1971, pp. 121–127.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Fritz Löffler: The Zwinger in Dresden. 2nd edition, Leipzig 1976, p. 56.
  2. ↑ a b George Knox: Antonio Pellegrini 1675-1741. Oxford University Press Inc., New York 1995, p. 185.
  3. ^ Antonio Pellegrini: The Four Continents (drawing). 1725, Dresden, Institute for Monument Preservation.
  4. ^ Antonio Pellegrini: The Four Continents (sketch). 1725, Museums of the City of Cologne, Hagen Collection.
  5. ^ Antonio Pellegrini: The Four Continents (drawing, left half). 1725, Holstein & Pappel sale, Nov. 1927.
    Antonio Pellegrini: The Four Continents (drawing, right half). 1725, Holstein & Pappel sale, Nov. 1927.