Johann Siebmacher

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Johann Ambrosius Siebmacher , also: Hans Sibmacher und Syber (* around 1561 in Nuremberg ; † March 23, 1611 ibid), was a German coat of arms painter, engraver , etcher and publisher .

Coats of arms of some dukes from Siebmacher's coat of arms book from 1605

In 1601, Siebmacher called himself “Etcher and Citizen of Nuremberg” in a petition to Emperor Rudolf II . He was the author and founder of a book of coats of arms that was later published many times over, an important source of heraldry in the German-speaking area.

Only the Wappenbüchlein from 1596 (19 heraldic panels with copper engravings by Friedrich Dürer ) and the Newe Wappenbuch ... , which were published in two volumes in 1605 (264 panels) and 1609 (164 panels), came from Siebmacher himself . Further parts and supplementary volumes were published up to 1806 - in some cases under different names (see e.g. Weigel's book of arms ). A total of around 19,000 coats of arms were displayed as part of the project.

Based on the work, a comprehensive collection of coats of arms appeared in 1854 under the title Neuer Siebmacher . Reprints appeared and a. 1905.

origin

His parents were the Strasbourg pot maker Hans Siebmacher († 1572) and his wife Katharina Rinder (1534–1577), the daughter of a red dyer. His father had moved to Nuremberg, where he had been a master pewter and citizen since 1534. Hans Siebmacher had four brothers, of whom Georg (1563–1602) and Peter (1570–1602) were also tin foundries in Nuremberg.

Life

He was about 11 years old when the father died. He came under the tutelage of the pot founder Nicolaus Horchaimer († 1583). Presumably he also learned his trade there. The brothers Georg and Peter were evidently trained elsewhere, because they are not mentioned in the records of the Nuremberg Kannengießer apprenticeship boys. It is not known when or where he was trained as an eraser . The first work is dated to 1590.

He earned his first fame through a collection of ornamental engravings, which contained templates for the Nuremberg goldsmiths. In 1597 he published a beautiful new model book of all sorts of funny models . It was the very first model book with templates in copper engraving. His second book was made in 1601 Newes Modelbuch in Kupffer . It experienced several new editions in the following years. The work was so extensive that he must have worked with several other engravers. He also illustrated maps, books and published cityscapes (for example of Nuremberg). He is best known today for his book of arms, the first forerunner of which was published in 1596. The book was later revised and greatly expanded several times.

Shortly after his death, his wife sold the printing plates. After the death of her second husband in 1653, she sold a remnant and the copper plates for the book of arms to Paulus Fürst . Through marriage, the Nuremberg book and art dealer had taken over the assortment and publishing house of Balthasar Caymox, who had previously printed works by Siebmacher.

family

He married Anna Sophie NN († 1653) around 1591. The couple had ten children including:

  • Hans Melchior (* 1591, † after 1625), goldsmith
  • Johann (1607–1629), tin caster
  • Anna Sophia (1596–1640) ∞ NN warrior
  • Barbara (* 1600) ∞ NN hero
  • Gertraud (1612-1634)

The widow later married the merchant Leonhard Steurer from St. Oswald in Upper Austria.

literature

Web links

Commons : Siebmachers Wappenbuch  - collection of images

Remarks

  1. See also the references in the related article by Georg Kaspar Nagler : Neues Allgemeine Künstler-Lexicon, Vol. 16 . Fleischmann Verlag, Munich 1846.
  2. See also Siebmacher's large and general book of arms. Nuremberg 1856, digitized here ( Archive.org )
  3. Digitized here
  4. Digitized online
  5. Digitized online