Allegories of Love
Johann Georg Platzer
(St. Paul in Eppan 1704 - 1761 St. Michael in Eppan)
A young couple and a huntsman / An old man, his wife and her lover
Vienna, ca. 1730/40
signed ‘J.G. Platzer’
oil/copper
27,2 x 21 cm (103⁄4 x 81⁄4 inch)
Prov.: Christie’s London; Bernheimer Munich; Private collection, Germany
The artist's unique style can be traced to his study of contemporary French Rococo paintings and the Rudolfinian court painters of the 17th century as Hans van Aachen and Bartholomäus Spranger, who shared Platzer's preference for the use of copper plates. This technique, using copper, is the reason for his painting's exceptionally good state of preservation.
Platzer's lively palette and specific technique are beautifully shown throughout the composition, notably in details such as the masterfully captured characters of the figures in there sumptuous and richly elaborated textiles as dresses and carpets.
This pair of paintings demonstrate Platzer’s delight in using hidden symbolism to charge his paintings with meaning. The counterparts both depict the two aspects of love: lust and greed.
Platzer's lively palette and specific technique are beautifully shown throughout the composition, notably in details such as the masterfully captured characters of the figures in there sumptuous and richly elaborated textiles as dresses and carpets.
This pair of paintings demonstrate Platzer’s delight in using hidden symbolism to charge his paintings with meaning. The counterparts both depict the two aspects of love: lust and greed.