Prints: Baxter CL 23 AND 24 - the full titles are ‘Bohemian Peasants near Toplitz Celebrating the Festival of their patron, St. John of Nepomuc’ AND ‘Hungarian Peasants Descending the Drave in Carinthia on a raft of Barrels’. Both were printed exclusively for the book by Edmund Spencer ‘Sketches of Germany and the Germans, with a glance at Poland, Hungary, and Switzerland in 1834-5-6. By an Englishman resident in Germany. Each print being the frontispiece to Vol I and II of the book.
Engraved under each print is the title and "Printed in Oil Colours by G. Baxter (Patentee), from a painting by J. C. Zeitter."
Examples of both prints were included, with others, when he submitted the specification for his patent in April, 1836.
Courtney Lewis says of Bohemian Peasants in his 1924 book ‘The Picture Printer: “Peasants are shown dancing in front of a large statue of the Saint. "The Saint of Bohemia was condemned to death because he pertinaciously kept silence, respecting a matter of which the devout, and the unbeliever, give very different versions. The former relate, that for refusing to divulge the secrets of the Queen of King Wenceslaus, disclosed to him in confession, the enraged husband caused him to be hurled into the Moldau. The story recounted by the scoffer I shall decline transcribing, as I am determined not to admit any scandal into my pages, even though it relates to a mouldering Saint, and the frailty of a Bohemian Queen . . . . In every street we see displayed in the windows of the faithful a portrait or image of the Saint, surrounded with garlands of flowers, and not infrequently with precious stones, brilliantly illuminated. The vignette on the title-page will give some idea of the manner in which the fete is celebrated throughout Bohemia; the sketch was taken near Toplitz, and includes the statue of the Saint and the Schlossberg."
Courtney Lewis then says of Hungarian Peasants: "Here I was much amused, by seeing the rapid surge bearing along a fleet of barrels, made into a sort of raft, having a pole in the centre, to which was attached a small cask decorated with wreaths of evergreens and flowers; upon the barrels were seated a troop of peasants, in their gaudy costume, with ribbons streaming from their hats, forming altogether a most bacchanalian and picturesque group. I found, on enquiry, that they were Hungarian peasants, who having disposed of their wines in the mountain districts of Carinthia, had converted their empty barrels into boats, and were now returning home. During this part of my route, I was fortunate in being accompanied by an English artist, Mr. Zeitter, of London, who had travelled with me from Laybach, and to whose able pencil I am indebted for the very spirited vignette on the title-page."
Date: 1836
Approx. size (cm ht x w): 21.2 x 13 (each full page)
State: On full pages with lettering as taken from the books
Condition: Minor toning to page edges, slight spotting to sky on Hungarian Peasants (please see images) but colours all excellent. May split but would greatly prefer to keep these are the pair.