Zeichnungen und Aquarelle von J. A. Koch und J. M. Wittmer

Cornelia Reiter Ideal and Nature: Drawings and Watercolors by Joseph Anton Koch and Johann Michael Wittmer. General Catalogue of the "Kupferstichkabinett" of the Academy of Fine Arts The third volume of the general catalogue of the"Kupferstichkabinett" of the Academy of Fine Arts nineteenth-century drawings presents the collection of over 800 drawings and watercolors by Joseph Anton Koch (1768-1839) and his son-in-law, Johann Michael Wittmer (1801-1880). The size of this outstanding group makes it necessary to divide it into several distinct categories, which have been formed by looking at the purpose of the different sheets, that is, their function within Koch`s overarching work process. Here, the spectrum reaches from first, impulsive sketches, which offer important insights into the evolution of Koch`s compositions, and highly detailed preparatory drawings for oil paintings to the large-size landscapes in watercolor or gouache, which were conceived as independent "final" artworks and handled as collector items. Within this rich material, Koch`s sketchbooks occupy an outstanding place assembling a host of motifs, including numerous botanical, zoological and geological studies. Mostly sketched after nature, these motifs formed the inexhaustible source material for Koch`s large-scale compositions. The sketchbooks are not only an invaluable source for Koch`s own artistic production; they are also crucial to trace the artist`s role as mediator and teacher of the first generation of "Romantic" draftsmen in Rome, a role that has been underestimated until now. Yet there can be no doubt about the catalytic function of Koch`s sketchbooks. On the one hand, numerous motifs from these books have now been identified in the oeuvre of other artists. On the other hand, several drawings in these compilations, which had been traditionally attributed to the book`s owner, Koch, have now been reassigned to some of his closest pupils and friends such as Franz Theobald Horny and Carl Philipp Fohr. The catalogue thus provides a fundamental and thoroughgoing revision of our understanding of Koch`s art and his artistic leadership. Last but not least, the catalogue engenders a systematic analysis of the illustrative cycles created after Dante`s Divina Commedia by Koch and Wittmer. This examination sheds light on the complex relationship between the two artists, a relationship that has not been sufficiently analyzed until now. Above all, it proves that Wittmer not only reworked and reproduced the compositions of his father-in-law, but also created his own series, such as a fine cycle of bible illustrations. The catalogue thus brings to the fore Wittmer`s standing as an original talent and imaginative inventor.