CENTRE-PIECE IN SILVER.
possessing neither the warm, solid colour of bronze, nor the transparency of marble. Whether polished orwhite, silver shows cold and false reflected lights, where in other metals there would be unbroken shadows.The oxidising process gives to the hollows their proper amount of shade; and in order to heighten this effectthe whole of the work is covered with slight indentations, made with a smooth chasing-tool. By this meansan effort has been made to represent in the figures the texture of the flesh, and in the vegetable productions theirfreshness and moisture. This is different from the usual mode of treatment, in which figures and ornamentare covered with an unmeaning and monotonous granulation. This kind of texture is certainly not true tonature, as but few animals, and only the underside of the leaves of some plants, present this rough appearance,hut, on the contrary, show pores and impressed lines.” Mr. Wagner offers the above explanation of thispeculiar mode of treatment, as he conceived his intention to have been somewhat misapprehended, not onlyby the general public, but by many members of his own profession.
Our young artist, who, as we have stated, comes of a line of celebrated goldsmiths, although supportingan independent establishment, has in this work laboured for his father, Mr. J. Wagner, the present conductorof the manufactory. The latter gentleman succeeded his father in the atelier from which many of the mostimportant works which have for many years been executed in Germany have proceeded. Amongst thesemay be mentioned the reproduction of the celebrated Lanti vase, now in the possession of the King of Prussia ,and the wedding outfit of the Queen of Bavaria , both in silver. Much charming jewellery has also beenexecuted for the Countess Redern in Berlin, and the Princess Witgenstein of St. Petersburg .
The name of Wagner is celebrated in France , through the exertions of M. Carl Wagner (brother toM. John, and, consequently, uncle to M. Albert Wagner); but as we shall have occasion to allude to hiscareer in noticing the productions of his successors in the firm he established at Paris , we shall at presentconfine our remarks to an intimation of the fact of his relationship to the great Berlin family of artworkmen.
Prussia is to be regarded as especially fortunate in preserving to modern times the traditions of thoseold masters whose fame and whose works spread from Germany over the whole continent of Europe ; and aswe shall hope on a future occasion to refer to them, we shall notice only a few of those fellow-labourers inthe same line with the Wagners, who now maintain the reputation of Prussian workmanship in the preciousmetals. Among them must be especially mentioned Hossauer of Berlin , by whom the shield, designed byCornelius, modelled by Fischer, and now in the possession of the Prince of Wales, was put together. He wasat first only brought up as a tin-worker, but, turning his attention to the fabrication of objects in the preciousmetals, he succeeded in engrafting on that business many of the processes made use of in his original avocation,and thus he has taught the goldsmiths the art of stamping in thin sheets, with steel dies, galvanizing,gadrooning, and the use of engraved rollers. During Schinkel ’s lifetime he was assisted with drawings bythat great artist, by means of which he was enabled to produce some first-rate works; more recently, hisgreat commercial ability has been developed in connexion with the manufacture of plated goods.
George Vitto of Berlin , a favourite pupil of M. C. Wagner, is celebrated for his repousse work, and forhis preservation of much of his great master’s dexterity.
The manufactories of jewellery at Hanau, Stuttgart , and Pforrheim, continually bring into the market muchgood work, the forms of their objects and the perfection of their enamels being particularly carefully attendedto. The productions of Weisshaupt, Horst, Daines, Bakes, and others, are -considered to evidence both muchskill, and not a little good taste.