Johann Paul EGELL (Berlin, 1691–1752)

Provenance:
• France, private collection

Bibliography:
• Stefanie Michaela Leibetseder, *Johann Paul Egell (1691–1753). Der kurpfälzische Hofbildhauer und die Hofkunst seiner Zeit. Skulptur, Ornament, Relief*, Petersberg, 2013.

Celebrated during his lifetime yet unjustly forgotten by history, Johann Paul Egell was one of the artists whose work played a decisive role in the transition between the Baroque and Rococo styles in early 18th-century Germany. The early years of his life, as well as his training as a sculptor, remain shrouded in mystery. Born in Waibstadt, in the Palatinate, his exact date of birth is only known to us thanks to the year 1691 inscribed on an engraved portrait of him. His first documented work was a commission completed in 1715: a 90 cm-high crucifix delivered to the Saint Michael Monastery in Bamberg. Egell was then 24 years old.

In 1720, the artist settled in Mannheim, where he remained until his death in 1752. Established as a master in his field and recognised by his peers, he was invited to join the court of Elector Palatine Karl III Philipp (1661–1742) and was appointed official court sculptor in 1729.
Following the War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714), the city of Mannheim was left in ruins. A great patron of the arts, the Elector launched an ambitious reconstruction programme, enlisting some of the finest artists of his time. Egell contributed to this grand project by designing decorative elements—now lost—for the prince’s private residence, built to rival Versailles. The sculptor created no fewer than 300 balustrade figures, as well as ornamental stuccoes for the Hall of Knights and the main staircase. Within a few years, Mannheim became one of the most modern and prosperous cities in Europe.

Considered one of the finest artists of his time, Egell rarely signed his graphic or sculptural works. Few confirmed examples of his hand have survived. Yet, he received numerous illustration commissions, a lesser-known aspect of his oeuvre. Seventeen drawings have been identified as preparatory studies for copperplate engravings in *Scriptores Historiae Romanae Latini Veteres*, a three-volume work published in Heidelberg from 1743.
In early 18th-century Italy, the connection to realism was diminishing, as Mannerism and Baroque influences merged. The taste for heightened expression, conveying an intense sense of grace, was highly prized. Our drawing exemplifies this confluence of artistic influences.
On a sheet of warm-toned paper, the artist outlines a full-length figure dressed in classical attire, holding a sword and wearing a crown. This appears to represent a Roman emperor, similar to three other sheets of the same dimensions—marked with a black chalk grid—now housed at the Albertina Museum in Vienna (illus. 1, 2, and 3). Our drawing and those in the Austrian collection share remarkable similarities, as if part of a series. For sculptors, drawing was an essential step in outlining forms and studying how light interacts with drapery. Here, Egell first traced the contours in pen before reinforcing them with ink, while the volumes were rendered using grey wash. Sculptural in its conception, this drawing was likely a preparatory study for a sculpture, bas-relief, statue, or stucco decoration. Unfortunately, none of these sheets have been directly linked to a finished work.

The Albertina figures each bear an ink inscription beneath the depicted character, identifying the emperor: Vitellius, Augustus, and Titus. In our drawing, the black chalk annotation was not reinforced in ink and is therefore partially faded. The first letter appears to be a "V", suggesting that the figure may represent Valerian I or Volusian, identifiable by his beard (illus. 4).

Spanning drawings, sculptures in stone, stucco, wood, metal, and ivory, Johann Paul Egell’s body of work is remarkably diverse. It ranges from architectural sculptures to small-scale statuettes and reliefs. Our drawing is a rare example of this sculptor’s graphic production—a testament to his pursuit of grandeur and his admiration for Antiquity as a means of elevating artistic expression in 18th-century Germany.

M.O.