Portret van Balthasar Speth

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

**Portret van Balthasar Speth is a delicate etching by Ludwig Emil Grimm, created 1817. Measuring just 199 mm high by 160 mm wide, this portrait captures the likeness of Balthasar Sp, likely a contemporary figure from Grimm's social circle. Ludwig Emil, the youngest brother of the famed fairy-tale collectors Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, a skilled engraver and portraitist whose works often reflected the Romantic era's emphasis on personal expression and everyday nobility. Etching, Grimm's chosen medium here, involves coating a metal plate with acid-resistant ground, scratching lines through it, and immersing it in acid to etch the grooves. This technique allowed for intricate, expressive lines and subtle tonal effects, making it ideal for reproducing detailed portraits affordably. Produced during a time when printmaking bridged fine art and wider dissemination—amid Europe's post-Napoleonic cultural revival—Grimm's etching exemplifies early 19th-century German Romanticism's focus on character and emotion. On the verso, a collector's mark stamped with Lugt 2228 attests to its esteemed provenance, linking it to a distinguished European collection. This small yet masterful work invites visitors to appreciate how Grimm immortalized ordinary lives with extraordinary precision, bridging the worlds of literature, portraiture, and print artistry.

About the Artist

Ludwig Emil Grimm · 1790–1863

Comment on works: engraver