Valentine with temple, putto, and German poetry
Johannes Endletzberger Austrian
Not on view
This elegant greeting card is a sentimental collage. A 5 mm. embossed golden paper frame borders a base layer of beige chiffon. The central embellishment is a gold embossed temple, possibly a tomb, with the word “EINNERUNG” (remembrance) carved upon the lintel. There are carved columns of mother-of-pearl (nacre) with the shell absent from one column. Inside the open structure is a golden statue of Cupid with his bow. There are weeping branches above the tomb, and a space on the top where there was once moss, set in a flowery glade. There is a silver (paper) lake, pine trees and blue painted mountains in the distance. An engraved poem in German is at the bottom.
This is a signed piece by Johannes Endletzberger, 1782-1850, who was the best-known maker of these Biedermeier-era cards; affixing precious components in a collage was his famous design.
