Fraktur (folk art)

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Fraktur
Geographical indication
Frakturcertificate.jpg
An ornate Taufschein, or baptismal certificate
DescriptionHighly artistic and elaborate illuminated folk art
TypeFolk art
AreaPennsylviania
CountryUnited States

Fraktur is a highly artistic and elaborate illuminated folk art created by the Pennsylvania Dutch, named after the Fraktur script associated with it. Place of creation also includes Alsace, Switzerland, and Rhineland which are also contributed to the folk art. [1] Most Fraktur were created between 1740 and 1860. [2]

Contents

Fraktur drawings were executed in ink and/or watercolors and are found in a wide variety of forms: the Vorschriften (writing samples), the Taufzettle (baptismal certificate), and the Taufpatenbreif (Baptism letter from Godparents), book plates, and floral and figurative scenes. [3] The earlier Fraktur were executed entirely by hand, while printed text became increasingly common in later examples. Common artistic motifs in Fraktur include birds (distelfinks), hearts, and tulips, as well as blackletter (Fraktur) and italic calligraphy.

This 1789 Pennsylvania German chest of drawers show many of the traditional forms that are used in fraktur John Bieber chest 1789 Barnes Foundation 2.jpg
This 1789 Pennsylvania German chest of drawers show many of the traditional forms that are used in fraktur

Many major American museums, including the American Folk Art Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Winterthur Museum have Fraktur in their collections. Important Fraktur have been sold by major American auction houses and antique dealers for prices in excess of $100,000. The definitive text on Fraktur is widely considered to be The Fraktur-Writings or Illuminated Manuscripts of the Pennsylvania Germans, written by Dr. Donald A. Shelley and published by the Pennsylvania German Society in 1961. In late 2004, the majority of Dr. Shelley's Fraktur collection was sold at public auction at Pook & Pook, Inc. in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, for $913,448.

Notable artists

Fraktur birth and baptismal certificate (Geburts und Taufschein) of Johanes Bender by Johann Heinrich Otto Fraktur birth and baptismal certificate (Geburts und Taufschein) of Johanes Bender.jpg
Fraktur birth and baptismal certificate (Geburts und Taufschein) of Johanes Bender by Johann Heinrich Otto

Notable fraktur artists within the Pennsylvania German community include:

A religious poem produced in Bucks County, PA in 1785 Fraktur1785.jpg
A religious poem produced in Bucks County, PA in 1785

Other artists of note include Jacob Strickler, from the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, and Anna Weber, an Ontario resident and one of a few fraktur artists active in Canada. Anonymous artists whose work is recognized include the Cross-Legged Angel Artist, the Ehre Vater Artist, and the Sussel-Washington Artist. Stylistically related work was produced by Ludwig Denig.

See also

Further reading

Related Research Articles

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John Van Minian was an American fraktur artist.

References

  1. ↑ "Fraktur Folk Art (ca. 1750–1820)". The Public Domain Review. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  2. ↑ "Pennsylvania Fraktur; essay by R. David Brocklebank and Barbara L. Jones". www.tfaoi.org. Retrieved 2024-11-04.
  3. ↑ Charles, Wilson Reagan (2013). Fraktur. The University of North Carolina Press. pp. 86–89.
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