2,149 Discussions and CommentsMember since March 23, 2001
The ultimate art of enamelling can be found at the work delivered by the miniature enamel painters. In many aspects they can be compared to painters who use oil paint and linen cloths as their tools . The technique of enamel paiting is about 400 years old. IWC has produced such watches until 1995. In the catalogue of 1994/95, ref. 5408 is offered for the last time. On a ground layer of transparent enamel, consisting of three applied and seperately fired layers, the artist is "painting" his tableau. Everybody knows that a painter uses a pallet on which amounts of paint of different colors are mixed and brushed on to the linen. In such pallet there is a hole through which the artist puts his thumb, to hold it. The palet of a miniature enamellist is his thumb nail only! Here, extremely small amounts of grinded glass powder blended with oil are mixed until he right color has been achieved. Than with brushes, containg a few hairs, the "paint" is applied on the enamel back ground. But different from linen cloth painters work, each supplied color has to be fired, before the next color can be transfered. Each step may be a failure and than the final result will be a disaster. Ref.5408 is a hunter with 2 enamelled sides. One showing the old city of Schaffhausen on the river Rhine with the castle (clos) Munot, the other with the river Rhine Waterfall. I would say that these images are made by the artist in a kind of "impressionistic" way, not in a photographic manner...
2,149 Discussions and CommentsMember since March 23, 2001
.....But than, please take a look at this watch. It is a ladies IWC pocket watch cal. 63. The miniature enamel painting artist F. Suelin painted in 1894, 2 daughters of Johannes Rausenbach, who's family owned IWC at those time. Obviously this painting shows a nearly photographic image of these, respectively, 11 and 12 year old girls. A true piece of art. This image can be seen in the IWC reference book, published by Tölke and King.... Kind regards, Adrian, (alwaysiwc).
2,996 Discussions and CommentsMember since April 2, 2011Hong Kong,
Hong Kong
exceptional series, and absolutely brilliant pictures. Thanks for sharing Adrian.
Regards, Shing | email iwcforme1976 (at) gmail (dot) com time does not change us. it just unfolds us. max frisch. all that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that. baltasar gracian.
3,741 Discussions and CommentsMember since March 22, 2001
Oh my. This is stunning. Such rich colors and depth. I did not know how it's was done - and the level of skill far beyond my expectations. Thanks for sharing Adrian. I could look at these all day.
2,905 Discussions and CommentsMember since Nov. 14, 2008Taylor, TX,
United States
Thank you for another interesting series, Adrian! Both examples you posted are excellent art. I think the portrait of the Rausenbach daughters is one of the best minitures of this type that I've seen...truly a pleasure to behold!
Best regards, Jim
"We are the other people, we are the other people...you're the other people too!" Frank Zappa
5,025 Discussions and CommentsMember since Aug. 9, 2006
Another outstanding contribution to our Collectors' Forum. There should be a reward for you for publishing this great source material. If the FAQ section emerges in more depth someday, this series should be bookmarked there.
cinq Wrote:Thank you Adrian for this wonderful series about pocket watch case decoration. I learned a lot and it's a pity that this art appears to vanish.
Kind regards,
Clemens
+1!
Regards,
Jeronimo
Omar Khayyám (Persia XI-XII Century) offered that Time should not only be measured in length but also in width due to the intrinsic difference between a minute or other depending on what is happening to the beholder... I wonder how a watch would look like...
The ultimate art of enamelling can be found at the work delivered by the miniature enamel painters. In many aspects they can be compared to painters who use oil paint and linen cloths as their tools .
The technique of enamel paiting is about 400 years old. IWC has produced such watches until 1995. In the catalogue of 1994/95, ref. 5408 is offered for the last time. On a ground layer of transparent enamel, consisting of three applied and seperately fired layers, the artist is "painting" his tableau. Everybody knows that a painter uses a pallet on which amounts of paint of different colors are mixed and brushed on to the linen. In such pallet there is a hole through which the artist puts his thumb, to hold it. The palet of a miniature enamellist is his thumb nail only! Here, extremely small amounts of grinded glass powder blended with oil are mixed until he right color has been achieved. Than with brushes, containg a few hairs, the "paint" is applied on the enamel back ground. But different from linen cloth painters work, each supplied color has to be fired, before the next color can be transfered. Each step may be a failure and than the final result will be a disaster. Ref.5408 is a hunter with 2 enamelled sides. One showing the old city of Schaffhausen on the river Rhine with the castle (clos) Munot, the other with the river Rhine Waterfall. I would say that these images are made by the artist in a kind of "impressionistic" way, not in a photographic manner...
.....But than, please take a look at this watch. It is a ladies IWC pocket watch cal. 63. The miniature enamel painting artist F. Suelin painted in 1894, 2 daughters of Johannes Rausenbach, who's family owned IWC at those time. Obviously this painting shows a nearly photographic image of these, respectively, 11 and 12 year old girls. A true piece of art. This image can be seen in the IWC reference book, published by Tölke and King....
Kind regards,
Adrian,
(alwaysiwc).
Kind regards,
Clemens
Regards, Shing | email iwcforme1976 (at) gmail (dot) com
time does not change us. it just unfolds us. max frisch.
all that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that. baltasar gracian.
Last edited: 8 December, 2012 - 16:07
rgds
kee siew
Interesting series. I have been following along without comment but appreciate the depth of information here.
Regards,
Ardoise
Best regards,
Jim
"We are the other people, we are the other people...you're the other people too!"
Frank Zappa
Bill
+1!
Regards,
Jeronimo
Omar Khayyám (Persia XI-XII Century) offered that Time should not only be measured in length but also in width due to the intrinsic difference between a minute or other depending on what is happening to the beholder... I wonder how a watch would look like...