Lot 36 Dα

This reverse glass painting was inspired by the sheet "S. Maria Magdalena Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas" by the Frisian engraver Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert (Schelte à Bolswert 1586 – 1659) after Peter Paul Rubens. Schelte began working for Rubens in 1633, taking over from his deceased brother. He worked closely with the painter and continued publishing engravings after Rubens' works following the artist's death in 1640.
Anna Barbara Abesch (1706 - 1773), was the daughter of Johann Peter Abesch (1666 - 1731). She was a highly accomplished artist and the first professional female reverse glass painter in Switzerland. Over 160 of her works have survived, the majority of which are signed. She always used black paper as a background in her works. Many of her colour gradients were designed specifically to be effective against a black ground. She achieved precise outlines in her works by scratching them in with a needle.
Comparison to the engraving after Rubens reveals Anna Abesch's working method. She amended the motif to create a unique, independent composition. This reverse glass painting may have been a commission. The medallion with the portrait of a young girl indicates a bereavement and the immediate reaction of the figure portrayed.