La Femme d'un Fondeur de cloche (female founder)

DateCa. 1730

Engraver Martin Engelbrecht

MediumHand-colored etching and line engraving

DimensionsOverall: 14 × 8 1/2in. (35.6 × 21.6cm) Other (plate to marks including title): 12 1/4 × 7 1/2in. (31.1 × 19.1cm) Other (plate alone): 10 1/4 × 7 1/4in. (26 × 18.4cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1955-150,3B

DescriptionUpper right corner reads: "12"
Lower margin reads: "La Feme dun Fondeur de Cloche. Eine Clockhengießerin./ 1. Tete, servant au marteau d'une porte cocéchere. 1. ein Kopff an eine Thür. 2 Chandellier d'Eglise. 2. ein / Kirchen leüchter. 3. un réchaut. 3. eine Ghuf pfanne. 4. une balance. 4. eine Wage. 5. les poids. 5. Gewichter. 6. un/ sous plates. 6. ein Schüßelring. 7. une encensoire. 7. ein Rauchfaß./ 8. une coupe. 8. eine Scheele. 9. une cloche. 9. ein/ Clockhe./ 10. un fer à repasser. 10. ein Bogeleisen. 11. une Lampe. 11. eine Lampe./ 12. un chandellier ordinaire / dans la maison. 12. ein gemeiner (?)eüchfer. 13. une Cage. 13. ein Dogelhauß. 14. la partie d'un pied de gros lustre./ 14 ein armzu einem Cronsrücgter. 15. un pot à fleures. 15. ein Blumen Krug. 16. une poële. 16. ein Pfane. 17. un chaudron. 17/ ein Küchen kessel. 18. une assiete. 18 ein Tesser. 19. Chaudiére pour l'eau froide. 19 ein ?üsiskeßel../ Cum Priv. Maj./ M. Engelbr. excud. A.V."
Label TextMartin Engelbrecht’s mid-18th century publication on trades included both a male and female illustration of each trade or profession in creative ways. Though they represent the tools that tradesmen used and the products they produced, they were meant to entertain elite audiences rather than inform about the labor involved in these trades or professions.This print represents an idealized version of a founder, a person who manfactures cast metals such as iron or brass. In this case, "Une Fondeur de cloche" or "Eine Clockhengießerin" this refers to a bell founder, though she's surrounded with other cast objects. She carries the products and tools of her trade on her person as follows: 1. (round neck) Tete, servant au marteau d'une porte cochere (Lion head door knocker). 2. (in left hand) Chandellier d'Eglise (Church candlestick). 3. (on head) un rechaut (chafing -dish ). 4. (in right hand) une balance (a balance scale). 5. (on scale) les poids (weights). 6. (round waist) un sous plats (serving plates.. trivet type). 7. (at waist) une encensoire (incense burner). 8. (at waist) une coupe (chopper). 9. (at waist) une cloche (bell). 10. (at waist) un fer a repasser (an iron for pressing). 11. (at waist) une lampe (lantern). 12. (at waist) un chandellier ordinaire dans la maison (common candlestick for the house). 13. (at waist) un cage (birdcage). 14. (at waist) la partie d'un pied degros lustre (part of footed luster wear). 15. (at waist) un pot a fleures (flower pot). 16. (at waist) une poele (frying pan). 17. (at waist) un chaudron (pot). 18. (at waist) une assiete (a plate). 19. (round waist) Chaudiere pour l'eau froide (pot for cold water plate).

This print is from a series of 189 engravings consisting prints featuring depictions of tradesmen in the format known as composite figures, which are human figures made up of objects. Sometimes various accoutrements or tools are cleverly incorporated into recognizable garments or even replace body parts. Each plate represents different trades by trades men and women dressed with associated tools and products. They do not represent actual tradespeople nor are they meant to suggest that women participated in these trades, though in some cases they may have.They were designed by Johann Jacob Stelzner (1706-1780), C.F. Horstman and M. Rosler. They were etched by Martin Engelbrecht ( 1684–1756). The series was published in a compilation known as, From Martin Engelbrecht, "L' Assemblage nouveau des manouvries habilles or Neu-eröffnete Sammlung der mit ihren eigenen Arbeiten und Werkzeugen eingekleideten Künstlern, Handwerkern und Professionen," (Augsburg, Germany, ca. 1730).