Tiberius Wocher

TIBERIUS WOCHER (Switzerland, 1728-1799).
"The couple".
Pair of oils on cardboard.
One signed and dated 1795 at lower right.
The frame of the lady has damage in the lower right corner.
Measurements: 38 x 28 cm; 50 x 40 cm (frame).

Pair of portraits, probably of spouses, made by the painter Tiberius Wocher. In both works a clear influence of Rembrandt's portrait painting is perceived, as much in the sobriety of the ochre tones as in the truthful and naturalistic capture of the aged features. The woman wears a bonnet; the man, white hair. Both have receding lips, a sign of toothlessness, with the mouth slightly ajar. The eyes, framed by deep wrinkles, reveal a glazed and melancholic look.

Born in the Swabian village of Mimmenhausen, the painter and engraver Tiberius Wocher was one of those gifted little masters who specialized in portraiture and genre painting during the second half of the 18th century, showing a predilection for picturesque and exotic subjects. In 1767 the artist is mentioned as court painter to the prince-bishop of Constance, Cardinal Franz Konradt von Rodt, and subsequently resides and works in Bern until about 1780.

His delicate printed work comprises only seven etchings and is of great rarity. Nagler notes, "The works of this master are heavily engraved and fine prints are rare. The figures appear in Asian costumes and turbans, roughly in the style of Rembrandt."