Die speisekammer - Auer 1819

📜 Description
Original 19th-century lithograph from “Die speisekammer”, created after a drawing by Auer and published in Munich by B. Berner in 1819. The image depicts a still-life scene with game and domestic animals: a hare is suspended by its hind legs above a table, surrounded by hunted birds arranged in the foreground, while a cat approaches cautiously to seize the prey. The composition is set in an interior environment with a neutral background and a lateral opening, creating a theatrical structure that focuses attention on the interaction between the living animal and the still life.
The engraved title “Die speisekammer” (the pantry) directs the interpretation toward a domestic context related to the storage and management of food supplies, a recurring theme in European visual culture between the 18th and 19th centuries. The work holds documentary value in its realistic depiction of animals and material textures, reflecting an interest in naturalistic representation and everyday life scenes.
The lithographic technique allows for detailed rendering of surfaces and textures, with a balanced visual construction between observation from life and compositional design, typical of period prints intended for illustrated publications.

📚 Historical-artistic note
Early 19th-century lithographic production in the German and Austrian regions is characterized by the انتشار of domestic and naturalistic imagery, often linked to didactic or illustrative publications. The publisher B. Berner, active in Munich, contributed to the circulation of such prints, while the draftsman Auer belongs to a context of artists specialized in the accurate rendering of animals and objects. The work reflects a taste for animated still life, where narrative elements introduce movement into an otherwise static composition.

🧾 Technical sheet
Type: original lithograph
Author / Maker: Hamilton
Draftsman / Engraver: Auer
Publisher / Printer: B. Berner
Place: Munich
Period: 1819
Technique: lithography
Subject / Title: Die speisekammer
Dimensions: sheet 47 × 62.5 cm; image 39.5 × 52.5 cm
Marks / signatures / inscriptions: engraved title “Die speisekammer”

🔍 Condition Report
Light foxing visible, consistent with the age of the paper. Overall very good condition, with a well-preserved impression and intact margins.