Religious Text

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Accession Number

PAG2001.032

Creation Date

1820

Description

Vertically-oriented piece divided into heavenly and earthly paradise, with angels and crown in top half, Adam and Eve with numerous animals at bottom, floral border at top and sides.

Dimensions in Inches

15 3/4 x 12 3/4

Dimensions in Centimeters

40 x 32

Materials

Watercolor and ink on wove paper

Technique

Drawn, Hand colored, Hand lettered

Associated Places

Bucks County, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

Category

Religious text

Motifs

deer, peacocks, angels, hearts, animals, snakes, trees, Adam, Eve, religious

Associated Names

Hattie K Brunner, Robert M Kline

Rights

Please contact the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art at Ursinus College for permissions which fall outside of educational fair use.

Source

Ursinus College Library Special Collections and the Philip and Muriel Berman Museum of Art

Provenance

Pennsylvania Folklife Society

Script/Text

Fraktur lettering, German script

Language

German

Transcription

[Across Top] [ ] Lob Ehr und Herrlichkeit. Sey Gott Vatter Und Sohn Bereit dem/[ ] [ ] Namen. Die göttlich Krafft macht uns Sieghafft durch Jesum Christum Amen

[Upper middle] Bestrebe dich mit gantzem fleiß/ zu Kommen In daß Paradeiß./ Die Engel Gottes Werden Mit [Fleiß] auf dein Seel warten Im schönen/ Garten Im Paradeiß. Sie werden dich ins himmels Th[r]on gar führen/ Gott wird sie zieren Mit Einer Cron/ Da wirst du Sehen alle/ freud ihr göttliche/ Gestalt. auch/ Ihr Gewalt In/[Ewigkeit.]

[Left and right of crown] Sei getreu bis in den Todt./ Wer Recht [kämpfet] wird gecrönet ob ihn gleich die Welt ver/honet iss getrost dein [Thränen] bro[d] [sei] getreu biß in den Tod.

[Under Wings] Kein ohr hat ie gehöret kein menschen aug Geseh[e]n. Die freud so denen bescheret Die Gott hat aus ersehen./

[Arch] [ ] Gott der Herr Liest auf wachsen aus der erden allerley bäume Lustig anzusehen und gut zu [essen] und den baum des Lebens Miten im Garten und den baum des Erkäntniß gutes und bösses genesig 2 v 4 [ ]

[Top left side] [Mit Gott wi]r werden halten. Daß Ewig Abendmahl. Die speiß wird nich[t]/ [veralten auf ] Go[tt]es Tisch und saal. Wir werden früchte essen vom baum/ Des Lebens gut Vom brunn des Lebens flüsse. Trincken zu [gleich mit Go]tt./ durch [ ] / [All unser lust] und [willen] was unser hertz begegrt Was wir [nur] wünschen w[ollen]./ [Soll alles seyn gewährt. Deß] werden wir u[ns freuen] Gott [loben ewiglich, Von wahrer lieb und treuen, Jeder wird freuen sich.]

[Top right side] Wir werden stets mit schalle, Vor Gottes stuhl und Thron, In freuden singen alle/Ein neues Lied gar schon. Lob Ehr Preiß krafft und stärcke. Gott Vater und dem/ Sohn Des heiligen geistes wercke. sey lob und Danck gethan. Er wi[r]d uns fröhlich Leiten./ Ins Ewig Paradeiß die hochzeit zu ber[e]iten, Zu seinem lob und preiß, da wird seyn/ Freud und wonne rechter lieb und Treu aus gottes schatz und brunne, und Täglich werden Neu.

[Around the tree] Und Gott der Herr gebott dem/menschen und sprach du solt essen von allerleÿ/ bäume im garten, aber von dem baum/ des Erkäntnisses gutes und böses/ solt du nicht Essen dann welches Tages du davon/ essest wirst du des Todtes sterben.

[Right and left of tree] Und die schlange war Listiger den alle Thiere auf dem felde die gott der Herr/ gemacht hatte und sprach zu dem Weibe. Ja solte Gott gesagt haben Ihr solt/ Nicht essen von allerley bäume im Garten da sprach das weib zu der schlange wir/ Essen von den früchten der bäume im Garten- Aber von den Früchten des baums mitten im Gar/ten hat Gott gesagt esset nicht davon Ruhrets auch nicht an das ihr nicht sterbet. da sprach die/ schlang Zum Weibe Ihr werdet mit nichten des Todtes sterben sondern gott weiß daß welches Tages ihr da/von esset werden eure augen aufgethan und werdet seyn vie gott und wissen was gut und bosse/ ist und das weib schauete den baum an wie er lustig war und gut davon zu essen und/brauch ab u. aß und gab ihrem mann auch davon.

[Bottom] [Und] Gott der herr Rieff dem Adam Und sprach wo bist du Und er sprach zu ihm ich höre deine Stimme, aber ich fürchte mich dann ich bin Nacket wer hat dies gesagt [Hast] du/ [ ] nicht gessen von dem baum davon ich dir gebott du soltest nicht davon Essen, da sprach Adam, daß weib daß du mir Zu gesellet hast gab mir und ich aß. da sprach gott der herr zum weibe/ [warum] hast du das gethan. das weib sprach die schlang betrog mich. Da sprach gott der herr zu der schlangen, weil du solches gethan hast seyst du verflucht vor allen Thieren auf den felde auf/ [deinem B]auch sollst du gehen un[d Erde] essen dein Lebenlang: Und zum weibe sprach er Ich will dir viel schmertzen schaffen, wann du schwanger wirst mit schmertzen solt du Kinder gebähren, und dein wille soll deinem/ [Mann] unter [worfen] seyn und er soll dein herr seyn. und zu Adam sprach er die weil du der stimme deines weibes gehorchet hast verflucht seÿ der acker um deinet willen, mit kummer solt du dich drauf nehren dein/ Lebenlang dorn und Distlen soll er dir Tragen und solt das kraut auf dem felde essen. Im schweiß deiner angesicht solt du dein brod essen

Translation

[Across Top] [ ]Praise Honor and Glory be to God Father and Son ready the [ ][ ] name. The divine strength makes victory certain to us through Jesus Christ Amen.

[Upper middle] Strive with all your diligence to enter into Paradise. The angels of God will with [diligence] wait upon your soul in the beautiful garden of paradise. They will lead you even to heaven’s throne. God will adorn it [your soul] with a crown. There will you see all joy their divine form. Also their power in [Eternity.]

[Left and right of crown] Be faithful unto death. Who rightly strives will be crowned, though the World may mock him. Eat comforted your bread [of tears.] Be faithful unto death.

[Under Wings] No ear has ever heard, no human eye has seen the joy bestowed on those whom God has chosen.

[Arch] [ ] God the Lord let grow out of the earth all kinds of trees pleasant to see and good to [eat] and the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2 v 4

[Top left side] With God we will hold the eternal supper. The food will not age on God’s table and hall. We will eat good fruits from the tree of life, and from the flowing fountain of Life drink along with God. Through all our desires and pleasures which our heart desires, what we will merely wish shall all be provided. For this we will rejoice, praising God evermore, In faithful love and truth, everyone will rejoice.

[Top right side] We will with shouts never ceasing, before God’s seat and throne, all sing with joy a beautiful new song. Praise, honor, glory, strength and power be to God, Father and the Son. To the work of the Holy Spirit, praise and thanks be given. He will joyfully lead us into eternal paradise, the wedding to prepare, to his honor and glory. There will be joy and bliss, love righteous and true, from God’s own treasure and fountain, and daily becoming new.

[Around the tree] And the Lord God commanded the humans and said you may eat of all types of trees in the garden, but from the tree of knowledge of good and evil shall you not eat for on which day you eat thereof you will die.

[To right and left of tree] And the snake was more cunning than all the animals of the field that God the Lord had made and spoke to the woman: Did God indeed say to you that you should not eat of all types of trees in the garden[?]. Then the woman said to the snake we eat of all the fruit of the trees in the garden but of the fruits of the tree in the middle of the garden God has said eat not of it. Touch it not also so that you do not die. Then said the snake to the woman you will not in the least die but rather God knows that on the day that you eat thereof your eyes will be opened and [you] will become like God and know what good and evil is. And the woman looked at the tree and saw it was pleasing and good to eat and broke off and ate and gave to her husband also of it.

[Bottom] God the Lord called to Adam and said where are you and he said to him I hear your voice but I am afraid because I am naked. Who has said this [to you] [?] Did you not eat of the tree I commanded you should not eat from[?] Then said Adam, the woman that you gave to me gave [it] to me and I ate. Then said God the Lord to the woman have you done this[?]. The woman said the snake deceived me. Then said God the Lord to the snake, because you have done such a thing, you are condemned above all animals of the field. On your belly you shall go and eat dust the rest of your life. And to the woman said he I shall make many pains for you. When you become pregnant with pains shall you bear children, and your will shall be subject to your husband. He shall be your master. And to Adam he said because you have listened to the voice of your wife, Cursed be the field because of you, with sorrow shall you feed yourself from it for the rest of your life. Thorns and thistles shall it produce for you and you shall eat the herbs of the fields. In the sweat of your brow shall you eat your bread.

Comment

Based on style and design, this piece is probably a Mennonite work from Bucks or Montgomery counties. The work reflects the influence of Mennonite fraktur master Andreas Kolb in the appealing use of alternating red and black lettering and execution of the faces of Adam and Eve in profile. The artist copied a portion of the text from various sources. In the upper section above the crown, he left out the word “Fleiß,” which was needed to rhyme with “Paradeiß.” A large fraktur drawing of Adam and Eve that appears to be by an artist familiar with this one, in the collection of the American Folk Art Museum, includes the same error.

Condition

Good

Published

Minardi, Lisa. Roots: Ursinus College and the Pennsylvania Germans (Trappe, Pa.: Historic Trappe, 2019). p. 63, fig. 3.37.

File Format

.jpeg

Type

image