JONAS ZEUNER (KASSEL 1727-1814)

Jonas Zeuner (1727-1814) was born in Kassel and settled in Amsterdam around 1750 although his first recorded work dates from after 1770. He perfected techniques for engraving in gold and silver leaf, his jewel-like pictures being greatly admired in fashionable Dutch circles. Zeuner's oeuvre consists mainly of town views, largely of Amsterdam, Haarlem, Utrecht and Groningen. However, he also specialized in views of canal and harbor scenes as well as country houses, such as those on the Vecht and the Amstel near Amsterdam, generally based on engravings by the likes of Jan de Beyer (1703-1780), Simon Fokke (1712-1784) and Wiebrand Hendriks (1744-1831).

Zeuner is celebrated for his gold engravings. To create these works, he used a technique called verre églomisé, also known as reverse glass painting. He would apply gold and silver leaf to the back of a transparent glass panel, and then etch his design using a fine needle. To protect the design, he would then apply a layer of pigment over the gold, often using oil paint for the sky.