David Herrliberger

David Herrliberger was a printmaker whose documented career spanned the first half of the 18th century, with active dates recorded between 1707 and 1751. His known body of work consists primarily of engravings that document religious ceremonies, portraiture, and contemporary societal customs.

Eight of Herrliberger's prints are represented in major museum collections, establishing his significance as a historical illustrator and chronicler. His subject matter often focused on specific religious and civic life in Zurich, Switzerland, including detailed depictions of ceremonies such as the Baptême du Juif Jachiel Hirschlin à Zurich. 1746; Distribution des Livres avec Etudians et aux Ecôliers à Zurich (Baptism of Jachiel Hirschlin and Distribution of the Books). His documentation extended to the particulars of Reformed Church services, seen in the paired works Consecration et Action de Graces avant et après la Communion à Zurich; Communion dans l’Eglise du Fraumunster à Zurich, which details communion rites at the Fraumunster. Further illustrating his focus on local culture, he produced the print Costumes of Churchgoers of the Reformed Church.

Herrliberger also executed formal portraiture, including the prints Portret van Johannes Baptista Martinus Arregger and Portret van Pedro de Arregger. His work is preserved in international institutions, including the Rijksmuseum and the National Gallery of Art. Because many of these historical prints are now in the public domain, researchers and collectors can access downloadable artwork and high-quality prints derived from these institutional holdings.