Mathäus Küsel
Mathäus Küsel was a printmaker active during the mid-17th century, documented within the period spanning 1654 to 1668. His known artistic output consists entirely of engravings and illustrations, demonstrating proficiency in both elaborate political allegory and detailed documentation of public events.
Fifteen of Mathäus Küsel's prints are represented in major museum collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, providing museum-quality documentation of his contribution to 17th-century European printmaking. His works cover a broad thematic spectrum. Notable pieces of a spectacular or ceremonial nature include the Text to accompany plate illustrating the fireworks display celebrating the birth of Prince Max Emmanuel of Bavaria, Munich, 1662, demonstrating his capacity to chronicle significant court occasions.
His skill in historical and allegorical subject matter is evident in the print Leopold I of Austria as Jupiter with his wife enthroned in the clouds, looking down on the struggling giants below. Küsel also provided illustrations for dramatic or literary works, such as Plate 7 from Pietro Paulo Bissari, Antiopa and Plate 10 from Pietro Paulo Bissari, Antiopa, as well as scenes depicting contemporary drama like Theatrical scene with four figures on a staircase in the distance, two of which are engaged in a brawl.
The surviving corpus of Mathäus Küsel prints offers valuable insight into the commissioned work of a mid-17th-century illustrator. Today, many of his works are now often available in the public domain, allowing institutions and researchers to access high-quality prints for study and preservation.
