(Cobweb Painting) PAINTING ON COBWEB ("GEMALDE AUF SPINNENGEWEBE"): BEING A FULL LENGTH PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN IN TRADITIONAL TYROLEAN COSTUME WITH A MOUNTAIN BACKDROP by Franz Unterberger. Innsbruck, Tyrol: Fr. Unterberger, circa 1870. Hand-painted on stretched cobwebs (gossamer); window-mounted to 2-1/16" x 3-5/16" in a mount measuring 4-1/8" x 5-1/2"; contained within the original publisher's 16mo - 6-11/16" x 5-7/16" brown cloth backed pictorial paper covered board portfolio with titles and decoration of a spider on its web, along with a trapped insect to front cover with a couple of minor breaks to the spiderweb fabric, minor finger-soiling to the mount and minute touches of wear to the extremities of the portfolio for what is a lovely example of these ethereal paintings.
Franz Unterberger (1838-1902) was an Innsbruck-based artist who commissioned "cobweb" paintings from a staff of anonymous artisans, usually local peasant craftsmen. The cobwebs most often came from Agelenidae "funnel-weaver" spiders, whose webs would be gathered, layered and wound to form the delicate fabric. The material was then stretched over cardboard, and to strengthen the fabric, milk diluted in water would be brushed onto the gossamer. The condition of the painting is VERY GOOD +. RARE #001079
Franz Unterberger (1838-1902) was an Innsbruck-based artist who commissioned "cobweb" paintings from a staff of anonymous artisans, usually local peasant craftsmen. The cobwebs most often came from Agelenidae "funnel-weaver" spiders, whose webs would be gathered, layered and wound to form the delicate fabric. The material was then stretched over cardboard, and to strengthen the fabric, milk diluted in water would be brushed onto the gossamer. The condition of the painting is VERY GOOD +. RARE #001079