A Sketchbook of designs for gold chasing by Augustin Heckel (c. 1690- 1770) circa 1720 to 1750

A sketchbook of 150 designs for gold chasing. 156 pages, full bound in vellum. Most of the drawings on separate sheets pasted in.

A sketchbook of 150 designs for gold chasing. The drawings are mainly of circular figure scenes appropriate for watchcases. When shown in their final form, they are mostly full size. They are mostly without ornament but there are seven in asymmetrical cartouches, which therefore probably date from about 1739 onwards, but the designs cover the whole period of Heckel’s career as well as much of the design process, including figural compositions derived directly from prints, working drawings, sketches for approval and some presentation drawings showing the whole watchcase including its ornament. The designs that appear to relate to surviving chasings show objects dating mostly from the 1720s and 1730s.

p.3 A classical scene of a woman holding a small figure is supported by two women, one holding a divining rod, the other a mirror, being raised from the ground by Minerva. p. 5 Litter bearers, after the figures on the arch of Titus. p.7 A warrior holding money in his open hand, disputing with an old man, a soldier in the background. p. 9 A musketeer and a lute player. p. 10 Father Time, circular, a blank disk in the centre; perhaps a watch- face. p. 11 Sketches: a cupbearer and the presentation in the temple. p. 12 Faith, Hope and Charity, oval. p. 13 Sketches: women at a well. p. 15 A fountain, the base surrounded by women holding glasses, on the top a woman, liquid spouting from her breasts. p. 16 Belisarius recognised by the soldier, circular, a watch case. Inscribed ‘Belesarius’ above. p. 17 Sketches: A woman, The Virgin and Child and a rococo bracket incorporating putti and a clock. p. 19 Flying putti bearing a crown and a laurel wreath. p. 21 Flying putti bearing armour and a sword. p.23 Hera, the infant Hercules, and Justice with a fasces, on a cloud. p. 24 A lady and gentleman and two huntsmen in a wood. p. 25 Sketches: two putti writing on a tablet, and two reclining figures, a circle beneath them. p. 27 Four putti with musical instruments. p. 29 Four putti two with a glass and a bottle, a sickle, and two cupids. p. 31 Four female figures. p. 33 Three putti and a sheep; two putti in a cloud. p. 35 Fête galant. p. 37 Shepherds around a fountain and a woman with child. p. 39 A scene from the legend of Pygmalion; and a naked old man raised from a bed by a woman and a nude youth, a figure bearing a dish behind. p. 41 A female figure leaning on an urn; Apollo approaching a seated woman. p. 42 A pencil sketch for the scene on 43. p. 43 Diana as Luna in a cloud with Cupid, holding a spear and her breast. p. 45 Minerva and a woman; lovers disporting. p. 46 Angelica and Medoro beneath the tree; A seated figure p. 47 A concert in a colonnade with perspective construction lines, Circular. p. 48 Angelica and Medoro beneath the tree, twice p. 49 A warrior; a river god; Cupid; an allegorical figure with a mirror. p. 50 Angelica and Medoro beneath the tree, twice p. 51 Studies of a kneeling warrior and a reclining woman, three times. p. 52 Angelica and Medoro beneath the tree, twice. p. 53 Angelica and Medoro beneath the tree and a reclining woman. p. 54 Angelica and Medoro beneath the tree. p. 55 Ulysses meeting Nausicaa. p. 56 Alexander the Great showing clemency to Timoclea, circular. p. 57 Alexander the Great showing clemency to Timoclea, in a cartouche. p. 58 A kneeling warrior giving his sword to a hooded figure. The figure repeated. p. 59 A queen (Dido) at her toilet receiving news form a man, circular; underneath on the page is a design for the scrollwork for a large watchcase. p. 60 A seated sibyl restraining with a wand the raised sword of a warrior. In a asymmetric cartouche with indications of a winder hole and a suspension ring. p. 61 Cupid and Psyche, circular, pastoral lovers. p. 62 Seated lovers. p. 63 Angelica and Medoro, the tree not shown. A sketch below. p. 65. Diana and Endymion (After Nicolas Fouchet) . p. 67 The death of Socrates; Time crowning Hope, circular. On the page a sketch. p. 69 Figure studies. p. 71 A warrior received home, circular; lovers reclining, five times and a family. p. 73 A female figure holding a sword, twice. p. 75 Achilles amongst the daughters of Lycomedes, circular. Minerva protecting a warrior asleep beneath a tree from the arrows of Cupid guided by Venus, circular. p. 77 A female figure (Sheba?) with camels received outside a city by a horseman; (Probably Isaac greeting Rebecca who has been brought by Eliezer); a biblical commander receiving provisions from a priest, circular. p. 79 Mars, Venus and Vulcan (After A. Coypel) , circular; Aeneas at the banquet of Dido, circular. p. 81 Esther and Hamon, King Ahasuerus behind, circular. Inscribed ‘Esther & hamon’ p. 83 A woman playing a lute, a huntsman and animals. Inscribed ‘I approve’; a beardless river god and a shepherd, circular. p. 85 A hunt; Hercules and Omphale, circular. p. 87 Time tormented by Cupid. Hope and another; Europa and the Bull. Circular p. 88 Sketch of a Turk with colour indications, circa 1820. This anonymous drawing is not by the same hand as the rest of the album. p. 89 Emblematical scene with the motto ‘ Sparsos recolligit Ignes’: Cupid burns a heart by collecting the rays of the sun through a glass, with lovers attending, circular. The lower one inscribed illegibly twice in pencil. p. 91 Judith and Holofernes (After Bernard Picart); Silvio finds the dead Dorinda, circular. p. 93 Emblematical scenes with the motto ‘ Sparsos recolligit Ignes’: Cupid burns a heart by collecting the rays of the sun through a glass, with lovers attending, circular. Twice. p. 95 Brennus the Gaul throwing his sword into the scales, circular. Mars, Venus and Vulcan, circular. p. 97 Meleager and Atalanta setting out to hunt the Calydonian boar (After François Chaveau) P. 99 Dido and Aeneas, circular; Emblematic figure of Painting, circular. p. 101 Hector and Andromache (After Bon de Boulogne, engraved 1726) , signed A. Heckel; Esther and King Ahasureus, with sketches of David, Circular. p. 103 Cartouches with river gods. On the back of one a figure of St. Andrew, twice. p. 105 A scientist in his study, crowned by Fame (perhaps Robert Boyle), twice, circular. Sketches of ornaments around one. p. 107 The Flight into Egypt. Scored for transfer, circular. p. 109 Jacob’s dream, circular, with traces of a cut inscription; A box lid, a female figure presented with flowers with asymmetrical rococo scrolls. p. 111 The Conversion of Saul, circular; The Annunciation (After Louis de Boulogne), circular. p. 113 Antiochus and Stratonice, circular; A concert, circular, scrolls on the border; on upper corner and on the back a figure. p. 115 A large watch case; Venus and Cupid surrounded by scrolls. The watercolours may indicate different coloured gold. p. 117 The death of Caesar; Diana and attendant with cupids and hounds, circular. p. 119 Roman Charity (After Noel- Nicolas Coypel), circular. p. 121 Bacchus and Ariadne on Naxos, circular. p. 123 Silvio finds the dead Dorinda. p. 125 Paris receiving the golden apple; the judgement of Paris, ovals. p. 127 Mars, Venus and Vulcan, circular. Figures of the four seasons and a scroll. p. 129 Silvio finds the dead Dorinda, circular. p. 131 A concert, circular. p. 133 A large watchcase: the triumph of Neptune in a scrolled border. p. 135 Dido meeting Aeneas on the shore, circular. p. 137 A large watch case, The triumph of Neptune in a scrolled border. p. 139 The presentation in the Temple, circular. p. 141 Achilles amongst the daughters of Lycomedes, circular. p. 143 Angelica and Medoro beneath the tree, circular with sketched scroll border. p. 145 A small watch case showing the abduction of Helen (After Nicolas Vleughels, engraved 1718), in a scrolled border; Perseus and Andromeda (After Gérrard de Lairesse) , circular. p. 147 Actaeon and Diana and the Nymphs (After a French model of 1732), circular. p. 149 Alexander the Great showing clemency to Timoclea, circular. p. 151 A woman and a warrior beneath a tree, cupids above, circular. p. 153 Alexander the Great showing clemency to Timoclea, circular. p. 155 Victory and Diana appearing to a bearder warrior in a dream, circular. The scene of Bacchus and Ariadne (page 121) appears in a box by Heckel of circa 1730 (VAM 61-1871). The scene of Diana and an attendant (page 117) appears on a watchcase of 1729- 30 (Philips 2nd March 1993, lot 154). The biblical scene (page 77) appears on a watchcase of 1736-7 (Christie’s 12th July 1995, lot 159). The presentation at the Temple (page 139) appears on a watchcase 1735 (Taft Museum Cincinnati, Ohio). Europa riding the Bull (page 87) appears on a watchcase of about 1726 (British Museum).

Up to page 73 there are designs drawn directly on the pages and some designs pasted onto the pages. The inserted drawings may have been added later. On pages 47, 59, 67 and 71 they are pasted over other drawings. Pages 74 to 155 have only designs pasted in, with the exception of page 103, on which a psted in drawing has been removed and a pencil sketch drawn directly on the page echoing a pasted in design below.
The pages of the sketchbook are watermarked with The Garden of Holland and Pro Patria, very similar to W. A. Churchill, Watermarks in Paper, 2006, Fig 133, for J. Villedary, datable to 1713. An inserted sheet on page 71 is watermarked with A Garden of Holland similar to E. Heawood, Watermarks mainly of the 17th and 18th Century, 1950, fig 135, datable to 1755. Prov: Bought from Appleby Bros., 27 William IV St. London WC2, 1948, £10.
Augustine Heckel was born in Augsburg. He spent sometime in Paris. Was established a leading London gold chaser by 1732. He was still active as a chase in 1749 but later retired to Richmond producing prints and drawings of flowers and landscapes.

E.2998-1948