Barbara Regina Dietzsch Sold at Auction Prices

Painter

Barbara Regina Dietzsch was born in the Free Imperial City of Nuremberg. Members of Dietzsch's family, including her father, Johann Israel, brother Johann Christoph, and sister Margareta, were employed by the Nuremberg courts. Dietzsch taught Margareta how to paint.

Dietzsch was married to Nikolaus Christopher Matthes, who was also a painter. The couple resided in Hamburg. Dietzsch eventually returned to Nuremberg where she died in May 1783.

Dietzsch specialized in watercolor and gouache paintings of animals and plants. Dietzsch primarily painted flowers, and she also painted birds and shells. Her works are typically identifiable by their brown or otherwise monochromatic backgrounds. These works were made into engravings, most of which Dietzsch created herself.

Her works sold in Germany, England, Holland, and France. They were collected in the Netherlands and England. Additionally, although Dietzsch herself did not illustrate textbooks, her works have been included in German natural history books. Christoph Jacob Trew, a physician and botanist, was a patron of botanical art in Nuremberg, including that of the Dietzsch family. Her work was influential on artist Ernst Friedrich Carl Lang.

The Dietzsch family used art to portray the natural world in a way that reflected the philosophical and scientific advancements of their time. Germaine Greer describes Dietzsch's work as "exact and linear, as one might expect of designs for engraving, but in her more ambitious flower pieces she exhibited a conservatism of approach which was fairly antiquarium.

The similarities in style and subject matter of works by Dietzsch and works by her family members have caused challenges in attribution.

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sold
Jun. 21, 2023
ATTRIBUÉ À BARBARA REGINA DIETSCH (1706-1783)
Est: €3,000 - €4,000
ATTRIBUÉ À BARBARA REGINA DIETSCH (1706-1783) FLEURS DANS UN VASE POSE SUR UN ENTABLEMENT Gouache Att. to Barbara Regina-Dietzch, Flower vase on an entablature, gouache 37 x 29 CM - 14,6 x 11,4 IN.
Tajan
sold
May. 25, 2023
Barbara Regina Dietzsch (1706 - Nürnberg - 1783) – Weiße Johannisbeerranke mit Tagfalter und Käfer (White currant branch with a butterfly and a beetle)
Est: €5,000 - €6,000
Opaque colours, highlighted in white, on blackish brown grounded parchment. With a fine black margin line.
Karl & Faber
sold
May. 25, 2023
Barbara Regina Dietzsch (1706 - Nürnberg - 1783) – Erlegter Gimpel, von einer Schnur herabhängend (Bullfinch hanging from a string)
Est: €5,000 - €6,000
Opaque colours, the plumage highlighted in white, on parchment, laid down on laid paper with watermark "Pro Patria". 1742. Signed and dated lower right.
Karl & Faber
sold
Apr. 22, 2023
Dietzsch Watercolor of a Bouquet with White Ribbon
Est: $20,000 - $30,000
DIETZSCH, Barbara Regina (German, 1706-1783). Bouquet with White Ribbon. Watercolor with gouache and gold leaf on vellum. ca. 1765. 10 1/2" x 7 1/2" vellum, 20 3/4" x 17 3/4" framed. Provenance: Hans Muller, Dusseldorf, Germany. ----------------- The Premier 18th Century German Female Artist Barbara Regina Dietzsch was a member of an important family of painters, engravers, and musicians that flourished in Nuremberg during the eighteenth-century. Dietzsch was particularly known for her marvelous renderings of flowers and fruit in watercolor and gouache. Employed at the court of Nuremberg, she drew extensively for engravers there, and her work was of such outstanding quality that it was used by Trew and Georg Ehret for a number of plates in the Hortus Nitidissimis (1750-86). The patronage of Dr. Christoph Trew, the great botanist and bibliographer, made Nuremberg one of the foremost centers of botanical art in the world, and the Dietzsch family was one of the most noted of the era. Even at the time of its production, the work of Barbara Regina Dietzsch was much sought after by collectors in both the Netherlands and in England. It is recorded that some of the best known painters of the time accepted her works as a form of payment, signaling the great reputation she attained during her lifetime -- a celebration that has continued to grow in the intervening centuries. Like most of her family's work, Dietzsch's watercolors are often characterized by the use of a black or dark brown ground and it is partly upon the basis of this that the current attribution has been based. This creates a dramatic contrast between the subject and background and emphasizes the sharp, hard finish of the drawing. The great flower painter Georg Ehret occasionally placed his bouquets on a dark background, but these are not nearly so successful as Dietzsch's in making the subject come to life. Various examples of her work can be found in the Broughton Collection at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England and in each the dark ground is present. What separates the work of Barbara Regina from that of her other family members is the remarkable clarity of depiction and skill in rendering. With unbelievable mastery and stylistic power, Dietzsch overcame contemporary estimations of women's inferiority in the field of art, creating watercolors of distinctive splendor.
Arader Galleries
sold
Apr. 22, 2023
Dietzsch Watercolor of a Bouquet with Yellow Ribbon
Est: $15,000 - $25,000
DIETZSCH, Barbara Regina (German, 1706-1783). Bouquet with Yellow Ribbon. Watercolor with gouache and gold leaf on vellum. ca. 1765. 10 1/2" x 7 1/2" vellum, 20 3/4" x 17 3/4" framed. Provenance: Hans Muller, Dusseldorf, Germany ----------------------- The Premier 18th Century German Female Artist Barbara Regina Dietzsch was a member of an important family of painters, engravers, and musicians that flourished in Nuremberg during the eighteenth-century. Dietzsch was particularly known for her marvelous renderings of flowers and fruit in watercolor and gouache. Employed at the court of Nuremberg, she drew extensively for engravers there, and her work was of such outstanding quality that it was used by Trew and Georg Ehret for a number of plates in the Hortus Nitidissimis (1750-86). The patronage of Dr. Christoph Trew, the great botanist and bibliographer, made Nuremberg one of the foremost centers of botanical art in the world, and the Dietzsch family was one of the most noted of the era. Even at the time of its production, the work of Barbara Regina Dietzsch was much sought after by collectors in both the Netherlands and in England. It is recorded that some of the best known painters of the time accepted her works as a form of payment, signaling the great reputation she attained during her lifetime -- a celebration that has continued to grow in the intervening centuries. Like most of her family's work, Dietzsch's watercolors are often characterized by the use of a black or dark brown ground and it is partly upon the basis of this that the current attribution has been based. This creates a dramatic contrast between the subject and background and emphasizes the sharp, hard finish of the drawing. The great flower painter Georg Ehret occasionally placed his bouquets on a dark background, but these are not nearly so successful as Dietzsch's in making the subject come to life. Various examples of her work can be found in the Broughton Collection at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England and in each the dark ground is present. What separates the work of Barbara Regina from that of her other family members is the remarkable clarity of depiction and skill in rendering. With unbelievable mastery and stylistic power, Dietzsch overcame contemporary estimations of women's inferiority in the field of art, creating watercolors of distinctive splendor.
Arader Galleries
sold
Apr. 22, 2023
Dietzsch Watercolor of Rose with a Butterfly and Spider
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
DIETZSCH, Barbara Regina (German, 1706-1783). Rose with a Butterfly and Spider. Gouache on vellum. ca. 1765. 11 1/4" x 8 1/4" vellum, 20 3/8" x 17" framed. ------------ The Premier 18th Century German Female Artist Barbara Regina Dietzsch was a member of an important family of painters, engravers, and musicians that flourished in Nuremberg during the eighteenth-century. Dietzsch was particularly known for her marvelous renderings of flowers and fruit in watercolor and gouache. Employed at the court of Nuremberg, she drew extensively for engravers there, and her work was of such outstanding quality that it was used by Trew and Georg Ehret for a number of plates in the Hortus Nitidissimis (1750-86). The patronage of Dr. Christoph Trew, the great botanist and bibliographer, made Nuremberg one of the foremost centers of botanical art in the world, and the Dietzsch family was one of the most noted of the era. Even at the time of its production, the work of Barbara Regina Dietzsch was much sought after by collectors in both the Netherlands and in England. It is recorded that some of the best known painters of the time accepted her works as a form of payment, signaling the great reputation she attained during her lifetime -- a celebration that has continued to grow in the intervening centuries. Like most of her family's work, Dietzsch's watercolors are often characterized by the use of a black or dark brown ground and it is partly upon the basis of this that the current attribution has been based. This creates a dramatic contrast between the subject and background and emphasizes the sharp, hard finish of the drawing. The great flower painter Georg Ehret occasionally placed his bouquets on a dark background, but these are not nearly so successful as Dietzsch's in making the subject come to life. Various examples of her work can be found in the Broughton Collection at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England and in each the dark ground is present. What separates the work of Barbara Regina from that of her other family members is the remarkable clarity of depiction and skill in rendering. With unbelievable mastery and stylistic power, Dietzsch overcame contemporary estimations of women's inferiority in the field of art, creating watercolors of distinctive splendor.
Arader Galleries
sold
Apr. 22, 2023
Dietzsch Watercolor of White Narcissus with Beetle and Fly
Est: $25,000 - $35,000
DIETZSCH, Barbara Regina (German, 1706-1783). White Narcissus with Beetle and Fly. Watercolor with gouache and gold leaf on vellum. ca. 1765. 11 1/4" x 8" vellum, 20 3/8" x 17" framed. ----------------- The Premier 18th Century German Female Artist Barbara Regina Dietzsch was a member of an important family of painters, engravers, and musicians that flourished in Nuremberg during the eighteenth-century. Dietzsch was particularly known for her marvelous renderings of flowers and fruit in watercolor and gouache. Employed at the court of Nuremberg, she drew extensively for engravers there, and her work was of such outstanding quality that it was used by Trew and Georg Ehret for a number of plates in the Hortus Nitidissimis (1750-86). The patronage of Dr. Christoph Trew, the great botanist and bibliographer, made Nuremberg one of the foremost centers of botanical art in the world, and the Dietzsch family was one of the most noted of the era. Even at the time of its production, the work of Barbara Regina Dietzsch was much sought after by collectors in both the Netherlands and in England. It is recorded that some of the best known painters of the time accepted her works as a form of payment, signaling the great reputation she attained during her lifetime -- a celebration that has continued to grow in the intervening centuries. Like most of her familys work, Dietzschs watercolors are often characterized by the use of a black or dark brown ground and it is partly upon the basis of this that the current attribution has been based. This creates a dramatic contrast between the subject and background and emphasizes the sharp, hard finish of the drawing. The great flower painter Georg Ehret occasionally placed his bouquets on a dark background, but these are not nearly so successful as Dietzschs in making the subject come to life. Various examples of her work can be found in the Broughton Collection at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England and in each the dark ground is present. What separates the work of Barbara Regina from that of her other family members is the remarkable clarity of depiction and skill in rendering. With unbelievable mastery and stylistic power, Dietzsch overcame contemporary estimations of womens inferiority in the field of art, creating watercolors of distinctive splendor.
Arader Galleries
sold
Mar. 26, 2023
(Attrib) BARBARA REGINA DIETZSCH (1706-1783)
Est: $2,000 - $3,000
Mixed media on paper Table top still-life with bouquet of flowers in vase, no apparent signature
Butterscotch Auction Gallery LLC
sold
Dec. 03, 2022
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina
Est: -
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nürnberg - 1783 ebd., attr. Goldamsel oder Pirol-Männchen auf einem Ast sitzend. Aquarell. Hinter Glas und Passepartout gerahmt. Passepartoutausschnitt ca. 28 x 20 cm, Rahmen ca. 48 x 39,5 cm. Verso Sammlungsetikett. Teils beschädigt. Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nuremberg - 1783 ibid, attr. Golden oriole or oriole male sitting on a branch. Watercolour painting. Framed behind glass and passepartout. Passepartout cutout ca. 28 x 20 cm, frame ca. 48 x 39,5 cm. Collection label on verso. Partly damaged.
Auktionshaus Sieglin GmbH
sold
Dec. 03, 2022
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina
Est: -
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nürnberg - 1783 ebd., attr. Goldammer auf einem Ast sitzend. Aquarell. Hinter Glas und Passepartout gerahmt. Passepartoutausschnitt ca. 28 x 20 cm, Rahmen ca. 48 x 39,5 cm. Verso Sammlungsetikett. Teils beschädigt. Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nuremberg - 1783 ibid, attr. Yellowhammer sitting on a branch. Watercolour painting. Framed behind glass and passepartout. Passepartout cut-out ca. 28 x 20 cm, frame ca. 48 x 39,5 cm. Collection label on verso Partly damaged.
Auktionshaus Sieglin GmbH
sold
Sep. 24, 2022
DIETZSCH WATERCOLOR OF BERRIES AND A LADYBUG
Est: $15,000 - $30,000
DIETZSCH, Barbara Regina (German, 1706-1783). Berries and ladybug. Watercolor with gouache and gold leaf on vellum. ca. 1765. 7" x 5 1/2" vellum, 18" x 15 1/2" framed. Provenance: Hans Müller, Düsseldorf, Germany. Barbara Regina Dietzsch was a member of an important family of painters, engravers, and musicians that flourished in Nuremberg during the eighteenth-century. Dietzsch was particularly known for her marvelous renderings of flowers and fruit in watercolor and gouache. Employed at the court of Nuremberg, she drew extensively for engravers there, and her work was of such outstanding quality that it was used by Trew and Georg Ehret for a number of plates in the Hortus Nitidissimis (1750-86). The patronage of Dr. Christoph Trew, the great botanist and bibliographer, made Nuremberg one of the foremost centers of botanical art in the world, and the Dietzsch family was one of the most noted of the era. Even at the time of its production, the work of Barbara Regina Dietzsch was much sought after by collectors in both the Netherlands and in England. It is recorded that some of the best known painters of the time accepted her works as a form of payment, signaling the great reputation she attained during her lifetime -- a celebration that has continued to grow in the intervening centuries. Like most of her family’s work, Dietzsch’s watercolors are often characterized by the use of a black or dark brown ground and it is partly upon the basis of this that the current attribution has been based. This creates a dramatic contrast between the subject and background and emphasizes the sharp, hard finish of the drawing. The great flower painter Georg Ehret occasionally placed his bouquets on a dark background, but these are not nearly so successful as Dietzsch’s in making the subject come to life. Various examples of her work can be found in the Broughton Collection at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, England and in each the dark ground is present. What separates the work of Barbara Regina from that of her other family members is the remarkable clarity of depiction and skill in rendering. With unbelievable mastery and stylistic power, Dietzsch overcame contemporary estimations of women’s inferiority in the field of art, creating watercolors of distinctive splendor.
Arader Galleries
sold
Sep. 10, 2022
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina
Est: -
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nürnberg - 1783 ebd., attr. Schneeammer auf einem Ast sitzend. Aquarell. Hinter Glas und Passepartout gerahmt. Passepartoutausschnitt ca. 28 x 20 cm, Rahmen ca. 48 x 39,5 cm. Verso Sammlungsetikett. Teils fleckig. Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nuremberg - 1783 ibid, attr. Snow bunting sitting on a branch. Watercolour painting. Framed behind glass and passepartout. Mount approx. 28 x 20 cm, frame approx. 48 x 39,5 cm. Collection label on verso. Partly spotted.
Auktionshaus Sieglin GmbH
sold
Sep. 10, 2022
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina
Est: -
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nürnberg - 1783 ebd., attr. Goldamsel oder Pirol-Männchen auf einem Ast sitzend. Aquarell. Hinter Glas und Passepartout gerahmt. Passepartoutausschnitt ca. 28 x 20 cm, Rahmen ca. 48 x 39,5 cm. Verso Sammlungsetikett. Teils beschädigt. Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nuremberg - 1783 ibid, attr. Golden oriole or oriole male sitting on a branch. Watercolour painting. Framed behind glass and passepartout. Passepartout cutout ca. 28 x 20 cm, frame ca. 48 x 39,5 cm. Collection label on verso. Partly damaged.
Auktionshaus Sieglin GmbH
sold
Sep. 10, 2022
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina
Est: -
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nürnberg - 1783 ebd., attr. Eisvogel auf einem Ast sitzend. Aquarell. Hinter Glas und Passepartout gerahmt. Passepartoutausschnitt ca. 27 x 20 cm, Rahmen ca. 49,5 x 40,5 cm. Verso Sammlungsetikett. Teils Flecken. Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nuremberg - 1783 ibid, attr. Kingfisher sitting on a branch. Watercolour painting. Framed behind glass and passepartout. Collection label on verso. Mount approx. 27 x 20 cm, frame approx. 49,5 x 40,5 cm. Partly stained.
Auktionshaus Sieglin GmbH
sold
Sep. 10, 2022
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina
Est: -
Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nürnberg - 1783 ebd., attr. Goldammer auf einem Ast sitzend. Aquarell. Hinter Glas und Passepartout gerahmt. Passepartoutausschnitt ca. 28 x 20 cm, Rahmen ca. 48 x 39,5 cm. Verso Sammlungsetikett. Teils beschädigt. Dietzsch, Barbara Regina 1705 Nuremberg - 1783 ibid, attr. Yellowhammer sitting on a branch. Watercolour painting. Framed behind glass and passepartout. Passepartout cut-out ca. 28 x 20 cm, frame ca. 48 x 39,5 cm. Collection label on verso Partly damaged.
Auktionshaus Sieglin GmbH
sold
Jun. 16, 2021
Barbara Regina Dietzsch (Umkreis) – Gesteck aus Schwertlilie, Narzissen, Rosen, Aurikel und Hyazinthen mit zwei Schmetterlingen (Bouquet of iris, daffodils, roses, primulas and hyacinths with two butterflies)
Est: €2,000 - €2,400
Opaque colours on parchment laid down on panel. 1764. 42.4 x 35.1 cm. Dated on the outer stem lower right. Framed.
Karl & Faber
sold
Jun. 16, 2021
Barbara Regina Dietzsch (Umkreis) – Blumenstrauß in Glasvase auf steinernem Sims (Bouquet in a glass vase on a stone ledge)
Est: €2,500 - €3,000
Opaque colours on parchment. 28.6 x 20.5 cm. Framed.
Karl & Faber
sold
Jun. 16, 2021
Barbara Regina Dietzsch (Umkreis) – Cheiranthus (Goldlack) (Erysimum cheiri (Wallflowers))
Est: €1,600 - €1,900
Opaque colours on laid paper. 48.5 x 36.5 cm. Framed.
Karl & Faber
sold
Apr. 17, 2021
Dietzsch Barbara Regina
Est: CHF1,200 - CHF1,500
Dietzsch Barbara Regina 1706 - 1783 Nürnberg Distel mit Insekten und Spinne". Gouache. Unsigniert. Gerahmt. Bildmasse 28 cm x 20 cm Provenienz: Altbesitz Zürich
Auktionshaus Zofingen
sold
Apr. 17, 2021
Dietzsch Barbara Regina
Est: CHF1,200 - CHF1,500
Dietzsch Barbara Regina 1706 - 1783 Nürnberg Löwenzahn mit Schmetterlingen und Raupe". Gouache. Unsigniert. Gerahmt. Bildmasse 28 cm x 20.5 cm Provenienz: Altbesitz Zürich
Auktionshaus Zofingen
sold
Nov. 21, 2020
Barbara Regina Dietzsch, unbez.
Est: -
Nürnberg 1706 - 1783 daselbst, 'Vögel', zwei Gouachen, aufgezogen, 28 x 20 cm (PP-A.), restauriert, Lichtschaden, fleckig
Auktionshaus Arnold
sold
Nov. 21, 2020
Barbara Regina Dietzsch, zugeschrieben
Est: -
Nürnberg 1706 - 1783 daselbst, 'Kirschkernbeißer' und 'Vogel', zwei Gouachen, aufgezogen, 28 x 21 cm und 22 x 18 cm (PP-A.), restauriert, knittrig, fleckig
Auktionshaus Arnold
sold
Nov. 21, 2020
Barbara Regina Dietzsch, zugeschrieben
Est: -
Nürnberg 1706 - 1783 daselbst, 'Kirschkernbeißer' und 'Sittich', zwei Gouachen, aufgezogen, 29 x 21,5 cm, Farbfehlstellen, restauriert, Lichtschaden, fleckig
Auktionshaus Arnold
sold
Jun. 13, 2020
Dietzsch & Wirsing - Canary. 18
Est: $400 - $800
This exceedingly rare, exquisitely hand-colored folio engraving is from Barbara Regina Dietzschin's Sammlung meistens Deutscher Vogel or Collection of Mostly German Birds. The work was published in Nuremberg for Wirsing between 1772 and 1777. The illustrations were done by Barbara Regina Dietzsch. Adam Ludwig Wirsing completed the engravings for the work. Each engraving features stunning hand-coloring on super quality, chain-linked watermarked paper. This work is considered the best publication on German birds in the 18th century. Adding only to this work's desirability and scarcity, is that the illustrations were completed by a female artist in a time period where there work was very rarely published let alone credited. Barbara Regina Dietzsch was from a family of noted artists (her father was Johann Israel Dietzsch), but her work became the most celebrated over time. Her flower and animal paintings found collectors all over the world and remain higly collectible to this day. This work was also likely able to be published due to the financial stimulus of Dr. Christoph Jakob Trew. Trew assembled young artists and scientists in Nuremberg making it a have for some of the best publications in this time include the work of Maria Sibylla Merian, Georg Dionysius Ehret, and G. W. Knorr. Heidrun Ludwig noted of Dietzsch's work "Die Starke dieser Vogelbilder liegt vor allem in der meisterhaften, haptischen Wiedergabe der Gefieder, die Dietzsch so uberzeugend imitierte, dass ihre Stucke einen Vergleich mit den grossen Jagtstilleben von Jan Baptiste Weenix oder Willem van Aelst nicht zu scheuen brauchen? Die Schonheit der Vogelbilder Barbara Regina Dietzsch und ihre getreue Nachahmung naturlichen Vogelgefieders wurden von den zeitgenössischen Betrachtern bewundert." (Nurnberger naturgeschichtliche Malerei im 17. Und 18. Jahrhundert' pages 45-46) The translation of this is essentially "The strength of these bird pictures lies above all in the masterful, haptic reproduction of the plumage, which Dietzsch so convincingly imitated that her pieces need not shy away from a comparison with the great hunting still lifes of Jan Baptiste Weenix or Willem van Aelst. The beauty of bird images Barbara Regina Dietzsch and her faithful imitation of natural bird plumage were admired by contemporary observers."
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