Diana at the Bath

Although he is known as one of the great goldsmiths of the seventeenth century, Daniel Kellerthaler also made a small number of works on paper. Among them, the most important and fascinating by far are his "punch prints," made up of tiny engraved dots, which, when printed, resemble nothing so much as a photographic negative. The origin and purpose of these prints is a mystery, and we are not even sure if Kellerthaler himself intended them to be printed. It’s entirely possible that a later admirer of the engraved plates was dazzled by the artist’s virtuosity and had some impressions printed. Whatever their origin, these prints both convey the courtly grace of Kellerthaler’s compositions and have a bold appeal to a contemporary eye.