Remp’s Ceiling Paintings in the Palais Attems in Graz

Abstract

In the 17th and 18th century reproductive prints were one of the main mediators of artistic solutions and played a key role in the creation of ceiling paintings. This article discusses their use in three monumental frescoes in the Palais Attems in Graz, made by Franz Carl Remp (1674–1718) between 1705 and 1711, for Ignaz Maria Count Attems (1652–1732). All three frescoes testify of Remp’s use of reproductive prints made after works by Italian painters Pie- tro da Cortona (1596–1669) and Annibale Carracci (1560–1609). In some cases, Remp’s scenes are almost identical copies of depictions in reproductive prints, while sometimes they served as a compositional template or source for motifs, which he combined with other visual sources creating a whole new iconographic message.