Prints, Drawings, and Photographs Birth and Baptismal Certificate Made in Union County, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America1840-55 Francis Portzline, American, 1771 - 1857 Watercolor wash, pigments in gum medium, and ink on wove paper Currently not on view 1928-10-90 Gift of J. Stogdell Stokes, 1928 |
LabelThe colorful drawings known today as fraktur (so called because of the "fractured" Gothic script employed) were created as blessings, rewards of merit, or personal records of confirmation, marriage, or baptism, as in this example. Like many fraktur artists, Francis Portzline taught school and had special skills in lettering and painting. In his work, the surrounding birds, butterflies, and flowers reinforce the celebratory nature of the religious ceremony. Such records were important for membership in the Lutheran or Reformed Churches; their texts also offered spiritual guidance for their owners. |
