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Wechter, Georg, I
(b Nuremberg, 1526; d Nuremberg, 28 March 1586). German painter, engraver and designer. Although he described himself as a painter, he is best known for his designs for gold and silver. In 1571 he produced a design for the Akeley Cup (Nuremberg, Ger. Nmus.; see fig.), named after and shaped like the bell-flower, which subsequently became a masterpiece for the Nuremberg goldsmiths’ guild. His most influential contribution to goldsmithing was his pattern book 30 Stück zum verzachnen für die Goldschmied verfertigt Geörg Wechter 15 Maller 79 Nürnberg (Nuremberg, 1579; e.g. Berlin, Kupferstichkab.), which offered 30 designs of various types of vessels in forms that came readily within the scope of the competent goldsmith who could not create designs himself. Wechter introduced a new version of low-relief strapwork ornament that contrasted with the popular high-relief strapwork style created in the 1530s at Fontainebleau (see STRAPWORK). His designs are characterized by low-relief strapwork composed of interlacing C- and S-curves covering the whole surface of the vessel. His followers Bernhard Zan, Jonas Silber and Paul Flindt II used and developed flat, chased strapwork in their work.
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