Ulrich Daniel Metzger : Un artiste au destin singulier

On the occasion of the digital publication of Ulrich Daniel Metzger’s manuscript, the Vitromusée Romont is dedicating an exhibition to this unique itinerant artist. Ulrich Daniel Metzger, who was born in Speyer in 1671, passed his master’s examination as a glazier in 1704, but did not take over or found a workshop. Instead of settling down, he travelled all over Germany and made various side trips, for example to Bern in Switzerland, to Archangelsk in distant Russia or to Catholic Vienna. The centrepiece of the exhibition is Ulrich Daniel Metzger’s manuscript, which the Vitrocentre bought at auction in 2004. In this booklet he collected dedication drawings and recipes from acquaintances and copied prints that he saw on his travels. The dating and location of the entries allow a reconstruction of his travels between 1708 and 1715 and provide a unique insight into the life of an itinerant artist. In addition to the manuscript, the exhibition presents a selection of the few surviving works in Ulrich Daniel Metzger’s hand; these include reverse glass paintings, etchings and calligraphic sheets.

22 October 2022 – 26 February 2023