Rare watercolor religious text with birds and flowers, Jacob Fleischer (1761-1845) Probably Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, dated 1802

Watercolor and ink on paper

Inscribed (translated from German) recto, ink: Oh my heart would be full of joy / and would be so refreshed/would gladly endure all suffering/ If my Jesus were only with me / If I should only have him / I should have just what I wished / I would not have to see him soon/ must entirely go away for suffering./Written 3 December 1802. J.F

Ada Musselman, Ephrata, Pennsylvania
Fred Wichmann, New York
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, "The Fred Wichmann Collection of Pennsylvania-German Fraktur and Related Decorative Arts," June 9, 1983, lot 145

American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 229, fig. 199

In very good condition. Not completely glued down, but glued along bottom edge, top, top right edge, with some open (non-glued) space along middle right edge.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Decorated religious texts, complete units by themselves, occupy an important place in Pennsylvania German art. They stand closely related to Vorschriften, penmanship examples whose texts not infrequently stop in the middle of a sentence. The religious texts were probably presented to students or family members as tokens of esteem or love. Schoolmasters, who made other forms of fraktur, often prepared them.

Jacob Fleischer was born in Reading in 1761 to Johannes and Eva Margaret Fleischer, who arrived in 1753. Johannes was a schoolmaster from 1761 until 1782. -F.S.W.