Porträt Gregor Nymman (1594-1638)

Portrait of Gregor Nymman. The German anatomist and botanist are shown here as a half figure facing to the right. His quiet view goes to the right leaf margin. It may be that he wears a short wig, definitely mustache and chin beard. His clothing consists of a neck brace with open collar, plus a decorated woam with sleeve covers made of lace. In his right hand he holds a bouquet of flowers, including lily of a valley. The portrait is oval and inscribed. All around the portrait are tools of the botanist and doctor arranged at the top and bottom, left and right of the effigy. There is a cartouche under the portrait with a spell by J. Sommer, which translates as: "Nymann, who raises the wisdom of the stars that Hygieia [Goddess of Health] preaches, who is the protégé of the anatomy that Flora adore, the painter endeavored to portray; however, he hardly brought the work of the outer face to paper. Because no Zeuxis will paint you his mental acuity: this man will first give shape to his public writings." Not much is known about Gregor Nymman. He was born in Wittenberg and died there. In 1618 he made his doctor in medicine at the University of Wittenberg. He then became Professor of Anatomy and Botany in Wittenberg. Among the verses one recognizes a signature in the cartouche: “Lucas Kilian Sculpsit.” These are the Augsburg copper engraver and draftsman Lucas Kilian (1579-1637). As noted in the inscription, Kilian probably created the leaf around 1627, at a time when the depicted was said to have been 33 years. No template is known. Other copies of the paper are at the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel and the Austrian National Library in Vienna. There is a variant or double to the present leaf in the Händel-Haus Foundation, which shows only the portrait of the leaf here: BS-III 545. Signature: Lucas Kilian Sculpsit. Label: [medallion] GREGORIVS NYMANNVS WITEBERG. PHILOS. ET MEDIC: D. FACVLTATISQ MEDIC. INPATRIA A. ACADEM. PROFESS: PVB. AETATIS XXXV. ANNO. 1627. Quem Sophie Super astra vehit; qvem laudat Hygeia Quem fovet ANATOME; quem quoq (ue) Flora colit. NYMMANUM studuit pictor depingere; vultus. Vix sed adumbravit exterioris opus. Nullus enim ingenii Zeuxes [sic] tibi pinget acumen Huius sed faciem publica scripta dabunt I. Summer. (Stiftung Händel-Haus Halle Foundation)