Egy pozsonyi könyvkiadó és rézmetsző: Johann Nepomuk Schauff (1757–1827)

Johann Nepomuk Schauff (1757–1827) publisher and engraver was born in the Czech town Heřmanův městec, studied arts in Vienna, as student of Jakob Mathias Schmutzer and acted as professor of drawing in Pozsony (today Bratislava, Slovakia) in the national normal school for 25 years. He is also author of four studies about architecture and art history. Both in his capacity as an art teacher and as a writer on the theory of architecture he was convinced of the important role of art education, as a way of improving (Hungarian) national consciousness. Similarly to the trend in other countries he made sketches of a Hungarian national row of columns. He had also private enterprises: an art shop in the inner city of Pozsony, selling books, copper-plate engravings and music scores, he was publishing books, and from 1792 to 1802 he was also the owner of a small but high-ranking printing shop. During this decade he issued 114 printings some of which decorated with his own engravings, but he was also employing other artists either from his town Pozsony or from the nearby Vienna, where he had aquaintances possibly dating back to his academic years. Among the copper-plate engravings signed by him one can find the coloured representation of the Hungarian Holy Crown, the portrait of King Leopold II., the portrait of the scholarly publisher Karl Gottlieb von Windisch, etc. According to contemporary practice music scores of compositions were engraved on copper plates, and it was very likely only Johann Nep. Schauff who produced scores in Pozsony. The names of the composers range from Joseph Haydn to the normal school music teacher Franz Rigler. By way of presenting the manyfold activities of Johann Nep. Schauff his relationship and connections with other printers, publishers and artists is also displayed. In the Appendix Schauff’s engravings signed by him or attributed to him are listed together with the music scores issued by him.