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Matthäus Seutter's Genealogical Tree of the House of Eberhard Ludwig of Württemberg and Teck
This copper-engraved genealogical plate, created by Matthäus Seutter in 1734 and featured in his Grosser Atlas, depicts the lineage of Eberhard Ludwig, Duke of Württemberg and Teck.
The image features a genealogical tree beginning with Albert von Beutelsbach, the progenitor of the family. The last entry marks the death of Princess Friederike Wilhelmine Augusta in 1751. At the base of the tree, a reclining figure is depicted. To the right, a vine grows to form the title cartouche, beneath which two allegorical female figures are seated, with a hop garden in the background. Surrounding them are a hunter's spoils and geometric instruments. On the left, the genealogy of the duchy of Württemberg and Teck is detailed on a deer hide.
The portrayal of Eberhard Ludwig in Seutter's engraving reflects historical accounts of the Duke, who became ruler in 1683 at the age of 16. He showed little interest in governmental affairs, with contemporaries describing him as superficial and easily influenced. His lack of engagement in governance resulted in his council having significant influence over the political fate of the land. Eberhard Ludwig preferred hunting, leaving the administration of his county to his advisors.
Seutter's work thus provides both a visual representation of the Duke's family tree and a subtle commentary on his character and governance.
Matthäus Seutter (1678-1757) was a prominent German mapmaker in the mid-eighteenth century. Initially apprenticed to a brewer, he trained as an engraver under Johann Baptist Homann in Nuremburg before setting up shop in his native Augsburg. In 1727 he was granted the title Imperial Geographer. His most famous work is Atlas Novus Sive Tabulae Geographicae, published in two volumes ca. 1730, although the majority of his maps are based on earlier work by other cartographers like the Homanns, Delisles, and de Fer.
Alternative spellings: Matthias Seutter, Mathaus Seutter, Matthaeus Seutter, Mattheus Seutter
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