Bach Portrait

This engraving was comissioned by publishing house Hoffmeister & Kühnel (renamed C. F. Peters in 1814) for Johann Nikolaus Forkel's biography of Bach. Because Küttner's portrait was apparently not a "good likeness", Nettling was instructed to base his engraving on the portrait by Elias Gottlob Haussmann. However, when the owner refused to lend it out, Nettling had to consult Kütner's engraving after all. Afterwards, the publisher wrote to Forkel as follows: "An engraving has been produced after both Kütner and the painting — the truth usually lies somwhere in between."