Skip to main content
Who was Mr. Snell?
The ornamental penmanship used by Fritz Vogt can be difficult to read today; the first name of Mr. Snell could begin with an I, f, J, S, or even a T. Adding to the confusion, Vogt included the sign above the barn door that clearly reads “I. Snell” along with the date “1866.” Census records do not list an “I. Snell” living in Minden in the 1800s or early 1900s. Vogt could have been using an old German penmanship or spelling where the letters I and J were similar. If so, Jacob Snell (1827-1896), a farmer or John O. Snell (1837-1917), a merchant, who both lived in Minden in the late 1800s, could be the Mr. Snell in this drawing.
Identification aside, this is a spectacular example of Vogt’s work. Nearly all of his favorite details and motifs are featured: chickens, hanging bird cages, potted plants, farm animals, and a lion-like cat on the porch steps. Vogt frequently included hammocks in his drawings; this may be the only known drawing that includes a figure relaxing in the hammock (at left). Building details were very important to Vogt, much more so than perspective. Here, Vogt employed one of his hallmark compositional devices, “flattening out” structures in order to show off multiple and extended sides of each building, and more detail.
Exhibition History"Fritz Vogt: A Sense of Place," Arkell Museum, Canajoharie, NY, May 29, 2021 - December 30, 2021
Artist
Fritz G. Vogt
(c. 1841 - 1900)
Residence of Mr. and Mrs. I. Snell
Date1896
DimensionsSight: 25 1/2 × 39 in. (64.8 × 99.1 cm)
Object numberN0003.2016
Credit LineCollection of the Fenimore Art Museum. Gift of Frank Tosto, in memory of Michael L. Kitner
Photograph by Richard Walker
Label Text“SNELL—This is an old Mohawk Valley family with an honorable record…” – Hudson-Mohawk Genealogical and Family Memories, 1911Who was Mr. Snell?
The ornamental penmanship used by Fritz Vogt can be difficult to read today; the first name of Mr. Snell could begin with an I, f, J, S, or even a T. Adding to the confusion, Vogt included the sign above the barn door that clearly reads “I. Snell” along with the date “1866.” Census records do not list an “I. Snell” living in Minden in the 1800s or early 1900s. Vogt could have been using an old German penmanship or spelling where the letters I and J were similar. If so, Jacob Snell (1827-1896), a farmer or John O. Snell (1837-1917), a merchant, who both lived in Minden in the late 1800s, could be the Mr. Snell in this drawing.
Identification aside, this is a spectacular example of Vogt’s work. Nearly all of his favorite details and motifs are featured: chickens, hanging bird cages, potted plants, farm animals, and a lion-like cat on the porch steps. Vogt frequently included hammocks in his drawings; this may be the only known drawing that includes a figure relaxing in the hammock (at left). Building details were very important to Vogt, much more so than perspective. Here, Vogt employed one of his hallmark compositional devices, “flattening out” structures in order to show off multiple and extended sides of each building, and more detail.
Exhibition History"Fritz Vogt: A Sense of Place," Arkell Museum, Canajoharie, NY, May 29, 2021 - December 30, 2021
On View
Not on view
