An old man is sitting at a table counting his money as a young couple look at one another over his head. Wood engraving by M. Klinkicht after L. Löfftz.

"Our frontispiece is called "Geiz und Liebe" ("Avarice and love"), and is from the pencil of L. Löfftz, one of the professors of painting in Munich. The picture, as a composition, fills the canvas fully and naturally, as was the manner of Giorgione and Titian. The grouping is excellent, and those composing it are admirably differentiated. This power of characterisation we regard as peculiarly belonging to the Munich school. Nothing could be finer than the head of the old man, who gloats over his golden pieces, or sweeter than the face of his lovely daughter, as it sparkles up archly in the presence of her lover. Both colour and chiaroscuro are treated with a master's intelligence, and the picture may be regarded as a fair example of the capacity of the Munich school in genre of the higher kind. We are indebted to Mr. E. A. Fleischmann, of Munich, who has lent to the exhibition so many of his valuable pictures, for the privilege of being allowed to reduce "Avarice and Love" to black and white, and transfer it to our pages. Although the old man is avaricious, his avarice is dominated by a stronger passion—that of love for his daughter. The two have had a long chat about the young clerk before he entered; and her winning ways and sparkling eyes have made the old man relent. It is this delightful change that we see her telegraphing to her lover by means of the dower in her hand; and we feel, as we gaze on the picture, that all will end well, and that Avarice will own willing allegiance to Love. Let us wish the lovers happiness, and trust that their mutual confidence through life may always be as cordial as now."--Forbes-Robertson, op. cit.

They are wearing early 16th-century costume. The old man uses eyeglasses, and has his account books and pen and ink in front of him

E. A. Fleischmann's Hof-Kunsthandlung was a leading art-dealer in Munich

[London] : [Cassell, Petter, Gallpin & Co.], [1880]

1 print : wood engraving ; image 14.5 x 20 cm

"Geiz und Liebe" ("Avarice and love."). (From the painting by L. Löfftz, in the Munich International Art Exhibition of 1879. By permission of Mr E.A. Fleischmann of Munich). (See p. 34). M. Klinkicht

John Forbes-Robertson, 'The International Art Exhibition at Munich: I', The magazine of art illustrated, 1878, 3: 29-34

Wellcome Collection 32343i