An unknown drawing by Anthony Balzer from Alps

The eighteen century is the century which people came into with a clear intention to explore a mysterious underground, to precisely explain secret tales and to record everything new. For exampIe, in the history of the area of present-day Czechoslovakia, a new era began in the year 1723, that of a purposeful and scientific investigation of karst and caves.

In 1723, a miner from Brno Lazar Schopper descended into the Macocha Chasm to investigate it. The same year, a book appeared by the geographer Matej Bel, containing the first speleological map from 1719, depicting an idealized profile of the Demanova Ice Cave, Low Tatras. When J. N, Nagel, a physicist at the court of Francis I, made his important excursion and exploration in the Moravian Karst, K. Beduzzi artist made engravings from underground with the illustrations of that visit. It was a specific form of documentation made at the level of that time. However it was also an artistic work.

The final part of eighteen century is an era of beginning of romantism, an artistic effort to picture the beauty of nature. One of these works is a Sepia-drawing (aquarelle), size 36,5 x 47 cm, with traces of white paint. It portrayes huge dome with a blocks on the floor. Only one block is demonstrated precisely, the others merely by suggestion. There are four persons, who with torches shining carry out their investigations.

One of them makes some drawing or description, the second with a torches shining carry out on the wall by means of a stick. Any decoration we can anticipate only in suggestion. It is supposed that the creator of this drawing is ANTHONY BALZER, who belonged to a family of artists (family art workshop as we know typically from baroque). His father was John Balzer (1736 - 1799), a graphic designer and en graver. This son, Anthony Balzer (1771 - 1807), overshadowed his father. Anthony Balzer, however died young and suddenly after a fall down the stairs.

He belonged to the new generation, hofding a close relation-ship with nature, where he founded a dramatic scenery of natural elements and natural beauties. After educations in the workshop of his father, he was with Johann Christian Klengel in Dresden and probably also with Schmutzer in Wien.

He traveled in Bohemia, the Alpine countries, northern Italy, and Venice. He edited a series of graphics (etchings) from some landscapes in Bohemia, and 1804 he began to edit a series of graphics from his impressions of the landscape of Salzburg.

These impressions were also the models for a large colour drawing. It is presumed that the drawing in the photo belongs cave in the alpine region. A preliminary expert's account from the National Gallery in Prague gave high probability to assumption that creator of this drawing is Anthony Balzer, but for definite confirmation, detaiIed study and comparison with other works of Balzer would be necessary.

At this point, the author would like to ask other speleologists for their possible answers to this problem, as well as an opinion what cave could be on this drawing.