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16th and 17th Century Artwork

 

Throughout the page that follows, we have presented some special examples of illustrations from a variety of

rare works from the 16th and 17th Century, including:

 

 

In many cases, these rare illustrations have contemporary or antique hand-colouring applied, but in some

examples, they are shown just as they were first published - in an uncoloured state.

 

 

Theuerdank

The Knight of Adventurous Thoughts

 

Theuerdank - literally translated as The Knight of Adventurous Thoughts - was one of three works commissioned

by Emperor Maximilian I intended to chronicle his life. The other works were Der Weisskunig and Freydal. Of

the three titles, Theuerdank was the only tale to be completed and published prior to his death.

 

Tradition suggests that the text to Theuerdank was written by one of the Emperor's close friends - Melchior

Pfintzing. However, it is likely that much, if not all, the text was supplied by the Emperor himself. The tale tells

a fictional version of the journey taken by the Emperor to meet his betrothed, Maria von Burgund (the

daughter of the Emperor's knightly hero, Charles the Bold of Burgundy).

 

The 118 large illustrations to Theuerdank were a collaboration between at least three artists: Hans Burgkmair

(1473-1531); Leonard Beck (1480-1542); and Hans Schäuffelein (1480-1540). Burgkmair contributed up to 14

designs for the woodblocks while the remainder were contributed by Beck and Schäuffelein.

 

 

Die LXXVIII Figur

 

Artist: Hans Burgkmair (1473-1531)

Woodblock prepared: prior to 1517

 

A good quality uncoloured woodcut with slight age-toning to the leaf as printed from the design prepared by Burgkmair during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I.

 

 

 
  Figure 78 (illustration)
 

 

Seel unnd heiligen Buch Kaiser Maximilians Altfordern

Images of the Saints Connected to the Royal Family of Maximilian

 

Seel unnd heiligen Buch Kaiser Maximilians Altfordern consists of 123 woodcuts prepared in the 16th Century

following a commission by Emperor, Maximilian I. While formerly thought to have been the exclusive work of

Hans Burgkmair (1473-1531), the woodcuts are now variously attributed to: Burgkmair and an additional two

artists closely associated with the Court of Maximilian, Leonard Beck (1480-1542) and Hans Schäuffelein

(1480-1540); or to Beck exclusively. The carvers associated with these images worked as a group under

Jost de Negker (also known as Jost Dienecker) in Augsberg in the Emperor's service.

 

Seel unnd heiligen Buch Kaiser Maximilians Altfordern is presented as an account of Maximilian's ancestry and is

based on the literary work of Jacob Mennel (1470-1526).

 

The woodblocks for Seel unnd heiligen Buch Kaiser Maximilians Altfordern were used for extremely low volume

pressings during the life of Maximilian. In the late-18th Century, Adam von Bartsch - a renowned scholar and

author - secured the surviving 119 original woodblocks for a further pressing under the title Images de saints issus

de la famille de l'Empereur Maximilien I  by Franz-Xavier Stockl of Vienna. It is from that pressing that these

images originate.

 

St Luce  

 

Artist: Leonard Beck (1480-1542)

Woodblock prepared: 1515-1522

Publication date: Bartsch Edition; 1799 (Vienna: Franz-Xavier Stockl)

 

A near perfect uncoloured woodcut printed from the woodblocks designed by Beck during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I

 

  St Luce (illustration)
 

 

Der Weiß Kunig

The White King

 

Der Weiß Kunig - literally translated as The White King - was prepared in the 16th Century in an apparent

collaboration between at least four artists: Leonard Beck (1480-1542); Hans Burgkmair (1473-1531);

Hans Schäuffelein (1480-1540); and Hans Springinklee (1490-1540). Jost de Negker (also known as

Jost Dienecker) is among the artisans thought to have worked as engravers on the work. Also known

as The Life and Reign of Emperor Maximilian I, Der Weiß Kunig purports to provide a chronicle of the

life of the Emperor.

 

Der Weiß Kunig was written by Marx Treitzsaurwein following suggestions and dictation provided

directly by Emperor Maximilian I. The allegorical styling of the Emperor as The White King arose from

a variety of sources, including the clear symbolic correlations between 'white' and 'wisdom' and the

traditional white harness Emperor Maximilian I carried in tournaments and battles. Other rulers are

also represented allegorically throughout Der Weiß Kunig, including the King of France (The Blue King),

the Duke of Milan (The King of the Worm - a reference drawn from the Milanese coat of arms), and

the King of Hungary (The Green King).

 

 

 

Plate 140

How the Young White King and the Army joined the Princes

and, in doing so, increased the glory of the Kingdom

 

Artist: Leonard Beck (1480-1542) (attribution)

Woodblock prepared: 1509-1520

Publication date: 1775 (Vienna: Kurzböck)

 

Depicting an event from the year 1496, this is a lovely antique

hand-coloured woodcut printed from the blocks designed by Beck during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I.

 

  Plate 140 (illustration)

 

Plate 168

The perilous sea voyage undertaken by Philip and Joanna

 

Artist: Leonard Beck (1480-1542) (attribution)

Woodblock prepared: 1509-1520

Publication date: 1775 (Vienna: Kurzböck)

 

Believed to depict an event from the year 1505 – wherein the

ships of the Castilian fleet (carrying King Philip and Queen Joanna) were shipwreck on the English Coast – this is a lovely antique

hand-coloured woodcut printed from the blocks designed by

Beck during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I.

  Plate 168 (illustration)

 

 

Plate 179

How the White King left the Green Kingdom having suffered

a loss of authority

 

Artist: Leonard Beck (1480-1542) (attribution)

Woodblock prepared: 1509-1520

Publication date: 1775 (Vienna: Kurzböck)

 

Depicting and event from the year 1499 – wherein, following an unsuccessful campaign against the Swiss, Maximilian ceded certain authority under the Treaty of Basel – this is a lovely antique

hand-coloured woodcut printed from the blocks designed by

Beck during the reign of Emperor Maximilian I.

  Plate 179 (illustration)
 

 

De rebus Gothorum

The Origin and Deeds of the Goths

 

 

De rebus Gothorum was composed by the 6th Century identity, Jordanes, and claimed to summarized the now

lost Libri XII De Rebus Gestis Gothorum written by Cassiodorus.

 

Jordanes' De rebus Gothorum was rediscovered in 1442 by the Italian humanist Enea Silvio Piccolomini in

Vienna and what is termed the editio princeps was issued by Konrad Peutinger in 1515. De rebus Gothorum is

considered the only surviving source documenting the origin of the Goths. It is also important for its reference

to a campaign in Gaul involving Riothamus - referred to as "King of the Brettones" - a possible source of

inspiration for early Arthurian legends.

 

Title Page  

 

Artist: Hans Burgkmair (1474-1531)

Engraver: Jost Dienecker

Publication date: 1515 (Augsberg: Johannes Miller)

 

A coloured full-page woodcut depicting Alboinus - the King of the Lombards and conqueror of Italy - in dialogue with Athanaric - the King of the Goths.

 

To the verso appears the privilege issued to Peutinger by Emperor Maximilian I.

 

Title Page (illustration)

Privilege issued by Maximilian I
 

 

Opera

 

Folio CXLI

 

Title: P Vergilius Maro's Opera

Woodblock prepared: 1509-1520

Publication date: 1517 (Lyon: Sacon)

 

A good quality uncoloured woodcut with some losses to the margins of the leaf.

 

 

Page 141 (illustration)

 

 

Bible

 

16th Century Bible woodcut  

 

Artist: Unknown

Woodblock prepared: early 16th Century

Publication date: early 16th Century

 

A coloured woodcut depicting a meteor shower and a solar eclipse. The meteor shower is shown as stars descending from Heaven trailing fire and those witnessing the events are depicted as awestruck.

  Illustration

 

16th Century Bible woodcut 

 

Artist: Unknown

Woodblock prepared: early 16th Century

Publication date: early 16th Century

 

A coloured Bible woodcut showing a dragon with crowns, spouting water (not fire). In the Heavens, God and Angels are depicted.

 

To the verso, two colour initials are shown.

  Illustration Graphic details from verso

 


 

 

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