DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48088#0489
70
ALBRECHT PURER.
Weimar. The remarkably characteristic head of Oswald Kreil is in the Pinakothek at Munich.
Amongst his religious pictures, one of the earliest, is an altar-piece, painted for the church of
St. Catharine in Nuremberg, and now in the Pinakothek at Munich; the infant Christ is surrounded
by a familiar circle consisting of his parents and numerous small angels, in attitudes of worship* on
side pieces, two knightly figures, standing in complete armour by the side of their horses, the
Saints Eustace and George, portraits of life-like truth and expression, which probably bear the
features of the two founders, Stephan and George Baumgartner; the first was on terms of
intimate friendship with the painter.
A master-piece, now hanging in the tribune of the Uffici at Florence, the “Adoration of the
kings,” painted for Frederick the Wise of Saxony, dates later, from the year 1504. But his
pictures only represent a part of his activity, his love of handicraft, to which he was never false
even in his most profound artistic moods, led him to various technical occupations, he drew, and
modelled and embossed in wax, it also appears that he attempted wood-carving, and he especially
directed his attention to the multifarious arts of copper and wood engraving. Both these arts
held a leading part in the German artistic life of that period, they formed the representative art
of the people, entering all houses, and penetrating into all lands, gaining access to every heart,
and thus in union with the discovering of printing, to which they led the way, they became the
propogators of new ideas.
The details which can scarcely be represented in colours, find their natural field in this
elaborate art. Here the imagination of the artist has the free scope, it can reach the highest
altitudes and can even embrace subjects which appear to be beyond the limits of representation.
This fact gave to copper and wood engraving their importance in German art, which was char-
acterized at that time, by its caress of fancy, and Diirer himself found, in engraving, the clearest
and most natural means of expression, as, notwithstanding the careful execution of his paintings,
he had little sense of colour, and his tastes lay rather in the direction of drawing than of
painting; his celebrity being based on his inexhaustible originality, and his rich talent for com-
position. His early acquaintance with the goldsmith’s art facilitated his progress in the technical
part of copper engraving, which owes its origin to that handicraft. Although he must also have
understood wood engraving, he could scarcely have executed his own designs, but probably con-
fined himself to drawing the outline on the block, the cutting of which devolved upon a particular
class of workmen, the form cutters; and a careful examination of Diirer’s wood engravings will
show that they have been executed by various and variously qualified workmen. He, however,
exercised an important influence over this special branch of art, by presenting it with models
worthy of imitation, and by superintending its operations. He himself undertook the printing,
publication and circulation of his works.
Both his wood and his copper engravings were designed for sale, the choice of subjects
for the wood engravings was influenced by a consideration of the taste of the larger public, for
whom their cheapness rendered them suitable. The subjects were principally of two classes,
either scenes from daily life, intended to afford amusement, with some introduction of instruction
or of a moral lesson, or religious pictures, taken from biblical history, or from the legends of the
Saints. The first class of drawings afford a remarkable and complete representation of the most
characteristic features of German life of that period, with which no-one can be well acquainted
who has not studied the works of Diirer. Here may be seen knights and foot-soldiers in proud
array, the courier dashes over the land, the noble lady rides by on horseback, while the warrior
ALBRECHT PURER.
Weimar. The remarkably characteristic head of Oswald Kreil is in the Pinakothek at Munich.
Amongst his religious pictures, one of the earliest, is an altar-piece, painted for the church of
St. Catharine in Nuremberg, and now in the Pinakothek at Munich; the infant Christ is surrounded
by a familiar circle consisting of his parents and numerous small angels, in attitudes of worship* on
side pieces, two knightly figures, standing in complete armour by the side of their horses, the
Saints Eustace and George, portraits of life-like truth and expression, which probably bear the
features of the two founders, Stephan and George Baumgartner; the first was on terms of
intimate friendship with the painter.
A master-piece, now hanging in the tribune of the Uffici at Florence, the “Adoration of the
kings,” painted for Frederick the Wise of Saxony, dates later, from the year 1504. But his
pictures only represent a part of his activity, his love of handicraft, to which he was never false
even in his most profound artistic moods, led him to various technical occupations, he drew, and
modelled and embossed in wax, it also appears that he attempted wood-carving, and he especially
directed his attention to the multifarious arts of copper and wood engraving. Both these arts
held a leading part in the German artistic life of that period, they formed the representative art
of the people, entering all houses, and penetrating into all lands, gaining access to every heart,
and thus in union with the discovering of printing, to which they led the way, they became the
propogators of new ideas.
The details which can scarcely be represented in colours, find their natural field in this
elaborate art. Here the imagination of the artist has the free scope, it can reach the highest
altitudes and can even embrace subjects which appear to be beyond the limits of representation.
This fact gave to copper and wood engraving their importance in German art, which was char-
acterized at that time, by its caress of fancy, and Diirer himself found, in engraving, the clearest
and most natural means of expression, as, notwithstanding the careful execution of his paintings,
he had little sense of colour, and his tastes lay rather in the direction of drawing than of
painting; his celebrity being based on his inexhaustible originality, and his rich talent for com-
position. His early acquaintance with the goldsmith’s art facilitated his progress in the technical
part of copper engraving, which owes its origin to that handicraft. Although he must also have
understood wood engraving, he could scarcely have executed his own designs, but probably con-
fined himself to drawing the outline on the block, the cutting of which devolved upon a particular
class of workmen, the form cutters; and a careful examination of Diirer’s wood engravings will
show that they have been executed by various and variously qualified workmen. He, however,
exercised an important influence over this special branch of art, by presenting it with models
worthy of imitation, and by superintending its operations. He himself undertook the printing,
publication and circulation of his works.
Both his wood and his copper engravings were designed for sale, the choice of subjects
for the wood engravings was influenced by a consideration of the taste of the larger public, for
whom their cheapness rendered them suitable. The subjects were principally of two classes,
either scenes from daily life, intended to afford amusement, with some introduction of instruction
or of a moral lesson, or religious pictures, taken from biblical history, or from the legends of the
Saints. The first class of drawings afford a remarkable and complete representation of the most
characteristic features of German life of that period, with which no-one can be well acquainted
who has not studied the works of Diirer. Here may be seen knights and foot-soldiers in proud
array, the courier dashes over the land, the noble lady rides by on horseback, while the warrior