Colvin, Sidney; British Museum / Prints and Drawings Gallery; Malcolm, John [Oth.]: Guide to an exhibition of drawings and engravings by the old masters, principally from the Malcolm Collection in the Print and Drawing Gallery (London: British Museum, 1895)

Division III.—Engravings.

St. John.

and

the Virgin.

a Parrakeet.
a Parrakeet.

(1st state.)
(2nd state.)

ie Crucifixion.
e ^Jjrtfcifixion.
£ist on the Cross, with the Virgin and St. John.^,

Atty


484. (a) The Agony in the Garden.
(b) ‘The Betrayal. I ?
(©y^phrist before Caiaphas. '
<d) The Plagellatioh. ~ <
All from the Malcolm collection. , . $ , ™ yj
485. (a) Christ crowned with thorns/ .
(b) Christ before Pilate.
(c) Christ shown to the People A v '
(d) Christ bearing His Cross. .
All from the Malcolm collection.
480. (a) Christ on the Cross.
da^The Entombment.
•'"(e) The Descent into Limbo.
(d) The Resurrection.
AU from the Malcolm collection.
Series of Passion subjects like the above, consisting usually, though not
invariably, of the fixed number of twelve scenes, stages, or “ stations,’’
were among the most frequent products both of painting and of engraving
at this time. The present series by Martin Schongauer is by far the
richest and most animated in design, as well as the most skilful in execu-
tion, that had been produced by any engraver up to his date, and in
grouping, action, and costume gives a vivid picture of what the scenes in
the Passion Plays, customarily enacted in those days in every German
town, were like. f
487. (a) T
(b)/
(CW
The March to Calvary.
j\a) (d) From the Malcolm collection.
(a) The Man of Sorrows with the Virgin and St. John.
(b) Christ on the Cross, with
Angels.
(b) From the Malcolm collection.
489. (a) The Virgin and Child.
^/(b) The Virgin and Child with
(c) The Virgin and Child with
(d) The Virgin and Child with a Parrakeet. (2nd state, falsified;
^4he whole upper part drawn with a pen).
(e) The Virgin and Child on a Hillock.
' (f) The Virgin and Child seated in a Courtyard.
(c) (f) From the Malcolm collection.
Referring to the three impressions of 489 (d), the difference between the
first and second states consists, as can easily be perceived, in the fact that
the first is unfinished, the pear in the child’s hand and the embroidered
pattern on the cushion being missing. The third is a good example of .
the forger’s art, inasmuch as the lower part only of the print is genuine,
everything above the height of the Virgin’s shoulder being a skilful copy
in pen-and-ink, so joined on to the original portion as to be almost undis-
tinguishable from it.