DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28460#0042
26
Early German and Flemish Woodeuts.
Influence of
scholars on
illustration.
The “ plank ”
used, not the
“ end of the
wood.”
The knife,
not the
graver.
the employment of painters, such as Eeuwich and Wolgemut, in
designing illustrations. At the same period it becomes possible to
trace the influence of humanists upon book-illustration, and especially
that of three men, Sebastian Brant at Basle and Strassburg, Hartmann
Schedel and Conrad Celtis at iSTuremberg. In earlier times the
author of a book had sometimes given brief indications of what the
picture should contain,1 but there is good evidence tliat the three
scholars whorn I have named went beyond this and drew sketches
themselves, with instructions to guide the professional artist in
working them up into illustrations.
II.— TECHNICAL.
Eaely Wood-cutting as compaeed with Modeen Wood-engeaving.
All early wood-engraving, without exception, was done on the
plank, i.e. on a piece of wood sawn in tlie direction of the grain or
fibre, then planed and polished. The wood most commonly used was
pear ; some modern artists use cherry. Papillon, in the xvm century,
sometimes used a “ plank ” of boxwood, but boxwood cut across the
grain and engraved on the “ end of the wood ” only came into use
towards tlie end of the xvm century along with the new style of
wood-engraving commonly associated with the name of Bewick.2
With this exclusive use of the “ plank ” only one tool was
possible—tlie knife, supplemented by gouge and mallet for the
mere mechanical work of clearing away large spaces of background.
All early wood-engraving is knife-work, and the terrn “ engraving ”
is a misnomer; we ought to speak of “ cutting.” The graver or
burin is suited to the hard “ end ” of the wood, but cannot be used
on the plank without tearing up the fibre and destroying the line.
There is a modern American invention—the “ scrive ”—for over-
coming this difficulty with tlie fibre and producing on the plank, in
large, coarse cuts, like posters, the same white-line effect as is
1 For instance, in tlie numerous editions of Lichtenberger’s Prognosticatio tlre
contents, sometimes the composition, of every cut are stated in tlie text, e.g. “ Salvator
loquitur ad Eomanorum regem, tu protege armata manu ” (an early inculcation of the
doctrine of the “ mailed fist- ”), or, “ Monachus percutiens alium mouachum discipliuam
dando.” (See also the note on A 141.)
2 Bewick was anticipated in the use of the graver by the unknovn artist of Croxall’s
Fables (1722), also by Hodgson aud others. Papillon, who contended stoutly for the
exclusive use of the knife, spoke with disapproval (“ Traite,” 1766, n, 126) of “ a foreigner ”
who, some years bofore, had not only engraved with the burin, but even used the end of
the wood.
Early German and Flemish Woodeuts.
Influence of
scholars on
illustration.
The “ plank ”
used, not the
“ end of the
wood.”
The knife,
not the
graver.
the employment of painters, such as Eeuwich and Wolgemut, in
designing illustrations. At the same period it becomes possible to
trace the influence of humanists upon book-illustration, and especially
that of three men, Sebastian Brant at Basle and Strassburg, Hartmann
Schedel and Conrad Celtis at iSTuremberg. In earlier times the
author of a book had sometimes given brief indications of what the
picture should contain,1 but there is good evidence tliat the three
scholars whorn I have named went beyond this and drew sketches
themselves, with instructions to guide the professional artist in
working them up into illustrations.
II.— TECHNICAL.
Eaely Wood-cutting as compaeed with Modeen Wood-engeaving.
All early wood-engraving, without exception, was done on the
plank, i.e. on a piece of wood sawn in tlie direction of the grain or
fibre, then planed and polished. The wood most commonly used was
pear ; some modern artists use cherry. Papillon, in the xvm century,
sometimes used a “ plank ” of boxwood, but boxwood cut across the
grain and engraved on the “ end of the wood ” only came into use
towards tlie end of the xvm century along with the new style of
wood-engraving commonly associated with the name of Bewick.2
With this exclusive use of the “ plank ” only one tool was
possible—tlie knife, supplemented by gouge and mallet for the
mere mechanical work of clearing away large spaces of background.
All early wood-engraving is knife-work, and the terrn “ engraving ”
is a misnomer; we ought to speak of “ cutting.” The graver or
burin is suited to the hard “ end ” of the wood, but cannot be used
on the plank without tearing up the fibre and destroying the line.
There is a modern American invention—the “ scrive ”—for over-
coming this difficulty with tlie fibre and producing on the plank, in
large, coarse cuts, like posters, the same white-line effect as is
1 For instance, in tlie numerous editions of Lichtenberger’s Prognosticatio tlre
contents, sometimes the composition, of every cut are stated in tlie text, e.g. “ Salvator
loquitur ad Eomanorum regem, tu protege armata manu ” (an early inculcation of the
doctrine of the “ mailed fist- ”), or, “ Monachus percutiens alium mouachum discipliuam
dando.” (See also the note on A 141.)
2 Bewick was anticipated in the use of the graver by the unknovn artist of Croxall’s
Fables (1722), also by Hodgson aud others. Papillon, who contended stoutly for the
exclusive use of the knife, spoke with disapproval (“ Traite,” 1766, n, 126) of “ a foreigner ”
who, some years bofore, had not only engraved with the burin, but even used the end of
the wood.