DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28460#0053
Part I.—Introduction.
37
Cabinet.1) Exactly the same methocl of colour-printing was used in a
few rare woodcuts of the xvi century, the most remarkable of which
are Altdorfer’s Beautiful Yirgin of Eatisbon, and the arms of Cardinal
Lang, by the master of the Trostspiegel, which appeared in. Senfel,
Liber Selectarum Cantionum, published by Grirnm and Wirsung at
Augsburg in 1520. The peculiar shades of blue and green used
(with five other colours—black, red, pink, grey, and gold) in the
latter cut are almost exactly the same as in the Crucifixion, printed
twenty-seven years earlier, and it may be supposed that Ratdolt’s
workmen kept alive the tradition of this kind of printing. Printing
in two colours—red and black—as applied to title-pages and heraldic
cuts was fairly common in various parts of Germany and Switzerland
in the xvi century.
III.—THE BRITISH MUSEUM COLLECTIOK
The woodcuts and metal-cuts of the xv century are catalogued
in four divisions :—
A. Woodcuts, whether separate or in sets, which did not appear
in books.
B. Dotted prints and a few other cuts on metal.
C. Portions of blockbooks.
D. Book-illustrations.
Of the prints comprised in these four divisions, nothing except a few
sets of book-illustrations is derived frorn the cabinet of Sir Ilans Sloane
which formed the original nucleus of tlre national collection. The
Grotesque Alphabet of 1464 was presented by Sir George Beaumont
(d. 1827). Twenty-three woodcuts described in Divisions A and D
form part of the generous gift made by Mr. William Mitchell in 1895.
A few cuts in Divisions A and D were presented or bequeallred by
Sir A. W. Eranks, IT.C.B. A few illustrations in Division D were
transferred from the Bagford collection in the Department of Printed
1 Katdolt was the pionecr of colour-printing in Italy, as afterwards in Germany,
but some otber Venetian printers wrere not slow in following liis example. The book
on degrees of consanguinity, by Joliannes Crispus cle Montibus, printed by Johannes
Hamman of Landau, “ dictus Herzog,” in 1490 (Hain, 11607), contains a large folding
cut of a genealogical tree in three branches, springiug from the head and hands of a
seated man, printed in throe colours—recl (the tvpe only), purplish brown (thc figure
ancl stem), and green (the leaves). Impressions in tlie British Museum (Proctor, 5185)
and in the Berlin Cabinet (Lippmann, “ Italian Wood-engraving,” 1888, p. 68). Some
copies of the book have the c.ut priuted iu black only. A woodcut printed in four
colours (besides black) is said to occur in a book from anotlier Venetian .press, that of
Johannes and Gregorius de Gregoriis. Prof. Jaro Springer has described ananatomical
woodcut so prinfed in the 1493 edition of Ketliam’s “ Fasciculus Medicinae” (tho last
illustrution in the book). See “ Der Farbenholzschnitt ” (Dle Graphisclieri Kiinste,
Vienna, 1893, xvi, 12). Tliis edition is not in the British Museum.
Divisions.
Origin.
37
Cabinet.1) Exactly the same methocl of colour-printing was used in a
few rare woodcuts of the xvi century, the most remarkable of which
are Altdorfer’s Beautiful Yirgin of Eatisbon, and the arms of Cardinal
Lang, by the master of the Trostspiegel, which appeared in. Senfel,
Liber Selectarum Cantionum, published by Grirnm and Wirsung at
Augsburg in 1520. The peculiar shades of blue and green used
(with five other colours—black, red, pink, grey, and gold) in the
latter cut are almost exactly the same as in the Crucifixion, printed
twenty-seven years earlier, and it may be supposed that Ratdolt’s
workmen kept alive the tradition of this kind of printing. Printing
in two colours—red and black—as applied to title-pages and heraldic
cuts was fairly common in various parts of Germany and Switzerland
in the xvi century.
III.—THE BRITISH MUSEUM COLLECTIOK
The woodcuts and metal-cuts of the xv century are catalogued
in four divisions :—
A. Woodcuts, whether separate or in sets, which did not appear
in books.
B. Dotted prints and a few other cuts on metal.
C. Portions of blockbooks.
D. Book-illustrations.
Of the prints comprised in these four divisions, nothing except a few
sets of book-illustrations is derived frorn the cabinet of Sir Ilans Sloane
which formed the original nucleus of tlre national collection. The
Grotesque Alphabet of 1464 was presented by Sir George Beaumont
(d. 1827). Twenty-three woodcuts described in Divisions A and D
form part of the generous gift made by Mr. William Mitchell in 1895.
A few cuts in Divisions A and D were presented or bequeallred by
Sir A. W. Eranks, IT.C.B. A few illustrations in Division D were
transferred from the Bagford collection in the Department of Printed
1 Katdolt was the pionecr of colour-printing in Italy, as afterwards in Germany,
but some otber Venetian printers wrere not slow in following liis example. The book
on degrees of consanguinity, by Joliannes Crispus cle Montibus, printed by Johannes
Hamman of Landau, “ dictus Herzog,” in 1490 (Hain, 11607), contains a large folding
cut of a genealogical tree in three branches, springiug from the head and hands of a
seated man, printed in throe colours—recl (the tvpe only), purplish brown (thc figure
ancl stem), and green (the leaves). Impressions in tlie British Museum (Proctor, 5185)
and in the Berlin Cabinet (Lippmann, “ Italian Wood-engraving,” 1888, p. 68). Some
copies of the book have the c.ut priuted iu black only. A woodcut printed in four
colours (besides black) is said to occur in a book from anotlier Venetian .press, that of
Johannes and Gregorius de Gregoriis. Prof. Jaro Springer has described ananatomical
woodcut so prinfed in the 1493 edition of Ketliam’s “ Fasciculus Medicinae” (tho last
illustrution in the book). See “ Der Farbenholzschnitt ” (Dle Graphisclieri Kiinste,
Vienna, 1893, xvi, 12). Tliis edition is not in the British Museum.
Divisions.
Origin.