DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28460#0111
92
Early German and Flemish Woodcuts.—Part I.
A 82.
ST. GEOEGE.
Sclir. 1448. W — D 79.
St. George, in full armour, with double nimbus, wearing a wide low
hat, with two feathers fastened in front by a jewelled clasp, rides towards
the r. and drives his spear through the neck of the dragon, which lies on
its back, writhing on the ground. In the foreground lies the mangled
skeleton of one of the dragon’s human victims. The princess, who wears
a crown, mantle and robe, kneels with clasped hands on the rising ground
r. Beyond her a church spire rises over the edge of the hill. A dead
tree stands near her, 1. The hill slopes down towards the 1. side of the
print, where the castle or fortified town of Selene appears, surrounded by
a moat in which the water flows from r. to 1., passing under an archway
which connects an outlying round tower with the main building. Over
another arch 1., where steps are seen leading down to the water, the king
and queen, both crowned, the former with a sceptre in his hand, are
watching the conflict. Hear another round tower, where the moat turns
the corner of the fortress, a swan swims up stream.
There is a double border, but parts of the design are carried beyond
the inner line at several points. Hatching is used, but not in the
mechanical, regular way common in the less artistic woodcuts of the time.
The shading and modelling, especially of the horse, are very carefully
produced by short lines, straight or curved as the occasion requires,
combined with dots, in a way which recalls the method of an engraver on
copper. Perhaps Burgundian in origin.
[168 X 250.] Tke impression kas been taken in a pale grey ink, or ratker dis-
temper, wkick kas been insufficiently applied to tke block, so tkat some of tke lines,
cspecially towards tke r. upper corner, kave made an impression witkont colour. Tke
lower border kas been entirely lost, and tke outer line is imperfect on all sides. Colours:
dark red, dark green, tke latter in several skades. Witk tke same green colour tke
name ^anrtlts jjC0njP kas been written in Gotkic ckaracters near tke saint’s kead. Tlie
space between tke two lines of tke border is red. The watermark is an anckor witk a
cross.
Purcliased at tke Drugulin sale, London, 11th June, 1866, lot 25, wkere it was
described as Pkilip tke Good of Burgundy, represented as St. George. Kepr. Sckr. vi,
pl. xvii.
A 83.
THE MASS OF ST. GEEGOKY.
Sckr. 1458. W.—D S0.
St. Gregory, with a plain nimbus, vested in alb and chasuble, kneels
with folded hands on the lowest step of an altar 1., on which are chalice
and paten, two altar lights and an open missal. Farther back on the
altar is an open tomb, in which Christ stands as Man of Sorrows, with
folded arms, holding a rod in his 1. hand, a scourge in his r., and looking
down at St. Gregory. An angel stands behind him, 1., near the colurnn
of the flagellation. R. of the altar, near the deacon who holds the Pope’s
tiara, is the cross, with the crown of thorns hanging on its 1. beam and
the reed and spear leaning against the r. beam. Two other sainted Popes
stand r., one of whorn, holding a pastoral staff, points with his 1. hand to
the miraculous apparition, while the other, holding a double cross in his
Early German and Flemish Woodcuts.—Part I.
A 82.
ST. GEOEGE.
Sclir. 1448. W — D 79.
St. George, in full armour, with double nimbus, wearing a wide low
hat, with two feathers fastened in front by a jewelled clasp, rides towards
the r. and drives his spear through the neck of the dragon, which lies on
its back, writhing on the ground. In the foreground lies the mangled
skeleton of one of the dragon’s human victims. The princess, who wears
a crown, mantle and robe, kneels with clasped hands on the rising ground
r. Beyond her a church spire rises over the edge of the hill. A dead
tree stands near her, 1. The hill slopes down towards the 1. side of the
print, where the castle or fortified town of Selene appears, surrounded by
a moat in which the water flows from r. to 1., passing under an archway
which connects an outlying round tower with the main building. Over
another arch 1., where steps are seen leading down to the water, the king
and queen, both crowned, the former with a sceptre in his hand, are
watching the conflict. Hear another round tower, where the moat turns
the corner of the fortress, a swan swims up stream.
There is a double border, but parts of the design are carried beyond
the inner line at several points. Hatching is used, but not in the
mechanical, regular way common in the less artistic woodcuts of the time.
The shading and modelling, especially of the horse, are very carefully
produced by short lines, straight or curved as the occasion requires,
combined with dots, in a way which recalls the method of an engraver on
copper. Perhaps Burgundian in origin.
[168 X 250.] Tke impression kas been taken in a pale grey ink, or ratker dis-
temper, wkick kas been insufficiently applied to tke block, so tkat some of tke lines,
cspecially towards tke r. upper corner, kave made an impression witkont colour. Tke
lower border kas been entirely lost, and tke outer line is imperfect on all sides. Colours:
dark red, dark green, tke latter in several skades. Witk tke same green colour tke
name ^anrtlts jjC0njP kas been written in Gotkic ckaracters near tke saint’s kead. Tlie
space between tke two lines of tke border is red. The watermark is an anckor witk a
cross.
Purcliased at tke Drugulin sale, London, 11th June, 1866, lot 25, wkere it was
described as Pkilip tke Good of Burgundy, represented as St. George. Kepr. Sckr. vi,
pl. xvii.
A 83.
THE MASS OF ST. GEEGOKY.
Sckr. 1458. W.—D S0.
St. Gregory, with a plain nimbus, vested in alb and chasuble, kneels
with folded hands on the lowest step of an altar 1., on which are chalice
and paten, two altar lights and an open missal. Farther back on the
altar is an open tomb, in which Christ stands as Man of Sorrows, with
folded arms, holding a rod in his 1. hand, a scourge in his r., and looking
down at St. Gregory. An angel stands behind him, 1., near the colurnn
of the flagellation. R. of the altar, near the deacon who holds the Pope’s
tiara, is the cross, with the crown of thorns hanging on its 1. beam and
the reed and spear leaning against the r. beam. Two other sainted Popes
stand r., one of whorn, holding a pastoral staff, points with his 1. hand to
the miraculous apparition, while the other, holding a double cross in his