DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28460#0300
Division A.—School of Nuremberg.—Diirer.
269
and in most of tlie early woodcuts tlie sky is left wkite, but clouds occui' in B. G
and 12, while in B. 127 these are drawn nearly iuthe samc way as here. We have the
expanse of water, so beloved by Diirer, but not the iiight of birds in the sky, which he
seldom omitted in his large cuts. The nimbus with the ornamental rim is the detail
most difficult to reconcile with Diirer. The watermark presents another difficulty, as it
is most commonly found about 1504-5, whereas the woodcut, if by Diirer, must be about
ten years earlier. This impression, liowevei', is not a very early one, and the block may
liave been reprinted. It is, perhaps, too far-fetched to suggest that tliis St. Sebastian,
if not au original by Diirer, may be a copy ; for it is improbable that the copy only
sliouid have survived and the original, wliether signed or not, have perished, and tho
watermark is not that found on the copies of the carly woodcuts (see note to no. 3a).
Dr. Meder (“ Handzeichnungen aus der Albertina, u.s.w.,” iv, 428) attributes this
woodcut to tlie same artist as St. Okristopher, B. 105. I canuot agree with him.
[3-9.]
LARGE SINGLE WOODCUTS—about 1495-1498.
3. THE MARTYRDOM OF TIIE TEN THOUSAND CHRISTIANS.
B. 117. H. 1881. R. 117.
[391 X 284.] Eine impression, slightly cut, especially on r. side. Watermark,
Ha. 24. Collections: Enzenberg (F. 160), Mitchell.
Fresented by W. Mitchell, Esq., 1895.
This is the most primitive in appearance of Diirer’s signed woodcuts and may be
dated about 1495-96. Retberg dates it 1507, the year in whicli Diirer was engaged on
the picture of the same subject, now at Yienna, wliich he finished in 1508. Thausing,
with more attention to style, places it “ about ten years earlier ” than the picture, but
after the Apocalypse. The subject, to judge by the costume of the monarch with the
impei'ial crown, is probably the massacre under Hadrian described in the Golden
Legend, whereas the thoroughly Oriental costumes in thc picture agree better with the
other version of the legend in wbick the Persian king Sapor figures. The hishop, whose
eyes are being bored out, cannot be, as Retberg says, Leodegarius (Leger), who sulfered a
solitary martyrdom at Autun in 678. This woodcut has been attributedby Dr. F. Rieffel,1
without any evidence, to Griinewald.
3a. THE MARTYRDOM OF THE TEN THOUSAND CHRISTIANS.
Copy, without the monograru.
[387 X 283.] Fiue impression, with margin [5 mm.] at top and bottom ; the margin
at the sides has been added by a skilful restorer. Watermark, high crowu, variety of
Ha. 21.
Presented by W. Mitckell Escp, 1895.
Of the utmost rarity. Another impression is at Paris ; a third, witli the four corners
torn off and otherwise damaged, is in the library of the Academy of Arts, Vienna.
Similar copies exist of all the large single woodcuts of this group, with the exception
of the Martyrdom of St. Catherine and the Virgin with the Hares. The Men’s Bath
(B. 128), without the monogram, is at Berlin and in the Blasius collection, Brunswick;
“Ercules” (B. 127) in the Albertina; the Knight and Man-at-Arms (B. 131) in the
Albertina, at Berlin, and in this collection; Samson (B. 2), at Stuttgart (much
damaged), and in the v. Lanna collection, Prague.
In describing these unsigned woodcuts as copies, I reject the opinion, to which
Thausing’s authority2 has given some currency, that they are earlier versions cut while
Diirer was still in dependence on Wolgemut, and for that reason uusigned, while the
signed woodcxrts are improved repetitions made for Durer’s own benefit after he becamc
1 Zeitsclir.f. christl. Kunst, 1897, x, 137.
2 Mitlh. cl. Inst. f. osterr. Geschichtsforschung, iii, 96.
269
and in most of tlie early woodcuts tlie sky is left wkite, but clouds occui' in B. G
and 12, while in B. 127 these are drawn nearly iuthe samc way as here. We have the
expanse of water, so beloved by Diirer, but not the iiight of birds in the sky, which he
seldom omitted in his large cuts. The nimbus with the ornamental rim is the detail
most difficult to reconcile with Diirer. The watermark presents another difficulty, as it
is most commonly found about 1504-5, whereas the woodcut, if by Diirer, must be about
ten years earlier. This impression, liowevei', is not a very early one, and the block may
liave been reprinted. It is, perhaps, too far-fetched to suggest that tliis St. Sebastian,
if not au original by Diirer, may be a copy ; for it is improbable that the copy only
sliouid have survived and the original, wliether signed or not, have perished, and tho
watermark is not that found on the copies of the carly woodcuts (see note to no. 3a).
Dr. Meder (“ Handzeichnungen aus der Albertina, u.s.w.,” iv, 428) attributes this
woodcut to tlie same artist as St. Okristopher, B. 105. I canuot agree with him.
[3-9.]
LARGE SINGLE WOODCUTS—about 1495-1498.
3. THE MARTYRDOM OF TIIE TEN THOUSAND CHRISTIANS.
B. 117. H. 1881. R. 117.
[391 X 284.] Eine impression, slightly cut, especially on r. side. Watermark,
Ha. 24. Collections: Enzenberg (F. 160), Mitchell.
Fresented by W. Mitchell, Esq., 1895.
This is the most primitive in appearance of Diirer’s signed woodcuts and may be
dated about 1495-96. Retberg dates it 1507, the year in whicli Diirer was engaged on
the picture of the same subject, now at Yienna, wliich he finished in 1508. Thausing,
with more attention to style, places it “ about ten years earlier ” than the picture, but
after the Apocalypse. The subject, to judge by the costume of the monarch with the
impei'ial crown, is probably the massacre under Hadrian described in the Golden
Legend, whereas the thoroughly Oriental costumes in thc picture agree better with the
other version of the legend in wbick the Persian king Sapor figures. The hishop, whose
eyes are being bored out, cannot be, as Retberg says, Leodegarius (Leger), who sulfered a
solitary martyrdom at Autun in 678. This woodcut has been attributedby Dr. F. Rieffel,1
without any evidence, to Griinewald.
3a. THE MARTYRDOM OF THE TEN THOUSAND CHRISTIANS.
Copy, without the monograru.
[387 X 283.] Fiue impression, with margin [5 mm.] at top and bottom ; the margin
at the sides has been added by a skilful restorer. Watermark, high crowu, variety of
Ha. 21.
Presented by W. Mitckell Escp, 1895.
Of the utmost rarity. Another impression is at Paris ; a third, witli the four corners
torn off and otherwise damaged, is in the library of the Academy of Arts, Vienna.
Similar copies exist of all the large single woodcuts of this group, with the exception
of the Martyrdom of St. Catherine and the Virgin with the Hares. The Men’s Bath
(B. 128), without the monogram, is at Berlin and in the Blasius collection, Brunswick;
“Ercules” (B. 127) in the Albertina; the Knight and Man-at-Arms (B. 131) in the
Albertina, at Berlin, and in this collection; Samson (B. 2), at Stuttgart (much
damaged), and in the v. Lanna collection, Prague.
In describing these unsigned woodcuts as copies, I reject the opinion, to which
Thausing’s authority2 has given some currency, that they are earlier versions cut while
Diirer was still in dependence on Wolgemut, and for that reason uusigned, while the
signed woodcxrts are improved repetitions made for Durer’s own benefit after he becamc
1 Zeitsclir.f. christl. Kunst, 1897, x, 137.
2 Mitlh. cl. Inst. f. osterr. Geschichtsforschung, iii, 96.