DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28460#0350
31(5
Early German ancl Flemisli Woodcuts.—Part II.
moreover, with birds, beasts, reptiles, dragons, and other creatures,
mythica] or real, which Stabius does not attempt to explain in detail.
Our impression of the complete arcli, tlie provenciTioe of which is not recorded, has
been mounted on linen; it is attached to a roller and hung in the exhibition room. The
height of the sheet, from the top to the bottom of the paper, is 11 ft. 8^ in. or 357 cm.
The width at the hottom, where the blocks at either end of the descriptive text extend
to the edge of the paper, is 9 ft. 8 in. or 295 cm. The total height of the blocks
themselves, measured down the middle from the top of the crown to the foot of the text,
is 10 ft. or 305 cm.
The impression belongs to the first edition, issued in 1517-18. The paper is white
nnd well-preserved, save for trifling mjuries, witli the exception of the sheet which
contains the upper half of the historical subjects on the r. side; the paper of that slieet
has a yellow tinge, due probably to exposure before the sheets were joined. The water-
mark is a large eagle (see Ha. p. 83), the exact shape of whieh cannot be seen through
the linen back. The word “ Halt ” in “ Halt Maes ” (the motto of tlie Order of
Temperance) is gilt; no other portion of the woodcut is coloured. The printing is
uneven.
Complete sets of the first edition are very rare. There are mounted sets at Berlin,
Copenhagen, and in the vonLanna collection at Prague (coloured) ; unmounted sets in
the original sheets and in brilliant preservation are preserved at Copenbagen, Stockholm,
Stuttgart and in the collection of Mr A. H. Huth at Biddesden, Andover, Hants. The
latter is the set, mentioned by Bartsch and other writers, formerly in the collection of
Moritz Graf von Fries, at Yienna, and said to be derived from the Praun Cabinet at
Nuremberg, sold in 1802. The Fries collection, now Mr. Huth’s, is, in the main,
that formed by Abraham Ortelius of Antwerp (d. 1598), whose Diirer work in three
volumes is briefly described in the Fries sale-catalogue (Amsterdam, 1824), pp. 67-72.
Special literature on this wooclcut;—
H. Glax. “ Ueber die vier Ausgaben der geschichtlichen Yorstel-
lungen der Ehrenpforte Kaiser Maximilian’s I ” (Quellen uncl Forschungen
zur vaterldndischen Geschichte, Literatur uncl Kunst, Wien, 1849, p. 259).
A. Bielke. “ Die Ehrenpforte A. Diirer’s in der Ivupferstichsammlung
des konigl. Museums zu Stockholm ” (De-utsches Kunsiblati, 1853, iv, 13).
J. M. Thiele. “ Dre Triumphpforte des Kaisers Maximilian von Albr.
Diirer ” (ibid. 178).
E. Chmelarz. “ Die Ehrenpforte des Kaisers Maximilian I ” (Jalirb.
d. lcunsthist. Samml. d. allerh. Kciiserhauses, Wien, 1886, iv, 289).
W. Schmidt. “ tlber den Antheil Wolf Traut’s, H. Springinklee’s
und A. Altdorfer’s an der Ehrenpforte Maximilian’s I ” (Ghronik fiir
vervielfdltigende Kunst, 1891, iv, 9).
C. v. Ltitzow. “ Gesch. d. deutschen Kupferst. und Holzschn.” 1891,
119-122.
text, conveyed in the appropriate symbols, runs as follows: “ Immortalis ac sempi-
ternus famse beros (the Emperor with a basilisk on his liead), antiqua ab origine natus
(the bundle of papyrus on which he sits), princeps optimus (dog wearing a stole),
animosissimus, fortissimus, vigilantissimus (lion), cunetis naturae bonis prmditus, artibus
et dinciplinis egregie eruditus (dew desceuding froin heaven), divinus (star), Aquil.
Kom. Imp. (the eagle on the hangings at his back), magnse orbis terrarum partis
dominus (serpent cut in half on the sceptre), virtute bellica summaque modestia (bull),
victoriaque excelienti superavit (hawk), Bcgem Gallum potentissimum (the cock stand-
ing on aserpent, emblem of the mighty King of France, defeated at Terouanne, 16 Aug.
1513), quod ferme impossibile videbatur omnibus hominibus (human feet walking
on water).” The last Lieroglyph (crane, emblem of circnmspection), interpreted by
Stabius of Maximilian’s prudence in preventing the attacks of the said enemy, is not
mentioned by Pirkheimer, and may have been a subsequent nddition. Dr. Giehlow
kindly callcd my attention to this interesting passage, which will be fully illustrated in
His essay on tlie knowledge of hieroglyphics at the time of the Renaissance (to appear
in the course of 1903 as a supplement to the Jahrbuch)■ See p. 318.
Early German ancl Flemisli Woodcuts.—Part II.
moreover, with birds, beasts, reptiles, dragons, and other creatures,
mythica] or real, which Stabius does not attempt to explain in detail.
Our impression of the complete arcli, tlie provenciTioe of which is not recorded, has
been mounted on linen; it is attached to a roller and hung in the exhibition room. The
height of the sheet, from the top to the bottom of the paper, is 11 ft. 8^ in. or 357 cm.
The width at the hottom, where the blocks at either end of the descriptive text extend
to the edge of the paper, is 9 ft. 8 in. or 295 cm. The total height of the blocks
themselves, measured down the middle from the top of the crown to the foot of the text,
is 10 ft. or 305 cm.
The impression belongs to the first edition, issued in 1517-18. The paper is white
nnd well-preserved, save for trifling mjuries, witli the exception of the sheet which
contains the upper half of the historical subjects on the r. side; the paper of that slieet
has a yellow tinge, due probably to exposure before the sheets were joined. The water-
mark is a large eagle (see Ha. p. 83), the exact shape of whieh cannot be seen through
the linen back. The word “ Halt ” in “ Halt Maes ” (the motto of tlie Order of
Temperance) is gilt; no other portion of the woodcut is coloured. The printing is
uneven.
Complete sets of the first edition are very rare. There are mounted sets at Berlin,
Copenhagen, and in the vonLanna collection at Prague (coloured) ; unmounted sets in
the original sheets and in brilliant preservation are preserved at Copenbagen, Stockholm,
Stuttgart and in the collection of Mr A. H. Huth at Biddesden, Andover, Hants. The
latter is the set, mentioned by Bartsch and other writers, formerly in the collection of
Moritz Graf von Fries, at Yienna, and said to be derived from the Praun Cabinet at
Nuremberg, sold in 1802. The Fries collection, now Mr. Huth’s, is, in the main,
that formed by Abraham Ortelius of Antwerp (d. 1598), whose Diirer work in three
volumes is briefly described in the Fries sale-catalogue (Amsterdam, 1824), pp. 67-72.
Special literature on this wooclcut;—
H. Glax. “ Ueber die vier Ausgaben der geschichtlichen Yorstel-
lungen der Ehrenpforte Kaiser Maximilian’s I ” (Quellen uncl Forschungen
zur vaterldndischen Geschichte, Literatur uncl Kunst, Wien, 1849, p. 259).
A. Bielke. “ Die Ehrenpforte A. Diirer’s in der Ivupferstichsammlung
des konigl. Museums zu Stockholm ” (De-utsches Kunsiblati, 1853, iv, 13).
J. M. Thiele. “ Dre Triumphpforte des Kaisers Maximilian von Albr.
Diirer ” (ibid. 178).
E. Chmelarz. “ Die Ehrenpforte des Kaisers Maximilian I ” (Jalirb.
d. lcunsthist. Samml. d. allerh. Kciiserhauses, Wien, 1886, iv, 289).
W. Schmidt. “ tlber den Antheil Wolf Traut’s, H. Springinklee’s
und A. Altdorfer’s an der Ehrenpforte Maximilian’s I ” (Ghronik fiir
vervielfdltigende Kunst, 1891, iv, 9).
C. v. Ltitzow. “ Gesch. d. deutschen Kupferst. und Holzschn.” 1891,
119-122.
text, conveyed in the appropriate symbols, runs as follows: “ Immortalis ac sempi-
ternus famse beros (the Emperor with a basilisk on his liead), antiqua ab origine natus
(the bundle of papyrus on which he sits), princeps optimus (dog wearing a stole),
animosissimus, fortissimus, vigilantissimus (lion), cunetis naturae bonis prmditus, artibus
et dinciplinis egregie eruditus (dew desceuding froin heaven), divinus (star), Aquil.
Kom. Imp. (the eagle on the hangings at his back), magnse orbis terrarum partis
dominus (serpent cut in half on the sceptre), virtute bellica summaque modestia (bull),
victoriaque excelienti superavit (hawk), Bcgem Gallum potentissimum (the cock stand-
ing on aserpent, emblem of the mighty King of France, defeated at Terouanne, 16 Aug.
1513), quod ferme impossibile videbatur omnibus hominibus (human feet walking
on water).” The last Lieroglyph (crane, emblem of circnmspection), interpreted by
Stabius of Maximilian’s prudence in preventing the attacks of the said enemy, is not
mentioned by Pirkheimer, and may have been a subsequent nddition. Dr. Giehlow
kindly callcd my attention to this interesting passage, which will be fully illustrated in
His essay on tlie knowledge of hieroglyphics at the time of the Renaissance (to appear
in the course of 1903 as a supplement to the Jahrbuch)■ See p. 318.