DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28460#0484
Division A.-—Sehool of Nuremberg.-—Schdn.
435
border of four blocks [e'ach 130 x 14] of little artistic merit, coloured iu tlie
same way.
Purchased from Mr. Ellis, 1865.
This woodcut stands on tlie verso of leaf ccxxv of the Bohemian N.T. (Nowy
Zakon) printed by Jan Pekka at Pilsen, 1527, 4to (described by R. K. Ungar,
“Allgemeine bdhmische Bibliothek.” 1 Kl. Theologie, 1 Abth. Hierographie, Prag, 1786,
8vo, p. 82, no. 27). On the recto of the leaf are the last verses of Revelation and the
colophon, followed by the armorial printer’s mark of Pekka, with his initials H P
(Hans Pek) [32 x 29], coloured. A perfect copy of this rare book, with tlie cuts
uncoloured, in the university library of Prague, was entrusted to me in 1902 by the
courtesy of the librarian, to whom my thanks are due. Its cbief contents are thirty-
three cuts of a Passion by Traut, dated 1510. There are uo other cuts in the style of
this St. Wenceslaus. The subject proves that tlie woodcut was designed for a Bohemian
book, and the style of the features agrees well with Schon’s work of this date, but there
is already a defect in the bloolc, and the border of vine stems rather suggests an earlier
period. The trees, too, are like those of the Rosary and the Hortulus cuts, but there is
only a slight survival (between the saint’s legs) of the old manner of drawing the
surface of the ground in curves.
f THE SIX PATRON SAINTS OF BOHEMIA. Holler 2037.
(Reproduction.)
Photograph of a lato impression, showing worm-holes in the block, in the ITeller
collection in the royal library at Bamberg [163 X 140].
Heller describes the woodcut accurately, but has not identified the saints. The
first two, a bisbop and an abbot, are St. Adalbert and probably St. Norbert; the others
are certainly SS. Sigismund, Yitus, Ludmilla, and Wenceslaus. Heller identifies the
sliield with a fess, near St. Adalbert, with the Austrian arms, which it undouhtedly
resembles, but it is impossible that they should appear in this conuection. By its
proximity to tlie bishop and by tbe analogy of the woodcut just described, where tbe
tiuctures are given, it is more likely to be the arms of tbe see of Prague, which there
correspond to the shield with the eagle held by St. Wenceslaus.1 The latter saint
strongly resembles the smaller figure in the Pilsen N.T., but here he wears a mantle
over liis armour and his hands are not gauntleted. The Diirer monogram is a forgery,
cut out at a later time from tbe black surface of the eagle’s breast on the shield, so that
it appears in white line. I attribute the woodcut to Schon, and place it here for
comparison with liis other works connectcd witli Bohemia, thougli I should be inclined
to date it earlier, perhaps by as mucli as ten years. Tlie block was probably intendecl
originally for a book illustration.
33. BORDER, WITH TJIE TREE OF JESSE. 1528.
Nagler, Mon. ii, p. 652, no. 1756.
Jesse reclines in the foreground, leaning his head on his r. hand and
gazing intently to r. The stem which issues from his breast ascencls at
once to David ancl there clivides, the 1. branch bearing Solomon, then
an unnamed king, then Joachim ancl Mary, while the r. branch bears
Nathan, again an unnamecl king, Jacob ancl Joseph. The two branches
converge where the infant Jesus, holding a cross, sits at the top, with
the Dove over his head and surrounded by the emblems of the four
Evangelists. All these persons, with the exception of two kings of
Judah, have their names cut on scrolls. On either side of Jesse are two
whole-length figures of prophets, Isaiah 1. ancl Jeremiah r. The former.
carries a large scroll with the inscription “ Egredietur virga j cle radice
Jesse et flos de | Radice euis (sic) ascendet j et requiescet super eu |
spiritus do | mini.” In the 1. lower corner is a placard with the monogram.
1 In tbe frontispiece to tbe Prague Missal of 1508, representing SS. Adalbc-rt,
Sigismund, Yitus, and Wenceslaus, tbe first-named saint holds a shield precisely
resembling the second shield in no. 32, witb tbe tinctures so far given that the sable
fifekl is printed black.
2 f 2
435
border of four blocks [e'ach 130 x 14] of little artistic merit, coloured iu tlie
same way.
Purchased from Mr. Ellis, 1865.
This woodcut stands on tlie verso of leaf ccxxv of the Bohemian N.T. (Nowy
Zakon) printed by Jan Pekka at Pilsen, 1527, 4to (described by R. K. Ungar,
“Allgemeine bdhmische Bibliothek.” 1 Kl. Theologie, 1 Abth. Hierographie, Prag, 1786,
8vo, p. 82, no. 27). On the recto of the leaf are the last verses of Revelation and the
colophon, followed by the armorial printer’s mark of Pekka, with his initials H P
(Hans Pek) [32 x 29], coloured. A perfect copy of this rare book, with tlie cuts
uncoloured, in the university library of Prague, was entrusted to me in 1902 by the
courtesy of the librarian, to whom my thanks are due. Its cbief contents are thirty-
three cuts of a Passion by Traut, dated 1510. There are uo other cuts in the style of
this St. Wenceslaus. The subject proves that tlie woodcut was designed for a Bohemian
book, and the style of the features agrees well with Schon’s work of this date, but there
is already a defect in the bloolc, and the border of vine stems rather suggests an earlier
period. The trees, too, are like those of the Rosary and the Hortulus cuts, but there is
only a slight survival (between the saint’s legs) of the old manner of drawing the
surface of the ground in curves.
f THE SIX PATRON SAINTS OF BOHEMIA. Holler 2037.
(Reproduction.)
Photograph of a lato impression, showing worm-holes in the block, in the ITeller
collection in the royal library at Bamberg [163 X 140].
Heller describes the woodcut accurately, but has not identified the saints. The
first two, a bisbop and an abbot, are St. Adalbert and probably St. Norbert; the others
are certainly SS. Sigismund, Yitus, Ludmilla, and Wenceslaus. Heller identifies the
sliield with a fess, near St. Adalbert, with the Austrian arms, which it undouhtedly
resembles, but it is impossible that they should appear in this conuection. By its
proximity to tlie bishop and by tbe analogy of the woodcut just described, where tbe
tiuctures are given, it is more likely to be the arms of tbe see of Prague, which there
correspond to the shield with the eagle held by St. Wenceslaus.1 The latter saint
strongly resembles the smaller figure in the Pilsen N.T., but here he wears a mantle
over liis armour and his hands are not gauntleted. The Diirer monogram is a forgery,
cut out at a later time from tbe black surface of the eagle’s breast on the shield, so that
it appears in white line. I attribute the woodcut to Schon, and place it here for
comparison with liis other works connectcd witli Bohemia, thougli I should be inclined
to date it earlier, perhaps by as mucli as ten years. Tlie block was probably intendecl
originally for a book illustration.
33. BORDER, WITH TJIE TREE OF JESSE. 1528.
Nagler, Mon. ii, p. 652, no. 1756.
Jesse reclines in the foreground, leaning his head on his r. hand and
gazing intently to r. The stem which issues from his breast ascencls at
once to David ancl there clivides, the 1. branch bearing Solomon, then
an unnamed king, then Joachim ancl Mary, while the r. branch bears
Nathan, again an unnamecl king, Jacob ancl Joseph. The two branches
converge where the infant Jesus, holding a cross, sits at the top, with
the Dove over his head and surrounded by the emblems of the four
Evangelists. All these persons, with the exception of two kings of
Judah, have their names cut on scrolls. On either side of Jesse are two
whole-length figures of prophets, Isaiah 1. ancl Jeremiah r. The former.
carries a large scroll with the inscription “ Egredietur virga j cle radice
Jesse et flos de | Radice euis (sic) ascendet j et requiescet super eu |
spiritus do | mini.” In the 1. lower corner is a placard with the monogram.
1 In tbe frontispiece to tbe Prague Missal of 1508, representing SS. Adalbc-rt,
Sigismund, Yitus, and Wenceslaus, tbe first-named saint holds a shield precisely
resembling the second shield in no. 32, witb tbe tinctures so far given that the sable
fifekl is printed black.
2 f 2