DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68504#0027
CATALOGUE 226
17
(Breu)
26 — Missale Constantiense. Augsburg, Erhard Ratdolt, after May 8,
1504. fol. 273 leaves, one of them blank. With two full page
woodcuts and two smaller ones by Jorg Breu the Elder,
another large cut and printer’s device. With a great
number of fine large capitals, white on black ground.
Text, capitals and some of the illustrations were printed in red
and black. The four woodcuts by Breu were carefully coloured by
a contemporary hand. The Canon (8 11.) is printed on Vel-
lum. In a fine binding of bevelled wooden boards covered with finely
blind-tooled pigskin. On the sides there are different borders surroun-
ding a central panel, that on the front cover showing the Last Supper,
that on the back cover the Holy Trinity. Embossed bronze corner
pieces, two clasps. (Bound by Georg Endler at Nuremberg.) Frs. 36OO.—
Not in Weale-Bohatta.
An unknown edition of the Missale Constantiense containing seve-
ral woodcuts by Breu printed in colours, red and black.
Our book is especially interesting on account of the two beautiful full-
page woodcuts signed by Jorg Breu the Elder. The first one shows the
Virgin standing on a pedestal against which rest a mitre and crosier and the
coat of arms of Hugo de Hohenlandenberg, Bishop of Constance.
To the left stands St. Conrad, to the right St. Pelagius, the patrons of the diocese
of Constance. The whole group is framed by a Gothic portal containing in the
spandrels recumbent figures of Adam and Eve, and the divided date 1504. In
the lower right corner the monogram of Breu. The coat of arms shows
some divisions printed in red. This and two further cuts described
below rank among the earliest specimens of woodcuts printed
in different colours and are the prototypes of the Chiaroscuro-
technique. The full-page cut in the Canon is printed on vellum. It shows
Christ on the Cross. On the left is the Virgin, full-face with clasped hands. On
the right stands S. John in profile lifting up his eyes to Christ. On a stone, in
the left corner we see the monogram of Jorg Breu. Another cut of Breu
shows the capital T surrounded by two angels among leafy scrolls. The frame
of this cut was printed in red. The fourth cut by Breu depicts the Holy Lamb
within a small medallion: parts of the flag, the mouth and the frame being prin-
ted in red. All these cuts were carefully coloured by a contemporary hand and
some were painted in gold.
The cuts, whose impressions here are very clear and fine, deserve special
interest in that they rank among the few early works of Breu and are
authenticated by his monogram. The reverse of the first full-page illustration
has been left blank; the reverse of the second shows only some lines of text.
Besides the fine device of Ratdolt printed in two colours, we find a half-
page astronomical diagram on fol. 10 vo.
Our edition of the missal differs rather from Weale-Bohatta’s description
No. 308. Although some parts of our book seem to be conformable with Weale-
GILHOFER & RANSCHBURG, VIENNA, I, BOGNERGASSE 2.
2
17
(Breu)
26 — Missale Constantiense. Augsburg, Erhard Ratdolt, after May 8,
1504. fol. 273 leaves, one of them blank. With two full page
woodcuts and two smaller ones by Jorg Breu the Elder,
another large cut and printer’s device. With a great
number of fine large capitals, white on black ground.
Text, capitals and some of the illustrations were printed in red
and black. The four woodcuts by Breu were carefully coloured by
a contemporary hand. The Canon (8 11.) is printed on Vel-
lum. In a fine binding of bevelled wooden boards covered with finely
blind-tooled pigskin. On the sides there are different borders surroun-
ding a central panel, that on the front cover showing the Last Supper,
that on the back cover the Holy Trinity. Embossed bronze corner
pieces, two clasps. (Bound by Georg Endler at Nuremberg.) Frs. 36OO.—
Not in Weale-Bohatta.
An unknown edition of the Missale Constantiense containing seve-
ral woodcuts by Breu printed in colours, red and black.
Our book is especially interesting on account of the two beautiful full-
page woodcuts signed by Jorg Breu the Elder. The first one shows the
Virgin standing on a pedestal against which rest a mitre and crosier and the
coat of arms of Hugo de Hohenlandenberg, Bishop of Constance.
To the left stands St. Conrad, to the right St. Pelagius, the patrons of the diocese
of Constance. The whole group is framed by a Gothic portal containing in the
spandrels recumbent figures of Adam and Eve, and the divided date 1504. In
the lower right corner the monogram of Breu. The coat of arms shows
some divisions printed in red. This and two further cuts described
below rank among the earliest specimens of woodcuts printed
in different colours and are the prototypes of the Chiaroscuro-
technique. The full-page cut in the Canon is printed on vellum. It shows
Christ on the Cross. On the left is the Virgin, full-face with clasped hands. On
the right stands S. John in profile lifting up his eyes to Christ. On a stone, in
the left corner we see the monogram of Jorg Breu. Another cut of Breu
shows the capital T surrounded by two angels among leafy scrolls. The frame
of this cut was printed in red. The fourth cut by Breu depicts the Holy Lamb
within a small medallion: parts of the flag, the mouth and the frame being prin-
ted in red. All these cuts were carefully coloured by a contemporary hand and
some were painted in gold.
The cuts, whose impressions here are very clear and fine, deserve special
interest in that they rank among the few early works of Breu and are
authenticated by his monogram. The reverse of the first full-page illustration
has been left blank; the reverse of the second shows only some lines of text.
Besides the fine device of Ratdolt printed in two colours, we find a half-
page astronomical diagram on fol. 10 vo.
Our edition of the missal differs rather from Weale-Bohatta’s description
No. 308. Although some parts of our book seem to be conformable with Weale-
GILHOFER & RANSCHBURG, VIENNA, I, BOGNERGASSE 2.
2
