DRY-POINTS, AND ETCHINGS.
not yet been acknowledged. There are two other engravings by Diirer dated
1523, the Apostles “St. Simon” and “St. Bartholomew” (Nos. 78 and 79).
A drawing, facing towards the left, is published by Lippmann No. 329.
99 FREDERIC THE WISE, ELECTOR OF SAXONY,—
B 104; H 1039; R 255; M 99.—Monogram (the D re-
versed AND THEN CORRECTED) ; DATED MDXXIIII.
a. Fine impression. Printed in soft black ink, with very trifling tinting
in the most closely worked parts only. The paper is somewhat damaged,
but not enough to interfere with the beauty of the impression.
b. Equally fine impression, in somewhat warmer ink. Slightly cut
above and on left and right sides, somewhat more below. False margin,
very skilfully supplied, the lower part of the frame around the inscription
and the line surrounding the portrait drawn with the pen. Watermark,
a jug. (See below.)
Paris: Delicate gray impression, much tinting in the close work on the right,
not quite sound in some parts. London: Two impressions, one of them on
satin, this latter very weak. The impression on paper is a good one, ink slightly
warmish black, a trifle muddy in the dark part of the fur on the left shoulder
(right side of the print). Berlin: Two impressions, one on satin, this latter
again rather weak. The other, on paper, is wonderfully fine, pure black ink,
with slight tinting. Bremen, Kunsthalle: Like the Berlin impression on paper,
but not as good. Watermark, a jug.
Impression, b is exhibited here for the purpose of permitting a correction to
be made. In the catalogue of the Diirer Exhibition held at the Museum of
Fine Arts, in Boston, 1888-89, this same impression was shown, and the
differences in the margin between it and another like a were pointed out as
“unaccountable.” The false margin and the restorations, most skilfully done,
had escaped the writer at the time. The sharp and experienced eye of Mr. E.
G. Kennedy, of Messrs. H. Wunderlich & Co., has since detected them. The
“ unaccountable differences ” are, therefore, explained.
It is stated that there are later impressions from the retouched plate.
Frederic III, called the Wise, born January 17, 1463, died May 5, 1525, elector
and duke of Saxony, was a patron of science, the founder of the university of
Wittenberg, and a supporter of the Reformation, although he never openly
espoused the doctrines of Luther. He was one of the earliest patrons of Diirer,
85