DOI issue:
Vol. 4, No. 2 (April, 1914)
DOI article:Geisberg, Max: Martin Schongauer
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49981#0225
spects, and that he is the first to undertake the Interpre-
tation of atmosphere filling and deepening his pictures.
The birth of such potentialities, however, is found in
Schongauer.
To differentiate between painter and engraver by the
terms artist and artisan most assuredly would be a mis-
take. In mediaeval Germany they are synonymous.
Yet certain peculiarities which we are pleased to call ar-
tistic, are found in Schongauer and in his prints. For
instance, the self-consciousness, unknown till his day,
which finds expression in the signing of all his engravings
with the Initials of his name. The few cases in which we
can trace corrections on the plates, viz: the strengthen-
ing of shadows, etc., show these to have been guided by
artistic considerations, never by the clesire to increase
the number of impressions the plate niight yield, which
is a common practice with Meckenem. Schongauer
seems not to have printed from his plates after they had
reached a certain clegree of wear; whatever worn impres-
sions there are, must date from subsequent owners of his
copper plates who made Capital out of his fame. As a
matter of fact, there is even a portrait of Luther with
the monogram of Schongauer! While trial proofs of
Dürer’s prints reveal the careful preparations made for
his engravings, the essential outlines of the composition
drawn in with the dry-point, Schongauer apparently
seems to have used no such preliminary outline, judg-
ing from corrections which were evidently made subse-
quently on the plates. In the Resurrection, for instance,
the rise of ground under the Magdalen has only been
added to bring the kneeling figure into the foreground.
If the hills are covered up with the hand, the figures
represented no longer look at each other. In the scene
123
tation of atmosphere filling and deepening his pictures.
The birth of such potentialities, however, is found in
Schongauer.
To differentiate between painter and engraver by the
terms artist and artisan most assuredly would be a mis-
take. In mediaeval Germany they are synonymous.
Yet certain peculiarities which we are pleased to call ar-
tistic, are found in Schongauer and in his prints. For
instance, the self-consciousness, unknown till his day,
which finds expression in the signing of all his engravings
with the Initials of his name. The few cases in which we
can trace corrections on the plates, viz: the strengthen-
ing of shadows, etc., show these to have been guided by
artistic considerations, never by the clesire to increase
the number of impressions the plate niight yield, which
is a common practice with Meckenem. Schongauer
seems not to have printed from his plates after they had
reached a certain clegree of wear; whatever worn impres-
sions there are, must date from subsequent owners of his
copper plates who made Capital out of his fame. As a
matter of fact, there is even a portrait of Luther with
the monogram of Schongauer! While trial proofs of
Dürer’s prints reveal the careful preparations made for
his engravings, the essential outlines of the composition
drawn in with the dry-point, Schongauer apparently
seems to have used no such preliminary outline, judg-
ing from corrections which were evidently made subse-
quently on the plates. In the Resurrection, for instance,
the rise of ground under the Magdalen has only been
added to bring the kneeling figure into the foreground.
If the hills are covered up with the hand, the figures
represented no longer look at each other. In the scene
123