Author: Michel Wolgemut (1434-1519)
Title: Antique book illustration, handcolored woodcut doublesided | [Christ and his animal attributes], published 1491, 1 p.
Description: Christ in a garden surrounded by animals, his allegorical attributes.Among others, the pelican, the symbol of Christ that gives himself through Eucharist; the owl, [...] seen as a synthesis of the silent power of divine beauty, as the soul of the world and as the substance of God who casts out sin; in it, in fact, the Christian message of salvation is revived, as evidenced by the words of Christ who with the Psalmist says, I have become like the owl among the ruins, like the lonely bird on the roof.[...] (Bestiario Medievale); the griffin, with eagle beak and wings and lion body. It is a symbol of Christ, evoking the human and divine nature of the Saviour; the unicorn, similar to a white deer but with only one horn. It represents purity and great spirituality; the lion, who as a Christological symbol has three natures: [...] His first nature is this: when he goes around on the mountain and the scent of the hunters reaches him, he erases his footprints with his tail, so that the hunters will not find his den, following his footprints, and capture him. So also our Christ, a spiritual lion, sent by the invisible Father, has hidden his spiritual footprints, that is, his divine nature (...) Second nature of the lion: when the lion sleeps in the den, his eyes watch: for they stand open (...) So also the body of my Lord sleeps on the cross, but his divine nature keeps watch at the right hand of God the Father, for he that keepeth Israel shall not slumber nor sleep (...) Third nature of the lion: when the lioness begets the cub, she begets it dead and keeps the son until the father, when the third day has come, shall blow in his face and wake him up. So also our God, the Almighty (...) on the third day raised from the dead his firstborn Son, who was before every creature, our Lord Jesus Christ. [...]; the bear, as its cubs are often born (seemingly) dead and the mother resuscitates them with her breath.Titled above: Die sechszundsechtzigist figur.From the Schatzbehalter, [...] written by Stephan Fridolin, spiritual guide and confessor to the Poor Clares at Nuremberg, almost certainly at the behest of the nuns and their abbess, Caritas Pirckheimer, sister to Willibald. The text is based on Scripture and tells the story of the life and passion of Christ in 100 events; the accompanying illustrations were intended to impress the story more firmly on the minds of the audience, specifically those unable to read, as Fridolin states in the preface. It thus joins other late medieval works popularizing Scripture in text and image, such as the blockbook Biblia Pauperum. In his discussion of each woodcut, Fridolin explains the literal and metaphysical meaning of the image, thus giving the modern reader an invaluable insight into medieval interpretation of imagery. [...] (Christie's)Beautiful handcolored impression; the illustration on the verso is also handcolored.Wolgemut was one of Albrecht Dürer's masters.[NL] Christus in een tuin omringd door dieren, zijn allegorische attributen. Middeleeuws blad uit 1491 met houtsnede van Michel Wolgemut (1434-1519). Zeldzaam. Middle Ages.  Woodcut on paper, handcolored; total: 317 x 220 mm; mounted on fine cardboard passepartout, in very good condition.

Keywords: Allegories|Animals|Bible|Book history|Book illustrations|Early printings|Hand colored|Old Master Prints|Religion|Woodcut