Descrizione

25 full-page woodcuts, 24 of them by Urs Graf, mostly with his monogram, and 1 woodcut by Hans Wechtlin. Roman type. 30 leaves. Folio (c. 295 x 200 mm). Early 17th cent. vellum, gold fillets, with large central colored and gold-stamped armorial supralibros on both covers (unidentified), back gilt. Strasbourg, Johann Knobloch, 1508. Urs Graf's (Solothurn 1485-1528) celebrated fine woodcut series of the the so-called Ringmann Passion of Jesus Christ was first issued in 1506 in two editions, German and Latin. The text from the NT passion was brought together by Johann Geiler von Keysersberg, the famous Swiss born priest (1445-1510). Editor of Urs Graf's present earliest book illustration was Matthias Ringmann (1482-1511), and this is its third Latin edition of one of Graf's most important works. All woodcuts are in strong impressions already displaying the characteristic realism and vigor of his style. Graf seems to have started to cut the woodblocks soon after coming from Solothurn to Strasbourg, and these woodcuts were reprinted in quick succession in Latin and German editions. Graf's 25th woodcut, representing the Man of Sorrow with instruments of torture, was replaced already in 1507 by a more conventioanl cut by Hans Wechtlin (Strasbourg 1480/85 - after 1526) of the Resurrection of Christ.- A very nice copy. - VD 16 B 4696; Kristeller 353; Panzer VI,128; Brunet IV, 421; USTC 683072; Adams R-566; Major & Gradmann, Urs Graf, p. 6 and 130 (illus). ILLUSTRATED ; GRAPHICS ART ;