The Apocalypse (B. 60-75; M., Holl. 163-178)

细节

Albrecht Dürer
The Apocalypse (B. 60-75; M., Holl. 163-178)
the complete set of 16 woodcuts, including the title, 1496-8, good to very good impressions, from the Latin text Edition of 1511, B. 61, 64, 68 and 73 with watermark Crowned Tower (M. 259), B. 70 and 71 with watermark Flower with Triangle (M. 127), the other plates without watermark, B. 60 trimmed close to the subject, B. 73 with margins, B. 74 with margins on three sides, the rest trimmed to the borderline, occasional minor repairs and short repaired tears at the sheet edges, otherwise generally in good condition, each plate hinged at the left sheet edge, within a vellum binding by L. Gruel, with gilt-lettered morocco label on the spine, and slipcase (album)
S. 448 x 340 mm. (overall)

来源

John Tetlow, with his stamp (L. 2868) on B. 73.
B. 69 with an unidentified collector's mark verso

注意事项

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium, which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

拍品专文

Remarkable for being the first European book to be both designed and published by an artist, the daring artistic conception and extensive circulation of Dürer's Apocalypse made it one of the most powerful graphic achievements in the history of Western Art. Condensing complex Biblical verses into a small number of scenes of great dramatic power, the illustrations are revolutionary both in approach and technique. By using a sophisticated blend of visionary invention and contemporary dress and landscape, such as basing the robe of the Whore of Babylon in Plate XIV on his own studies of Venitian dress made in 1495, Dürer masterpiece recieved instant acclaim. As a series their importance on future iconography was tremendous: Plate XI, St Michael fighting the Dragon was frequently used independently of the series as an illustration of the victory of Christianity over evil. Above all, The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, certainly the most celebrated image from the series, became a key source for the depiction of images of war and destruction.