A Brief History of Wood-engraving From Its Invention — John Shaqi
A Brief History of Wood-engraving From Its InventionCundall, Joseph
History
A Brief History of Wood-engraving From Its Invention
Cundall, Joseph
Wood-engraving -- History
In certain editions of the 'Speculum' there are to be seen woodcuts printed
in ink of one colour and text in ink of another colour, from metal movable
types. These types are rude in the extreme, far more so than the German
Indulgence of 1454, the very earliest known dated piece of printing. There
is no doubt that the Donatuses were at first printed from wood blocks, both
in Germany and the Low Countries, but there is not a single Dutch
block-book Donatus known, while there are some nineteen or twenty early
type-printed Dutch Donatuses already catalogued. Therefore it appears
likely that Gutenberg simply developed the process which had already been
for some time in use in the Low Countries for Donatuses and similar books.
[Illustration: FIRST PAGE OF THE SPECULUM HUMANÆ SALVATIONIS]
The first book of importance that was printed at a press {30} and from
movable type was the celebrated Bible[2] which Gutenberg produced at Mentz
about the year 1455. About the same time it is asserted that Laurent
Janszoon Coster of Haarlem issued the _Speculum Humanæ Salvationis_, and
much discussion has risen as to which book has the prior claim. The Dutch
insist on Coster as being the proto-printer; the Germans not only assert
the claim of Gutenberg but say that Coster is a myth! The controversy is
still carried on and there is little likelihood that it will ever be
decided.
In the year 1462 there was a small revolution in Mentz, owing to the rival
claims of two Archbishops, and the city was sacked. The printers in the
employment of Gutenberg and his partners, Fust and Peter Schoeffer, were
scattered in every direction. Fifteen years afterwards printing-presses
were to be found in every large city of Germany and the Netherlands, as
well as in Italy and France; and about 1477, Caxton set up his first press
in the precincts of Westminster Abbey.
_Speculum Humanae Salvationis_--'The Mirror of Man's Salvation.'--This was
the first book, printed from type, that had wood engravings. It is a small
folio containing fifty-eight cuts, each of which is divided into two
subjects, inclosed in an architectural frame, in which is the title in
Latin. The cuts are placed at the head of the pages, of which they occupy
one-third. It is to be noticed that, though the cuts are all printed in
brown ink, the text beneath them is printed in black: probably because the
prints were to be coloured.
The arrangement and scope of this work are much like those of the 'Biblia
Pauperum'; the subjects are taken from the Old and New Testaments,
including the Apocrypha, and a few are from classic history.
The illustrations are from the first page: Casus {31} Luciferi--'The Fall
of Lucifer'--and Deus creavit hominem ad ymaginem et similitudinem
suam--'God created Man after His own image and likeness.'
[Illustration: SPECULUM: THE FALL OF LUCIFER
(_Size of the original cut_)]
{32}
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account