A History of Caricature and Grotesque in Literature and ArtWright, Thomas
History
A History of Caricature and Grotesque in Literature and Art
Wright, Thomas
Caricature -- History
Among the satirists who espoused the cause to which Murner was
opposed, we must not overlook a man who represented in its strongest
features, though in a rather debased form, the old spontaneous poetry
of the middle ages. His name was Hans Sachs, at least that was the
name under which he was known, for his real name is said to have
been Loutrdorffer. His spirit was entirely that of the old wandering
minstrel, and it was so powerful in him, that, having been apprenticed
to the craft of a weaver, he was no sooner freed from his indentures,
than he took to a vagabond life, and wandered from town to town,
gaining his living by singing the verses he composed upon every
occasion which presented itself. In 1519, he married and settled in
Nüremberg, and his compositions were then given to the public through
the press. The number of these was quite extraordinary--songs, ballads,
satires, and dramatic pieces, rude in style, in accordance with the
taste of the time, but full of cleverness. Many of them were printed
on broadsides, and illustrated with large engravings on wood. Hans
Sachs joined in the crusade against the empire of Folly, and one of
his broadsides is illustrated with a graceful design, the greater part
of which is copied in our cut No. 141. A party of ladies have set a
bird-trap to catch the fools of the age, who are waiting to be caught.
One fool is taken in the trap, while another is already secured and
pinioned, and others are rushing into the snare. A number of people of
the world, high in their dignities and stations, are looking on at this
remarkable scene.
[Illustration: _No. 141. Bird-Traps._]
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.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account