A History of Wood-EngravingWoodberry, George Edward
History
A History of Wood-Engraving
Woodberry, George Edward
Wood-engraving; Wood-engraving -- Bibliography
Of the other works, known or supposed to be by Cousin, the Book of
Perspective, published in 1560, is the most remarkable, because in its
designs considerable difficulties are overcome, and greater power of
relief is shown than in any previous French wood-engraving. This book
was a treatise, similar to those by Dürer and Leonardo da Vinci upon the
laws of art, and its dedication is noticeable because of the light it
throws on Cousin’s spirit--“neither to kings nor princes, as is
customary,” he says, “but to the public.” The Bible, usually called Le
Clerc’s, which contains two hundred and eighty-seven woodcuts, is said
to be by Cousin, but of this there is no direct evidence; and to him is
ascribed the Triumphal Entry of Charles IX., published in 1572, and
supposed by some to have been designed by the engraver Olivier Codoré;
many other works are also added to his list, but they were inferior in
value to those which have been described, and were unmarked by any
special interest. In consequence of the fineness and number of his
productions Cousin must be considered the principal French engraver of
the century; and he undoubtedly deserves a high rank among the artists
of talent, in distinction from the artists of genius, who have practised
wood-engraving.
About Cousin there were a number of other designers who gave attention
to the art and left works of value; but these works bear so much
resemblance to one another that it is frequently impossible to recognize
in them the hand of any individual of the school--a difficulty by which
Cousin’s reputation has profited, because of the eagerness of his
admirers to ascribe to him any excellent work in his style which is not
definitely known to belong to some one of his contemporaries. These
lesser artists were Jean Goujon (c. 1550), who made some excellent cuts
for a Vitruvius of 1547, and is believed by some authorities to have
designed the reproduction of the Dream of Poliphilo; Pierre Woeiriot (b.
1532), whose biblical cuts inserted in a Josephus of 1566 have much
merit; Jean Tortorel (b. 1540?) and Jacques Périssin (b. 1530?), who
designed some interesting illustrations of the Huguenot wars; and
Philibert de Lorme (c. 1570) and Jean Le Clerc (1580-1620), whose
productions are of comparatively little interest. The works of all these
artists lacked that intimate relation with the life of the people which
made the engravings of the lesser German designers valuable, and have
importance only as illustrations of the development of French art in the
Renaissance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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