Nuremberg (Germany) -- Description and travel; Nuremberg (Germany) -- History
[39] The Iron Maiden is shown now in the Five-Cornered Tower. This is
not, of course, its original position. Nor is it profitable to inquire
how far the instruments shown are the actual original ones; for the
collection of Torture Instruments, Rings, Pictures, Books, etc.; which
used to be shown at Nuremberg, are now the property of the Earl of
Shrewsbury.
[40] _Cf._ Plautus, _Captivi_, 888. Boius est, Boiam terit.
[41] It is interesting to note that most of the Nuremberg artists were
essentially good men who drew their inspiration from religion--a fact
that may afford food for reflection to those who nowadays declare so
loudly that art has nothing to do with morals, that they incline to
fall into the opposite error and suppose that it has everything to do
with immorality.
[42] "It appears to have been the ancient practice of those masters,
who furnished designs for the wood-engravers to work from, carefully
to avoid all cross-hatchings, which, it is probable, were considered
as beyond the power of the Xylographist to represent. Wolgemut
perceived that, though difficult, this was not impossible; and in
the cuts of the Nuremberg Chronicle, the execution of which, besides
furnishing the designs, he doubtless superintended, a successful
attempt was first made to imitate the bold hatchings of a pen-drawing,
crossing each other, as occasion prompted the designer, in various
directions. To him belongs the praise of having been the first who
duly appreciated the powers of this art, and it is more than probable
that he proved with his own hand, to the subordinate artists employed
under him, the practicability of that style of workmanship which he
acquired."--Ottley, "History of Engraving."
It should, however, be added that cross-hatching appears in Reuwick's
illustrations to Breydenbach's "Pilgrimage" (1486).
[43] See p. 72.
[44] The originals of those which have been replaced are in the German
Museum.
[45] Some smaller bronze pieces by or attributed to him will be found
in the German Museum. These and his other works and those of his sons
are fully discussed in my monograph "Peter Vischer."
[46] For the life and miracles of St. Sebald see Ch. IX.
[47] Witz = skill in art.
[48] Running east from the south-east corner of the Hauptmarkt. The
house was called "Zum güldenen Bären" later.
[49] P. 76.
[50] Museum, room 33.
[51] "Schriften und Dichtungen," vol. iv. p., 349 ff.
[52] Cf. Acta St. Sebaldi, ab auctore incerto incertæ ætatis.
[53] See the beautiful relief on the Sebaldusgrab (p. 210).
[54] The feast of St. Sebald was celebrated August 19th. The following
verses from the mass sung in the Cathedral on that day in honour of
the Saint may be of interest.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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