. Prints; a brief review of their technique and history . )- G7 PRINTS lical, and other subjects, and very skill-fully handled. We are apt not to appreciatethe gravity of this Italian invasion, of thisSouthern supremacy in Northern art. Idealperfection of form was a new language to theGermanic artists, accustomed to the real-istic, faithful rendering of nature as they sawit, with all its facts, perfections, and imper-fections alike. The change often meant thatthe artist forgot his native tongue, if theexpression nia^^ be used — a harsh tongue, ifyou will, but sincere and expressive; in re-turn
. Prints; a brief review of their technique and history . )- G7 PRINTS lical, and other subjects, and very skill-fully handled. We are apt not to appreciatethe gravity of this Italian invasion, of thisSouthern supremacy in Northern art. Idealperfection of form was a new language to theGermanic artists, accustomed to the real-istic, faithful rendering of nature as they sawit, with all its facts, perfections, and imper-fections alike. The change often meant thatthe artist forgot his native tongue, if theexpression nia^^ be used — a harsh tongue, ifyou will, but sincere and expressive; in re-turn he acquired, often but imperfectly, anew language in which his expression needsmust be imitative, not original. The true Northern spirit still greets usin the woodcut productions of that was used for subjects of wide pop-ular interest, for Passion series, portraits,religious subjects, and all manner of illus-tration. Dlirer had used the relief proc-ess extensively for such purposes, likewiseBurgkmair, who was, with Durer, one of the 68. H 2 GERMANY foremost designers for I he extensive pul)li(a-tions of Emperor Maximilian. Lucas Cran-acii elected the strong, emphatic woodcutfor much of his graphic work, prominentlyem})loyed in the service of the example of his work, this tournamentscene, is a reminder of the times in which hedwelt, and an illustration of his vivid powerof presentation, typically Northern with itscrowded figures. Other masters there are in plenty, whomwe must neglect, as we shift our abode toBasle for a moment. We find ourselves here,about 1516, in the midst of a thriving pub-lishing center. Enterprising printers seek tosecure pleasing decorations and illustrationsfor their scientific and literary output. Theylook for a good draughtsman to design sometasteful headings and end-pieces, bordersand initials, and are well pleased with thesami)les submitted by a young newcomer, byname Hans Holbein. At first the cutting ofhis designs of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookpublis, booksubjectengravers
