Melchior Pfintzing & Marx Treitzsauerwein - Theuerdanck, Glorwürdigste Groß-Thaten/ Abentheuer/ Glücks-Wechslungen und Siges-Zeichen Des … - 1680

The Heroic Epic of Emperor Maximilian I - Der Theuerdank - Complete edition of the 17th century with 117 woodcuts by Hans Schäufelein

Title
The Most Illuminated Knight / Or The Knightly / High-Price / Most Dangerous and Glorious Great Deeds / Adventures / Changes of Fortune and Signs of Victory of ... MAXIMILIAN I. ... under the name THEUR-DANCK, promoted to public print / And by the old excellent and famous painter Johann Scheifelen of Nördlingen, with 117 figures, very skillfully carved and later cut in wood...

connected
Brief description of the birth, life, and death of the most illustrious knight MAXIMILIAN I.

Author
Melchior Pfintzing & Marx Treitzsauerwein

Drucker
Matthäus Schultes, Augsburg, in the preface dated 1679

Description
Complete edition of the significant hero epic by Emperor Maximilian I called Theuerdank, here presented from the 17th century.

This is an undated edition with the text woodcuts from the first edition, which were adopted by Schulte; the preface is from 1679, and in VD 17, this edition is listed around 1680-1685.

In 1517, approximately 40 gift copies of Theuerdank printed on valuable parchment were initially produced, which the emperor distributed to the royal houses, along with 300 paper gift copies for the princely houses and the court.

The second edition from 1519 is considered the first sales edition. Maximilian promoted the legend-building of his own persona in his Theuerdank, portraying himself as someone who faces all dangers with prudence, wisdom, and bravery. His constant companions on his adventures are Fürwitz, Unfall, and Neidhard; these represent the three vices of arrogance, presumption, and envy.

The work celebrates in an idealized manner the heroic adventures and deeds of the young Emperor Maximilian up to his courtship of Maria of Burgundy.

The Theuerdank is the only work of the 'media imperial hero trilogy' that was completed during the emperor's lifetime and was published at that time. The Weisskunigk, the unfinished allegorical autobiography of Emperor Maximilian I, was only published in 1775 in Vienna, and the holy epic Images de Saints Maximilian I. appeared even later. Maximilian himself dictated both the concept and content of the chapters, as well as the images to be printed in Theuerdank. He dictated drafts and made preliminary sketches. Marx Treitzsaurwein, Maximilian's personal secretary, edited the texts, and Melchior Pfintzing set the verses. Pfintzing, who was a versatile ecclesiastical dignitary under Maximilian and held a high rank at the imperial court, also took over the final editing.

Melchior Pfintzing (1481-1535) was a clergyman and a high-ranking member of the court at Emperor Maximilian I. Pfintzing came from one of the oldest and most influential patrician families of Nuremberg. His career at the Viennese court began with his position as one of the secretaries to the court chancellor Maximilian, Cyprian von Nordheim; he subsequently became the emperor's secretary and advisor. Together with his brothers, he was elevated to the knightly nobility in 1510. At the emperor's request, Pfintzing received the provostship of St. Sebald in Nuremberg in 1512; in 1517, he became the provost of the knightly chapter of St. Alban in Mainz. He managed court affairs and had additional responsibilities, such as overseeing the bishop's election in Speyer in 1513 and the Diet of Pressburg in 1515. From the dedication preceding Theuerdank, in which Pfintzing in 1517 describes himself as a chaplain to Emperor Maximilian I's grandson, King Charles of Spain, the future Emperor Charles V, it was inferred that Melchior Pfintzing was also a court chaplain to Charles V, although this was already questioned in the 19th century.

Marx Treitzsaurwein (1450-1527), was the secret writer of Emperor Maximilian I and later served as an adviser to Charles V and ultimately as Chancellor of Lower Austria. Treitzsaurwein is considered, alongside Melchior Pfinzing, as a co-author and editor of literary works attributed to the emperor, notably the Weißkunig and the Theuerdank. After the death of Maximilian I in 1519, Marx Treitzsaurwein of Ehrentreitz held further positions as an adviser to Emperor Charles V, in the government of Austria, and towards the end of his life as Chancellor. Through the granting of feudal rights and titles, he rose to the lower nobility. According to his preserved will, it is believed that he became a supporter of the Reformation before his death.

Collation
122 leaves, 1 white leaf, intermediate title, 58 numbered pages. Complete work.

Illustration
Full-page copperplate engraving, title in red/black print, 117 half-page woodcuts by Schäufelein, Beck, Burgkmair, and others, numerous woodcut vignettes. Sheet: 32 x 19 cm; text: 26.5 x 15.5 cm; each woodcut: 16 x 14 cm.

cover
Brown cardboard cover with handwritten back title. The cover is rubbed, with slightly bumped corners, and the back cover has a defect in the binding. The book block is firm and stable. Folio: 33 x 20 x 3 cm.
Red marbled durable cardboard slipcase, dimensions: 34 x 20.5 x 4 cm.

state
In good condition. Paper evenly slightly browned, with minimal age spots in some areas, one page more heavily foxed. The woodcuts are mostly in strong printing quality.

References
VD17 3:314859D (dated about 1680) and VD17 23:230073Q (dated about 1685). Muther 853.

We hereby confirm the originality and impeccable provenance of the offered work. It is free from third-party rights at the time of sale.

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