Jost Amman - Cartigli

Rare two-sided woodcut from an work by Jost Amman – Frankfurt, ca. 1580
With the MF initial
Splendid original sheet bearing wood engravings on both sides by Jost Amman (1539–1591), one of the most important and prolific masters of Renaissance Northern woodcut engraving, following the tradition inaugurated in Nuremberg by Albrecht Dürer.

The work presents two refined ornamental heraldic cartouches: on one side there is a composition with two allegorical figures of a lady and a knight within which the cartouche is enclosed; on the other a single elegantly posed figure of a noble who, through notable scenic device, draws aside a drape showing an empty noble shield ("escutcheon"), destined to be used as an editorial model.

These engravings belong to the extraordinary illustrative production realized by Amman for the great Frankfurt publisher Sigmund Feyerabend, a nerve center of German humanistic publishing. Analogous woodcuts by Amman are today preserved in the collections of important international museums, including the British Museum and the National Gallery of Art.

The elegance of the line, the precision of the contours and the extraordinary quality of composition bear witness to the full maturity of late Renaissance German woodcut engraving. Amman was indeed considered one of the greatest illustrators of 16th-century Europe, capable of profoundly influencing later book graphics and ornamental design across the German-speaking area.

Particularly interesting is the front/back printing on the same sheet, a typical feature of original sixteenth-century editions. Authenticity is confirmed by the type of laid paper used (see the backlit photographs).

A work of great interest for collectors of antique graphics, Nordic Renaissance art, illustrated books of the 16th century, and allegorical iconography.

The lot is shipped in an elegant modern black frame.