print; book-illustration

Please enable JavaScript in your web browser to get the best experience.

Object Type: print; book-illustration
Museum number: 1849,1031.247
Description: The Weisskunig conducts a masquerade; Maximilian directing a group of soldiers wearing bird masks and Hungarian costume, musicians in foreground, ladies-in-waiting feasting in background. Early proof for an illustration to 'Der Weisskunig'. Woodcut
Producer name
School/style
Production date: 1514-1516
Materials
Technique
Dimensions: Height: 220 millimetres; Width: 198 millimetres
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: Corresponds to plate 30 of the 1775 edition. On the Weisskunig project in general see Curatorial Comment for Y,8.164. On Burgkmair's contribution see Curatorial Comment for 1858,0417.974. See also G. Bartrum, 'German Renaissance Prints', exh. cat., BM, London 1995, no.142b. Text from Bartrum 1995 Literature: Bartsch, 80; C.Dodgson, II, p. 93, 58; Burkhard, 125; Musper, 35; Hollstein, 448. The young White King is here shown conducting a masquerade at a court entertainment, in which a troop of soldiers wearing bird masks and Hungarian clothing and other masked soldiers are in the course of enacting a mock battle. Together with further activities associated with his noble status, such as hunting, archery and fishing, other prints in this early section of 'Der Weisskunig' supposedly emphasise the liberality of the young White King and his concern for the details of daily life: he is seen, for instance, in a painter's workshop with his hand on the painter's shoulder; in a kitchen instructing the chef; with carpenters, joiners, musicians, in a workshop where weapons are produced and in the mint. The large array of subjects creates the effect of a man of mythical proportions with an over-whelming character; but they reflect the interests of Maximilian himself and also offer an explanation for his obsessive concern for detail in his own print projects. Some of the manuscripts for 'Der Weisskunig' have corrections on them in Maximilian's own hand (such as that in the Museum of Fine Art, Boston), and alterations to the prints at proof stage show the minute scale of the detail which concerned the Emperor. It is not surprising that so many of his projects never reached completion.
Bibliographic references: Bartsch / Le Peintre graveur (VII.224.80) (35); Hollstein / German engravings, etchings and woodcuts c.1400-1700 (448); Dodgson 1903, 1911 / Catalogue of Early German and Flemish Woodcuts in the BM, 2 vols (II.93.58); Bartrum 1995 / German Renaissance Prints 1490-1550 (142b)
Location: Not on display
Exhibition history: 1995 Jun-Oct, BM, 'German Renaissance Prints, 1490-1550', no.142b 1996 Jun-Aug, Canterbury, Royal Mus and AG, German Renaissance Prints 1996 Nov-Dec, Edinburgh, NG of Scotland, German Renaissance Prints 1997 Jan-Mar, Cardiff, Nat Mus of Wales, German Renaissance Prints 1997 Apr-May, Llandudno, Oriel Mostyn Gallery, German Renaissance Prints 1997 Oct-Dec, Norwich, Sainsbury Centre, German Renaissance Prints ICONS: art and the human image TBC POTENTIAL
Subjects: masquerade/party; feast/banquet; musician
Associated names: Associated with: Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor; Illustration to: Marx Treitzsaurwein; Illustration to: Melchior Pfinzing
Associated titles
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1849
Department: Prints and Drawings
Registration number: 1849,1031.247
Conservation

Free entry

Opening hours