- Museum number
- 1997,0712.23
- Description
-
The blind leading the blind; a man lying in a ditch guides another man walking along a bank with the aid of a stick. c.1520
Pen and black ink with grey wash and traces of red chalk round the edges
- Production date
- 1520 (c.)
- Dimensions
-
Height: 151 millimetres
-
Width: 115 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
- Curator's comments
- Lit.: R. Schilling (ed.), 'Die von Edmund Schilling gesammelten Zeichnungen', published privately, Edgware, 1982, p. 223, 'Das kleine Album', no.60; J. Rowlands 'German Drawings from a private collection', exh.cat. London and Nuremberg, 1984, p.40, no.36;
Attributed to Stimmer in the Lanna collection. Probably attributed to Weiditz by Schilling (see inscriptions on the verso)
Rowlands, German Drawings from a Private Collection, 1984
Literature: Th.Musper, 'Gutenberg Jahrbuch', 1951, p.112; 'German Art 1400-1800', exh. cat., Manchester, City Art Gallery, 1961, no. 160; the owner's private catalogue, p.223, Album no. 60.
This very freely executed drawing, no doubt intended for a book illustration, may be dated c.1520, the time of Weiditz's production of the designs for his woodcuts for Cicero's 'Officia', first used in Steyner's edition of 16 February 1531.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1961 Manchester Art Gallery, German Art, no.160
1984 Feb-Sept, London, Washington and Nuremberg, German Drawings, no.36
1997-8 Sept-Jan BM Schilling
- Acquisition date
- 1997
- Acquisition notes
- In 1997, the Museum acquired on the death of Mrs Rosi Schilling the majority of a collection of mostly northern Old Master drawings assembled by her late husband the curator and later drawings dealer and adviser, Edmund Schilling (1888-1974). Schilling was born in Germany and came to Britain in 1937 after the rise of the Nazis. He was prominent as a specialist in German Old Master drawings and his widow’s bequest in his memory was predominantly made up of studies that he had collected in this field. Given its importance, the Museum accepted the bequest for public benefit in good faith, and has afterwards researched its history, insofar as it has been able. There remain however many works in the bequest with uncertain or incomplete provenance for the years 1933-45 and the Museum welcomes information and assistance in the investigation and clarification of the provenance of these works during that era.
Inscribed by Schilling on the verso: " Aus d. Sammlung/ Fürst Liechtenstein/ erworben 1948 / E Schilling".
In the 'German Drawings' catalogue (1984) no.36, the provenance is given as 'Artaria, Vienna' between the Gutekunst sale and the Fürstlich Liechtenstein'sche Galerie.
This drawing was acquired by Edmund Schilling for a small album (no. 60) that he compiled for his wife, Rosi Schilling (see for further details 1997,0713.1; for the original album, see 159.b.28).
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1997,0712.23