Introduction

WILUA* ULIU. DEATH'S DOOR. W.J. Lirron. . 2- A TREATISE WOOD ENGRAVING aitir |1nutio( WITH UPWARDS OF THKEE HUNDRED ILLUSTRATIONS ENGRAVED ON WOOD BY JOHN JACKSON. THE HISTORICAL PORTION BY W. A. CIIATTO. j&etonfc (Bitiou WITH A NEW CHAPTER ON THE ARTISTS OF THE PRESENT DAY BY HENRY G. BOIIX AND 145 ADDITIONAL WOOD ENGRAVINGS. ' ' ', l r. , LONDON HENRY G. BOHN, YORK STREET, COVENT GARDEN. M.DCCC.LXI. NOTICE TO THE SECOND EDITION. THE former edition of tbis History of Wood Engraving having become extremely scarce and commercially valuable, the publisher was glad to obtain the copyright and wood-blocks from Mr. Mason Jackson, son of the late Mr. Jackson, original proprietor of the work, with the view of reprinting it. It will be seen by the two distinct prefaces which accompanied the former edition, and are here reprinted, that there was some existing schism between the joint producers at the time of first publication" Mr. Jackson, the engraver, paymaster, and proprietor, conceived that he had a right to do what he liked with his own ; while Mr. Cliatto, his literary coadjutor, very naturally felt that he was entitled to some recognition on the title-page of what he had so successfully performed. On the book making its appearance without Mr. Chatto's name on the title-page, and with certain suppressions in hi.s preface to which he had not given consent, a virulent controversy ensued, which was embodied in a pamphlet termed "a third preface," and afterwards carried on in the Athenceum of August and September, 1839. As this preface has nothing in it but the outpourings of a quarrel which can now interest no one, I do not republish any part of it ; and looking back on the controversy after the lapse of twenty years, I cannot help feeling that Mr. Chatto had reasonable ground for complaining that his name was omitted, although I think Mr. Jackson had full right to determine what the book should be called, seeing that it was his own exclusive speculation. It is not for me to change a title now so firmly established, but I will do Mr. Chatto the civility to introduce his name on it, without concerning myself with the question of what he did or did not do, or what Mr. Jackson contributed beyond his practical remarks and anxious superintendence. Although I have the pleasure of a personal acquaintance with Mr. Chatto, and communicated to hfln my intention of republishing JV NOTICE TO THE SECOND EDITION. tin- work, I declined K'ttiiig liiin see it tlirough the press ; resolving to stand wholly res]K>nsible for any alterations or improvements I might choose to make. On the other hand, I have been quite as chary of letting even the shade of Mr. Jackson raise a new commo- tion I say the shade, because, having his own copy full of manuscript remarks, it was at my option to use. them ; but I have adopted nothing from this source save a few palpable amendments. What additions him- been made are entirely my own, and have arisen from a dc-iiv to increase the number of illustrations where I thought them previously deficient and had the means of supplying them. YA'ith the in>ertion of these additional illustrations, which it appears amount to seventy-five, it became necessary to describe them, and this has occasioned the introduction of perhaps a hundred or two lines, which are distributed in the form of notes or paragraphs throughout the volume. For the chief of these additions the critical examiner i- referred to the following pages: 321, 322, 340, 352, 374. 4-J\ His. 177, r vso, 4113. r>30, 531, :>32, . ).S!), 540, ">41, 542, .'. 1-3. ."> r>, 5U'i. 517, 5I-S, (il 7. <>3!>. The chapter on the artists of thi' pre-eiit day is entirely new, and was not contemplated, as may be gathered from the remarks at pages 549 and 597, until the book \a> en the eve of publication. It contains upwards of seventy high cla-s wood engravings, and gives a fair specimen of the talents of some n| dur mit distinguished artists. (letting that supplementary matter together and into shape, wa.s not so light and sudden a task a.s I meant it to be; but now it is done I feel that it was right to do it, and I can only hope that my unpretending labours will be deemed a step in the right direction. Should I retain niy health, strength, and means, 1 purpose, at no very distant period, to follow up the present volume with one perhaps as large, giving a more complete series of Examples of the artists of the day, as well those of France and (iermany as of England. In conclusion, I think it due to Mr. Clay to acknowledge the attention and skill which he has exercised in "bringing up" the numerous and somewhat difficult cuts to the agreeable face they now present. A good engraving without good printing is like a diamond without Ha polish. . HENRY O.BOHN. A MB. JACKSON'S PRKFACK. I FEET, it my duty to submit to the public a few remarks, introductory to the Preface, which bears the signature of Mr. Cliatto. As my attention has been more readily directed to matters connected with my own profession than any other, it is not surprising that I should find almost a total absence of practical knowledge in all English authors who have written the early history of wood engraving. From the first occasion on which my attention was directed to the subject, to the present time, I have had frequent occasion to regret, that the early history and practice of the art were not to be found in any book in the English language. In the most expensive works of this description the process itself is not even correctly described, so that the reader supposing him to be unacquainted with the subject is obliged to follow the author in comparative darkness. It has not been without reason 1 have come to the conclusion, that, if the practice, as well as the Jtistm-ij of wood engraving, were better understood, we should not have so many speculative opinions put forth by almost all writers on the subject, taking on trust what has been previously written, without giving themselves the trouble to examine and form an opinion of their own. Both with a view to amuse and improve myself as a wood engraver, I had long been in the habit of studying such productions of the old masters as came within my reach, and could not help noting the simple mistakes that many author." made in consequence of their knowing nothing of the practice. The farther I prosecuted the inquiry, the more interesting it became ; every additional piece of information my strengthening first opinion, that, "if the practice, as well as the history of wood engraving, were letter understood," we should not have so many erroneous statements respecting both the history and capabilities of the art. At length, I determined upon engraving at niy leisure hours a fac-simile of anything I thought worth preserving. For some time I continued to pursue this course, reading such English authors as have written on the origin and early history of wood engraving, and making memoranda, without proposing to myself any particular plan. It was not until I had proceeded thus far that I stopped to consider whether the information I had gleaned could not be applied to some specific purpose. vi MR JACKSON'S PREFACE. My plan, at this time, was to give a short introductory history to precede the practice of the art, which I proposed should form the principal feature in the Work. At this period, I was fortunate in procuring the ulile assistance of Mr. W. A. Chatto, with whom I have examined even' work that called for the exercise of practical knowledge. This naturally anticipated much that had been reserved for the practice, and has, in some degree, extended the historical portion beyond what I had originally contemplated ; although, I trust, the reader will have no occasion to regret such a deviation from the original plan, or that it has not been written by myself. The numlicr and variety of the subjects it has been found necessary to introduce, rendered it a task of some difliculty to preserve the characteristics of each individual master, varying as they d<> in the style of execution. It only remains for me tn mid, that, although I had the hardihood to venture upon such an undertaking, it was not without a hope that the history of the art, with an account of the practice, illustrated with numerous wood engravings, would ! looked upon with indulgence from one who only professed to give a fac-Minilc of whatever appeared worthy of notice, with opinions founded on a practical knowledge of the art. l."M.N, liccttnlnr l.V/i. l^fv .IOHN JACKSON. MH. CHATTO'S PKKFAl'E. THOUGH several English authors have, in modem times, written on the origin and early history of wood engraving, yet no one has hitherto given, in a distinct work, a connected account of its progress from the earliest period to the present time ; and no one, however confidently he may have expressed his opinion on the subject, appears to have thought it necessary to make himself acquainted with the practice of the art. The antiquity and early history of wood engraving appear to have l>eon considered as themes which allowed of great scope for speculation, and required no practical knowledge of the art. It is from this cause that we find so many erroneous statements in almost every modern dissertation on wood engraving. Had the writers ever thought of appealing to a person practically acquainted with the art, whose early productions they professed to give some account of, their con- jectures might, in many instances, have been spared; and had they, MR. CHATTO'S PREFACE. vii in matters requiring research, taken the pains to examine and judge for themselves, instead of adopting the opinions of others, they would have discovered that a considerable portion of what they thus took on trust, was not in accordance with facts. As the antiquity and early history of wood engraving form a considerable portion of two expensive works which profess to give some account of the art, it has been thought that such a work as the present, combining the history with the practice of the art, and with numerous cuts illustrative of its progress, decline, and revival, might not be unfavourably received. In the first chapter an attempt is nmde to trace the principle oi' wood engraving from the earliest authentic {M-riod ; and to prove, by a continuous series of facts, that the art, when first applied to the impression of pictorial subjects on paper, about the beginning of the fifteenth century, was not so much an original invention, as the extension of a principle which had long been known and practically applied. The second chapter contains an account of the progress of the art as exemplified in the earliest known single cuts, and in the block-books which preceded the invention of typography. In this chapter there is also an account of the Speculum Salvationis, which has been ascribed to Laurence Coster by Hadrian Junius, Serivcrius, Mcerman, and others, and which has frequently been described as an early block-book executed A previous to 1440. close examination of two Latin editions of the book has, however, convinced me, that in the earliest the text is entirely printed from movable types, and that in the other supposed by Meerman to be the earliest, and to alford proofs of the progress of Coster's invention those portions of the text which are printed from wood-blocks have been copied from the corresponding portions of the earlier edition with the text printed entirely from movable types. Fournier was the first who discovered that one of the Latin editions was printed partly from types, and partly from wood-blocks ; and the credit of showing, from certain imperfections in the cuts, that this edition was subsequent to the other with the text printed entirely from types, is due to the late Mr. Ottley. As typography, or printing from movable types, was unquestionably suggested by the earliest block-books with the text engraved on wood, the third chapter is devoted to an examination of the claims of Gntemberg and Coster to the honour of this invention. In the investigation of the evidence which has been produced in the behalf of each, the writer has endeavoured to divest his mind of all bias, and to decide according to facts, without reference to the opinions of either party. He has had no theory to support ; and has neither a partiality for Mentz, nor a dislike to Harlem. It perhaps may not be unnecessary to mention here, that Vlii MR. CHATTO'S PREFACE. the cuts of arms from the History of the Virgin, given at pages 75, 7t>, and 77, were engraved before the writer had seru Koning's work on the Invention of Printing, Harlem, 1816, where they are also copied, and several of them assigned to Hannau, Burgundy, Brabant, Utrecht, and Leyden, and to certain Flemish noblemen, whose names are not mentioned. It is not improbable! that, like the two rash Knights in the fable, we may have seen the shields on opposite sides ; the bearings may In- common to states and families, both of Germany and the Netherlands. The fourth chapter contains an account of wood engraving in connexion with the press, from the establishment of typography to the hitler end uf the fifteenth century. The fifth chapter comprehends the ]M-rio<l in which Albert I hirer flourished, that is, from about 1498 to l">i's The sixth contains a notice of the principal wood-cuts designed by Holbein, with an account of the extension and improvement of the art in the sixteenth century, and of its subsequent decline. In the seventh chapter the history of the art is brought down from the commencement of the eighteenth century to the present time. The eighth chapter contains an account of the practice of the art, with remarks on metallic relief engraving, and the best mode of printing wood-iiit--. As no detailed account of the practice of wood engraving has hitherto been published in England, it is presumed that the infor- mation afforded l, v this part of the Work will not only be interesting to amateurs of the art, but useful to those who are professionally connected ith it. It i> but justice to Mr. Jackson to add, that the Work was commenced by him at his sole risk ; that most of the subjects are of his selection; and that nearly all of them were engraved, and that a great part of the was written, before he thought of applying to a publisher. The credit of commencing the Work, and of illustrating it so profusely, regardless of expense, is unquestionably due to him. Lo.suux, Uteemlirr 5fA, 1S38. W. A. C1IATTO. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. CHAPTER I. ANTIQUITY OF ENGRAVING. 1 39. Initial letter A, an ancient Greek tcriring on a taMet of wood, drawn by \'. Harvey . View of a rolling-press, on wood and on copper, allowing the difference between a wood- ... cut and a copper-plate engraving when both are printed in the same manner Back and front view of an ancient Egyptian brick-stamp Copy of an impression on a Babylonian brick Koman stamp, in relief Roman stamps, in intaglio Monogram of Theodoric, king of the Ostrogotha Monogram of Charlemagne Gothic marks and monograms Characters on Gothic coins Mark of an Italian notary, 1236 Marks of German notaries, 1345 1521 English Merchants'-marks of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries Tail-piece, illustrative of the antiquity of engraving, Babylonian brick, Roman earthen- ware, Roman stamp, and a roll with the mark of the German Emperor Otho in the corner I'AfiK 1 4 i 7 8 10 13 1 -t l"j 16 Itj 17 18 39 CHAPTER II. I'llocillKSS OF WOOD ENGRAVING, 40 117. Initial letter F, from an old book containing an alphabet of similar letters, engraved on wood, formerly belonging to Sir George Beaumont 40 St. Christopher, with the date 1423, from a cut in the possession of Earl Spencer . . 4(5 The Annunciation, from a cut probably of the same period, in the possession of Earl Spencer 50 St. Bridget, from an old cut in the possession of Earl Spencer . 52 Shields from the Apocalypse, or History of St. John, an old block-book 65 ... St. John preaching to the infidels, and baptizing Urnsiana, from the same book 6i The death of the Two Witnesses, and the miracles of Antichrist, from the same book . 67 Group from the History of the Virgin, an old block-book 71 Copy of a page of the same book 72 Figures and a shield of arms, from the same book 75 Shields of arms, from the same book 76 78 Copy of the first page of the Poor Preachers' Bible, an old block-book 86 Heads from the same book 88 Christ tempted, a fac-simile of one of the compartments in the first page of the same book 89 Adam and Eve eating of the forbidden fruit, from the same book 90 Ksau selling his birthright, ditto 91 Heads ditto 92 X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. First cut in the Speculum Salvation!, which has generally, but erroneously, been described as a block-book, as the text in the first edition is printed with types . . Fall of Lucifer, a fac-simile of one of the coni]>artme)itA of the preceding The Creation of Eve, a fac-simile of the second compartment of the same P|>ermark in the Alphatiet of large letters coui]x>sed of figures, formerly belonging to Sir (ieoi-ge Beaumont Ix-tter K, from the aame book Lrtt**r L, ditto U-tU-r X. ditt< Flowered ornament, ditto Am Cut from the Memoramli, an old hlock-lxiok I-AOK 96 97 98 107 109 HO HI H2 115 CHAFFER III. THE INVENTION OF TYTOUIIAI'IIY, 118 1(!3. Initial letter H, from a manuscript life of St. liirinus, of the tweltli century Tail-piece jurtnuta of Outouiberg, Faust, and Schcfler .... 118 103 CHAPTER IV. Wool) KMiHAVINIl IN COXXKXION WITH THE PKESS, 164229. Initial letter C', from Faust and Scheffer's Psalter , Apes, from a l,k of Fables prinW at Itomberg by Albert Pfirter, 1461 lls, from ambition of the P.x^ Preachers' Bible, printed by Pfirter Christ and hi I >im-iples, from the same .... -pl' iakinK hiiii-lf kimwn fci hi Brethren, from the name Tin- PriiliKal Son's return, from the name The (,,,,., ,,f Animal,, from Meditationes Joannis d Tiirrocremato, printed at .... -I.--M .-.i,,! a man shooting from a kind of hand-gun. from Valturius de Ke Mihtari, printed at Verona, 1472 A man sh..tinn fr a IT...- how, from the same 'n'eKNiKht.fp.inCaxt-.ii'.H.H.k of Chess, about 1478 . '. The Ki.hop'h |a n, from the same Two K li ,,r.-. Mu-i,-. from Caxt-n's Mim.ur of the World, 1480 nmtispi^e t.. Br,-jde,,l,ach's Travel., prinU-d at .Syrian Christians, from the same . .. i ... t'l'l <>|lKitl \jtjl S\ li.l-ki't ilf !''* i. ii IK. c ,..f. Me.it/, 1 4SG . 134 171 177 177 173 178 185 ] 88 m1 89 ,'. 2 07 soy "" '"""'' ""'" d ' Ca 1 tllU Chronicle, prinU,! .t ...... 'n-ati.in,.f K\e. fn.ni th.- name Th- ine .ul.j^-t from the Poor Preachers' Hibl,- - .hmc,,l M OvMV l.,,,r of Alcm,.n:l. from , Italian translation of Metan^irph.. ' ' lat Cupi.l nn.l his Victinu, from the same. Baochiu, fmm the iame . . . .... Cupiil, fn.m the fame A Van,-, f r ,.m t|,e KUIIO . ut printed in Derachau's Collection, 1808 . . , formerly used by Mr. George Angus frutu the title-pfuro of A Ixxik 222 22 ^ 223 22 * 224 228 228 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xi CHAPTER V. WOOD KMlKAYlMi IN THE TIME OF ALBERT DUBER, 230 323. Initial letter M, from an edition of Ovid's Triatia, printed at Venice by J. de Cireto, 1499 Peasants dancing and regaling, from Heures a 1' Usaige de Chartres, printed at Paris by Simon Vostre about 1502. The first of these cuts occurs in a similar work Heures a 1'Usaige de Rome printed by Simon Vostre in 14'.7 The woman clothed with the sun, from Albert Durer's illustrations of the Apocalypse, 1498 The Virgin and Infant Christ, from Albert Durer's illustrations of the History of the Virgin, 1S11 The Birth of the Virgin, from the same work St. Joseph at work as a carpenter, with the Virgin rocking the Infant Christ in a cradle, from the same Christ mocked, from Durer's illustrations of Christ's Passion, about 1511 The Last Supper, from the same Christ bearing his Cross, from the same The Descent to Hades, from the same Caricature, probably of Luthur Albert Durer's Coat-of-arms - His portrait, from a cut drawn by himself, 1527, the year preceding that of his death . Holy Family, from a cut designed by Lucas Cranaeh Samson and Delilah, from a cut designed by Hans Burgxnair Aristotle and his wife, from a cut designed by Hans Burginair .... Sir Theurdank killing a bear, from the Adventures of Sir Theurdank, 1517 The punishment of Sir Theurdank's enemies, from the same work A figure on horseback, from the Triumphs of Maximilian Another, from the same work Ditto, ditto Ditto, ditto Ditto, ditto - Ditto, ditto Three knights with banners, from the same work Elephant and Indians, from the same Camp followers, probably designed by Albert Durer, from the same Horses and Car, from the same Jael and Sisera, from a cut designed by Lucas van Leyilen Cut printed at Antwerp by Willein de Figursnider, probably copied from a cut designed by Urse Graff Three small cuts from Sigisnnmd Fanti's Triomphodi Fortuna, printed at Venice, 1527 Fortuna di Africo, an emblem of the South wind, from the same work Michael Angelo at work on a piece of sculpture, from the same Head of Nero, from a work on Medals, printed at Strasburg, 1 525 Cut of Saint Bridget, about 1500, from Dr. Dibdin's Bibliomania Ditto of her Revelations Tail-piece a full length of Maximilian I. Emperor of Germany, from his Triumphs . ftof 230 233 240 243 244 246" 247 248 249 250 2<>3 271 272 277 279 280 284 285 294 295 29(i 297 293 299 301 302 303 305 3U9 312 31 31 ti 317 320 321 322 323 CHAPTER VI. FURTHER PROGRESS AND DECLINE OF WOOD ENGRAVING, 324 445. Initial letter T, from a book printed at Paris by Robert Stephens, 1537 324 Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, from a cut designed by Hans Holbein in the Dance of Death, first printed at Lyons in 1538 339 Death's Coat of Arms, from the same work 340 The Old Man, from the same 341 The Duchess, from the same 342 The Child, from the same 33 x jj LIST OK ILLUSTRATIONS. MM The Waggoner, fruiu Holbein's Dance of Death Child with * hleld ud dart. frt>ui the mine < 'liildren with the emblem of a triumph, from the same ... Holbein's Alphabet ..f tlie Dance of Death \bnJum about to .-ritice Isaac, from a cut designed by Holbein in bia Bible-prints, ].y,. lu>, I-M, .- Tlie Fool. from the same work Th ahe^ of dagger, intended aii a design fora chaser Portrait ..f Sir Thorn** Wyatt. from a cut designed by Holbein in Inland's Nicniie, 1542 Prayer, from a rut diiugiM-d by Holbein ill Archbishop Cranmer's Catechism, 1548 . . Chrbt casting out Itovils, from another cut by Holbeiij, in the same work The Crratioii. from the same work The Cnicilmon. from the same Christ's Agony, from the same . (iene.iWii^l Tree, from all edition of tin- New Testament, printed at Zurich by Fi..~-h..ver. 1 .1.". 4 St. Luke, from TindaVs Translation of the New Testament, 1634 St. Jaine,.. from the Kime DaUion the Pale Horse, from the