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Books, Autographs & Prints

Thursday 04 July 2024 e Friday 05 July 2024, 10:30 AM • Rome

127

Durer - Mommard - Durer, Albrecht

Figurae Passionis Domini, 1587

Estimate

€ 3.000 - 3.500

Sold

€ 3.612

The price includes buyer's premium

Information

In 4th. 38 unnumbered sheets, last blank, first sheet with figure of a seated Christ + 36 full-page woodcuts, some with Dürer's monogram, all copied by Johann Mommard. Surface of the woodcuts 12.7 x 9.9 mm., yellowing due to age, some marginal foxing invading some plates, the last three engravings have delicate restorations in the upper right corner, the initial paper has been erased Durer's ancient pen name and there is a restoration on the white lower margin. Modern leather binding with gold decorations, ancient pen note on the title page partly abraded.

Specialist Notes

Splendid collection of woodcuts, excellently copied by the most famous engraver of the Renaissance, Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528). Born in Nuremberg, Dürer initially found fame as a painter, before turning to the production of woodcuts. This collection contains a despondent Christ on the title page, followed by 36 exquisite full-page woodcuts illustrating Dürer's “Small Passion,” a portable devotional book illustrating the narrative of Christ's passion. The “passions” depict the physical and spiritual suffering of Christ in the last days of his life on earth. The portable and reproducible format of the woodcuts allowed the Church to distribute them to the largely illiterate population, and this series consolidated Dürer's reputation among all social classes of Europe.This complete series was created by the enigmatic artist Johann Mommard (1560-1631) around 1587, and the differences with Dürer's originals can only be noted through in-depth comparison. The copies are meticulously modeled after each line engraved by Dürer and testify to the immense skill and attention to detail that Mommard devoted to the work. This print lacks the Latin text on the reverse and has a slightly different order from Dürer's. 
Meder 125.copy.b; Bartsch VII.121.52a.