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Fall and Redemption of Man

Woodcut
ca. 1515 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

These images belong to a set of 40 prints representing the Fall and Redemption of Man. Each woodcut image is only about 7.5cm high but the compositions are monumental with figure groups in expansive interiors and landscape settings. Altdorfer drew the compositions four to a woodblock to help ensure evenness of printing across the set. The compositions were copied in altarpieces and miniature paintings by other artists. They were never copied as woodcuts, a testament to the technical accomplishment required to make small woodcuts of such as high pictorial standard.

Sets of small woodcuts were sometimes pasted into books as illustrations. However, these woodcuts are thought likely to have been made with a collector’s market in mind. This is underlined by their relatively high survival rate.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleFall and Redemption of Man (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Woodcut on paper
Brief description
Woodcut, from a set of forty depicting The Fall and Redemption of Man. From a set of 40 plates, by Albrecht Altdorfer; Regensburg, Germany, ca. 1515.
Physical description
Plate from a set of forty depicting in a sequence the Fall and Redemption of Man. This scene depicts The Resurrection.
Dimensions
  • Average, trimmed height: 7.3cm
  • Average, trimmed width: 4.8cm
Styles
Marks and inscriptions
AA (monogram)
Credit line
Bequeathed by C.H. Shannon, R.A.
Summary
These images belong to a set of 40 prints representing the Fall and Redemption of Man. Each woodcut image is only about 7.5cm high but the compositions are monumental with figure groups in expansive interiors and landscape settings. Altdorfer drew the compositions four to a woodblock to help ensure evenness of printing across the set. The compositions were copied in altarpieces and miniature paintings by other artists. They were never copied as woodcuts, a testament to the technical accomplishment required to make small woodcuts of such as high pictorial standard.

Sets of small woodcuts were sometimes pasted into books as illustrations. However, these woodcuts are thought likely to have been made with a collector’s market in mind. This is underlined by their relatively high survival rate.
Bibliographic references
  • Bartsch, Adam von, 1757-1821. The illustrated Bartsch. New York : Abaris Books, 1978-, no. 1-40
  • Hollstein, F. W. H. German engravings, etchings, and woodcuts, ca. 1400-1700. Amsterdam : M. Hertzberger, 1954-
  • Landau, David and Peter Parshall. The Renaissance Print: 1470-1550. Yale University Press, 1994.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1938. London: The Board of Education, 1939.
Collection
Accession number
E.1770-1938

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Record createdJune 30, 2009
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