-
Nuremberg Chronicle 1
Nuremberg Chronicle
Fifth day
The Nuremberg Chronicle is an illustrated world history.Its
structure follows the story of human history as relatedin the
Bible; it includes the histories of a number ofimportant Western
cities. Written in Latin by HartmannSchedel, with a version in
German translation by GeorgAlt, it appeared in 1493. It is one of
the best-documentedearly printed books - an incunabulum (printed,
nothand-written) - and one of the first to successfullyintegrate
illustrations and text.
Latin scholars refer to it as Liber Chronicarum (Book
ofChronicles) as this phrase appears in the indexintroduction of
the Latin edition. English speakers havelong referred to it as the
Nuremberg Chronicle after thecity in which it was published. German
speakers refer toit as Die Schedelsche Weltchronik (Schedel's
WorldHistory) in honour of its author.
Page depicting Constantinople with addedhand-colouring
The illustrations in many copies were hand-coloured after
printing.
Contents
The Chronicle is an illustrated world history, in which the
contents aredivided into seven ages:• First age: from creation to
the Deluge• Second age: up to the birth of Abraham• Third age: up
to King David• Fourth age: up to the Babylonian captivity• Fifth
age: up to the birth of Jesus Christ• Sixth age: up to the present
time (the largest part)• Seventh age: outlook on the end of the
world and the Last
Judgement
Publication
The Chronicle was first published in Latin on 12 July 1493 in
the cityof Nuremberg. This was quickly followed by a German
translation on23 December 1493. An estimated 1400 to 1500 Latin and
700 to 1000German copies were published. A document from 1509
records that539 Latin versions and 60 German versions had not been
sold. Approximately 400 Latin and 300 German copiessurvived into
the twenty-first century.[1] The larger illustrations were also
sold separately as prints, oftenhand-coloured in watercolour. Many
copies of the book are also coloured, with varying degrees of
skill; there werespecialist shops for this. The colouring on some
examples has been added much later, and some copies have beenbroken
up for sale as decorative prints.
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Nuremberg_chronicles_-_f_4v.pnghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hartmann_Schedelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hartmann_Schedelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1493http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Incunabulumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=English_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Constantinoplehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Schedel_konstantinopel.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Creation_mythhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Deluge_%28mythology%29http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abrahamhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=King_Davidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Babylonian_captivityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jesus_Christhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Last_Judgementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Last_Judgementhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Latinhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Nuremberghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=German_languagehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Old_master_printhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Watercolour
-
Nuremberg Chronicle 2
The publisher and printer was Anton Koberger, the godfather of
Albrecht Dürer, who in the year of Dürer's birth in1471 ceased
goldsmithing to become a printer and publisher. He quickly became
the most successful publisher inGermany, eventually owning 24
printing presses and having many offices in Germany and abroad,
from Lyon toBudapest.[2]
Illustrations
A typical opening, uncoloured
Catching a "lion fish" - a small illustration from aLatin copy.
Note the red capital done in pen and
ink, and the doodle in the margin below
The large workshop of Michael Wolgemut, then Nuremberg's
leadingartist in various media, provided the unprecedented 1,809
woodcutillustrations (before duplications are eliminated; see
below). SebastianKammermeister and Sebald Schreyer financed the
printing in acontract dated March 16, 1492, although preparations
had been wellunder way for several years. Wolgemut and his stepson
WilhelmPleydenwurff were first commissioned to provide the
illustrations in1487-88, and a further contract of December 29,
1491, commissionedmanuscript layouts of the text and
illustrations.
Albrecht Dürer was an apprentice with Wolgemut from 1486 to
1489,so may well have participated in designing some of the
illustrations forthe specialist craftsmen (called "formschneider"s)
who cut the blocks,onto which the design had been drawn, or a
drawing glued. From 1490to 1494 Dürer was travelling. A drawing by
Wolgemut for theelaborate frontispiece, dated 1490, is in the
British Museum.
The book did not have a title page, common at that time. As with
otherbooks of the period, many of the woodcuts, showing towns,
battles orkings were used more than once in the book, with the text
labelsmerely changed; one count of the number of original woodcuts
is 645.The book is large, with a double-page woodcut measuring
about 342 x500mm.[2] Only the city of Nuremberg is given a double
page illustration with no text. The illustration for the city
ofVenice is adapted from a much larger woodcut of 1486 by Erhard
Reuwich in the first illustrated printed travel book,the Sanctae
Perigrinationes of 1486. This and other sources were used where
possible; where no information wasavailable a number of stock
images were used, and reused up to eleven times. The view of
Florence was adaptedfrom an engraving by Francesco Rosselli.[3]
A privately held version of Nuremberg Chronicles was recently
revealed when its owner brought the leaves forwardfor independent
appraisal in Sandy, Utah.[4]
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anton_Kobergerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albrecht_D%C3%BCrerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lyonhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Budapesthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Schedelsche_Weltchronik_d_122.jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lion_fishhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Doodlehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Nuremberg_chronicles_-_Bottom_of_Page_(CCXVIIv).jpghttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Michael_Wolgemuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Woodcuthttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Albrecht_D%C3%BCrerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=British_Museumhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Erhard_Reuwichhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Florencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Francesco_Rossellihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sandy%2C_Utah
-
Nuremberg Chronicle 3
References[1] "About this book - Latin and German Editions"
(http:/ / www. beloit. edu/ ~nurember/ inside/ about/ editions.
htm), Beloit College Morse
Library[2] ,Giulia Bartrum, Albrecht Dürer and his Legacy,
British Museum Press, 2002, pp. 94-96, ISBN 0-7141-2633-0[3] A
Hyatt Mayor, Prints and People, Metropolitan Museum of
Art/Princeton, 1971, nos 43 & 173.ISBN 0-691-00326-2[4] FOX 13
News Utah: "Appraisal event turns up extraordinary piece of
history" (http:/ / www. fox13now. com/ news/ local/
kstu-nuremberg-chronicles-appraisal-event-turns-up-extraordinary-piece-of-history-20110409,0,2228535.
story)
External links• Beloit College's extensive account of their
version of the Chronicle, with illustrations (http:/ / www. beloit.
edu/
nuremberg/ inside/ about/ index. htm)• the original woodcut
world map (http:/ / lazarus. elte. hu/ ~zoltorok/ Cartartweb/
cartart_schedel. htm)• More views from the Metropolitan Museum's
uncoloured copy: Rome, Nuremberg, saints (http:/ / www.
metmuseum. org/ toah/ hd/ prnt/ ho_1981. 1178. 29. htm)• Online
images of an uncoloured copy (http:/ / www. mirroroftheworld. com.
au/ inspiration/ printed/ nuremberg/
online. php) from the State Library of Victoria• Online full
Latin coloured copy (http:/ / daten. digitale-sammlungen. de/ ~db/
0003/ bsb00034024/ images/ index.
html?id=00034024& fip=151. 59. 152. 2& no=29&
seite=1) from the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek• http:/ / www.
smithandpress. com offers an English translation and printed
reference copy of the Latin edition as
well as a full size facsimile.
http://www.beloit.edu/~nurember/inside/about/editions.htmhttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Beloit_Collegehttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Metropolitan_Museum_of_Arthttp://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-nuremberg-chronicles-appraisal-event-turns-up-extraordinary-piece-of-history-20110409,0,2228535.storyhttp://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-nuremberg-chronicles-appraisal-event-turns-up-extraordinary-piece-of-history-20110409,0,2228535.storyhttp://www.beloit.edu/nuremberg/inside/about/index.htmhttp://www.beloit.edu/nuremberg/inside/about/index.htmhttp://lazarus.elte.hu/~zoltorok/Cartartweb/cartart_schedel.htmhttp://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/prnt/ho_1981.1178.29.htmhttp://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/prnt/ho_1981.1178.29.htmhttp://www.mirroroftheworld.com.au/inspiration/printed/nuremberg/online.phphttp://www.mirroroftheworld.com.au/inspiration/printed/nuremberg/online.phphttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=State_Library_of_Victoriahttp://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0003/bsb00034024/images/index.html?id=00034024&fip=151.59.152.2&no=29&seite=1http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/0003/bsb00034024/images/index.html?id=00034024&fip=151.59.152.2&no=29&seite=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bayerische_Staatsbibliothekhttp://www.smithandpress.com
-
Article Sources and Contributors 4
Article Sources and ContributorsNuremberg Chronicle
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=430987944
Contributors: 100110100, Adam Keller, Andrew Dalby,
BanyanTree, CMBJ, CalJW, Captain Blood,Cbustapeck, Chris 73,
Chronicler, Crazycomputers, DO'Neil, Dictionarium, Fryed-peach, Fæ,
Gioto, Hseneff, Humblefool, Johnbod, König Alfons der
Viertelvorzwölfte, Ledzeppelin21, Lloizzo,Lotje, Matthead, Mdd,
Mimihitam, Mindmatrix, Paul August, Pe-Jo, Perceval, Polylerus,
Raul654, Richard Arthur Norton (1958- ), SaturnCat, Schaengel89,
SchuminWeb, Shimgray, Staffelde,Statelibraryvictoria, Terrytip,
ThomasPusch, Tomisti, Twang, Vanished User 0001, 32 anonymous
edits
Image Sources, Licenses and
Contributorsimage:Nuremberg_chronicles_-_f_4v.png Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Nuremberg_chronicles_-_f_4v.png
License: Public Domain Contributors: Hartmann
SchedelImage:Schedel konstantinopel.jpg Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Schedel_konstantinopel.jpg
License: unknown Contributors: Chris 73, G.dallorto,
JMCC1, Kairios,Liondancer, ¡0-8-15!, 2 anonymous
editsImage:Schedelsche Weltchronik d 122.jpg Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Schedelsche_Weltchronik_d_122.jpg
License: unknown Contributors:
Joergens.miImage:Nuremberg chronicles - Bottom of Page
(CCXVIIv).jpg Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Nuremberg_chronicles_-_Bottom_of_Page_(CCXVIIv).jpg
License:Public Domain Contributors: Chris 73,
Liondancer, Pe-Jo
LicenseCreative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0
Unportedhttp:/ / creativecommons. org/ licenses/ by-sa/ 3. 0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
Nuremberg ChronicleContentsPublicationIllustrationsReferences
External links
License