German xylography of the fifteenth century. Anonimo tedesco del XV secolo. Salvator Mundi and Madonna.Germany, second half of the XVth century.

German Woodcut; mm. 216 x 254. image within linear frame.

Splendid German woodcut datable around the 70s and 80s of the fifteenth century. The study of this rare and precious sheet was carried out through the comparison with other single-sheet woodcut specimens, executed between 1470 and 1500 as autonomous works, distinct from the production of images related to written texts. The depiction of the Salvator Mundi together with the Madonna is a rather unusual subject: in this composition the two figures are represented under a decorated porticate and are separated by a column with an ornate Ionic capital; the Christ, in a hieratic posture, holds in his left hand the cruciferous globe while he blesses with his right hand raised; Our Lady has her hands clasped and her face turned to the ground with a thoughtful attitude. We find a similar representation of the Salvator Mundi, without the Virgin Mary, in an edition of the Plenarium printed in Augsburg by Gunther Zainer in 1474: in the present single sheet however the hatching of the garments and the lines of the faces seem more archaic and even more marked appears expressiveness. Excellent complete impression of the framing line plus a few millimeters of margin, in excellent condition. Some restorations visible mainly on the verso. Unidentified watermark track.The Illustrated Bartsch, German Book illustration before 1500, vol. 80, p. 205.