Hans Baldung Grien

Woodcuts, 1534
Sizes of originals a) 213 x 321 mm, 8 6/16 x 12 5/8 inches; b) 230 x 338 mm, 9 1/16 x 13 5/16 inches

Horses frequently symbolise the passions in Renaissance art, but rarely so powerfully as in the series of three prints by Baldung, of which we reproduce two. At this time, groups of feral horses roamed the Vosges mountains near Strasbourg, Baldung's native city. The third print includes another group of horses, a man half-hiding behind a tree, a stag and a monkey, symbol of lust, sitting in the foreground.

Baldung was the most talented pupil of Dürer, for whom he probably worked from 1503-7. But he always had his own style and distinctive subject matter. The great majority of his prints were in woodcut, which by 1534, the date of these prints, had been abandoned by for ambitious work by most artists in favour of etching or engraving.

But Baldung makes superb use of the medium, with the aid of a very talented block-cutter, who would have cut the actual woodblock from Baldung's design. The design would either have been drawn directly onto the wood, or on a piece of paper which was then glued to the wood. The cutter then chiselled away all the non-drawn 'white' areas, to leave the lines standing in relief. The second of these prints (b) would have been especially difficult to cut, as there are large areas of cross-hatching, which is easy enough to do in an etching, but very hard when each tiny white space has to be gouged out individually.

Size of reproduction:
a) 224 x 338 mm, 8 13/16 x 13 5/16 inches; b) 230 x 338 mm, 9 1/16 x 13 5/16 inches

Print price:
£80    €120    $130

£ and € print prices include UK VAT at 17.5%. No UK VAT on Books.

© The Trustees of the British Museum 2006 PD no a) 1895-1-22-231, b) 1852-6-12-111 Bartsch no a) 56, b) 58