Michel Wolgemut, “City of Marseille”, 1493

Michel Wolgemut (or Michael Wohlgemuth) (1434–1519)—possibly in collaboration with Wilhelm Pleydenwurff (c. 1458–1494)

Leaf with woodcut, “City of Marseille” (or as described in the German text, “Massillia”), 1493 (German Edition, published December 23)

Technical Details & Condition:

Woodcut with incunabula letterpress German text on laid paper, complete with margins as issued.  The leaf features a large woodcut and is page 61 (“LXI”) from Hartmann Schedel‘s (1440–1514) “Nuremberg Chronicle” (Liber Chronicarum), published in Nuremberg by Anton Koberger (1445–1513).

The recto features a large woodcut “prospect” of the city of Marseille (Massillia). As was common in 15th-century cartography, this woodblock serves as a generalized representation of a fortified Mediterranean port rather than a surveyed map; notably, this same block was reused by Koberger to represent other cities (such as Verona and Nicea) elsewhere in the Chronicle.

The verso (reverse) features five smaller woodcut portraits representing a lineage of ancient wisdom:

• “Pherecides Philosophus” (Pherecydes of Syros)
• “Pytagoras Philosophus” (Pythagoras)
• “Sopho poetissa” (Sappho)
• “Ezechiel propheta” (Ezekiel)
• “Daniel propheta” (Daniel)

These portraits exemplify the “generic” woodcut style of the period, where the same block was often used to depict multiple historical figures across the 1,809 illustrations in the book. 

The woodcuts and accompanying letterpress text are richly inked and well-printed. There are minor surface marks consistent with age; a small area of thinning at the upper right corner (recto) from previous mounting—this does not affect the printed image. Aside from these minor issues, the sheet remains in excellent antiquarian condition for its large size and age, free of tears, holes, folds, or significant stains. 

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 44.5 x 31.5 cm
• Image borderline of “City of Marseille”: 19.5 x 22.7 cm

References:

• The British Museum offers a detailed description of the Nuremberg Chronicle (see “Curator’s comments”): https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-1008-1938-1-136

Price & Shipping:

AU$426 (approximately US$299.21 / €258.49 / £224.27), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties (if any) are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this rare and large woodcut—a lifetime impression from 1493 and a true masterpiece of the incunabula period, printed at the very time Leonardo da Vinci was painting his famous “The Last Supper”—please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will be happy to send a PayPal invoice for a smooth and secure purchase. 

This print has been sold