Hortulus anime noviter ac diligeter impressus.

Article description

8vo. Title printed in red and black with large initial,H' in red. The,Hortolus anime illustrated weith a total of 75 woodcut illustrations by the swiss artist Urs Graf (1485-1527) and the German artist Hans Baldung Grien (1484-1545). Vellum binding of the period with manuscrript, lacking the ribbons, spine worn and with abrasions and losses. Complete with all 75 woodcut illustrations, however lacking the last numbered page (16) of the first part of the book. The woodcuts overall in good impressions, text partially cut through the binding. 15 (16) num. Bll., 97 numm. Bll., 1 unnm. Bl. Illustrated with 1 large fullpage woodcut,beate Mariae viginis', 73 small woodcuts in text and one fullpage printer's device woodcut at the last unnumbered leaf. Hans Baldung (* 1484 or 1485 in Schwäbisch Gmünd; † September 1545 in Strasbourg), also called Hans Baldung Grien after his favorite color green, was a German painter, draftsman and engraver at the time of Albrecht Dürer, who also made numerous designs for woodcuts and made stained glass. He is one of the outstanding artists of the Renaissance in German-speaking countries. In 1503, Hans Baldung went to Nuremberg to continue his studies under Albrecht Dürer. Here he was given the nickname "Grien", according to legend "the Green", because he liked to wear green clothing and generally preferred the green color; in this way they wanted to distinguish him from the other journeymen in the workshop with the names Hans, Hans Schäufelein and Hans Süss von Kulmbach. He became Dürer's most important employee and ran his workshop during Dürer's absence. In the spring of 1509, Baldung returned to Strasbourg and acquired citizenship there. In 1510 he was accepted as a master craftsman by the "zur Steltz" guild and opened his own workshop. He achieved high social standing and prosperity in Strasbourg. From 1533 to 1534 he held the office of alderman in his guild and in 1545, the year of his death, even became a councilman. Urs Graf (c. 1485 in Solothurn, Switzerland – possibly before 13 October 1528) was a Swiss Renaissance goldsmith, painter and printmaker (of woodcuts, etchings and engravings), as well as a Swiss mercenary. He only produced two etchings, one of which dates from 1513 – the earliest known etching for which a date has been established. However, his woodcuts are considered of greater significance, particularly as he is attributed with the invention of the white-line woodcut technique, where white lines create the image on a black background. He also produced a few engravings, including copies of works by Martin Schongauer and Albrecht Dürer. He produced innovative drawings intended as finished works of art rather than just studies. Graf learned goldsmithing first from his father, Hugo Graf, then from a goldsmith in Zürich. He continued to work as a goldsmith and a few pieces survive. He initially earned money as a designer of woodcut book illustrations and by assisting a stained glass painter. In 1512, he bought citizenship in Basel and became a member of the goldsmiths' guild. He quickly came into conflict with the law for abusing his wife and consorting with prostitutes, culminating in accusations of attempted murder which caused him to flee the city in 1518. He was allowed to return to Basel the following year, where he continued working, but after 1527 his life becomes unclear. Given his frequent employment as a soldier of fortune it is possible he was present at the sack of Rome. Christiane Andersson noted that, "When and where he died are unknown: his wife remarried in October 1528 but an autograph drawing is dated 1529". Like many Swiss men of his day, Graf was known to have worked as a mercenary for considerable periods. His artistic output, arising from the tradition of Albrecht Dürer and Hans Baldung, includes a wide range of subjects, depicting social, erotic, military, political, and criminal images (e.g., Two Prostitutes Beating a Monk), as well as strong religious feelings which emerge in some works.