Catalog Archive
Auction 184, Lot 566

"Athene oder Minerna", Schonsperger, Johann

Subject: Athens, Greece

Period: 1500 (circa)

Publication: Liber Chronicarum

Color: Hand Color

Size:
5.6 x 3.5 inches
14.2 x 8.9 cm
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This is an imaginary woodcut engraving of Athens, along with the portraits of Minerva and her weaving device. On verso are the portraits of Prometheus, Atlas, Apollo, Jupiter and a lineage of Assyrian kings. On a sheet of German text measuring 7.1 x 9.8". This leaf is from a rare reduced edition of the Nuremberg Chronicle, that is often called the Mini-Schedel or the Augsburg Chronicle.

Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle, published in 1493, presented the history of the world in a pictorial encyclopedia. Among the illustrations were views of towns and cities throughout Europe and the Near East, and an enormous number of other subjects, including diagrams of the Creation, comets, family trees, portraits & biblical scenes. The folio Chronicle was very expensive and thus Johann Schonsperger, who specialized in reprints, saw the opportunity to publish a smaller and less costly version. He published German versions in 1496 & 1500 and a Latin version in 1497. These are often referred to as pirated editions because they were published without the consent of Schedel or the original printer, Anton Koberger.

References:

Condition: B

Moderate soiling with an old paper repair on a tear that extends about 1/2" into the image at bottom.

Estimate: $140 - $170

Sold for: $100

Closed on 9/15/2021

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