PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN: Suite of Four Original Engravings

Aldegrever, Heinrich

Published by Germany, 1554

About this Item

9 1/2 inches by 11 3/4 inches: Each engraving is trimmed to the edge of the print and measures 8cm X 11cm. Four original engravings by the German artist Heinrich Aldegrever (1502-1562), who was the leading artist in the "Little Masters," a group of German artists making small old master prints in the generation after Albrecht Dürer. His style is similar to Durer's, and he is sometimes referred to as the "Albert of Westphalia." This is the complete "Good Samaritan" suite and includes "The Robbers Attacking the Travelers," "The Good Samaritan Tending the Traveller's Wounds with Oil and Wine," "The Good Samaritan Taking the Traveller to an Inn," and "The Good Samaritan Paying the Innkeeper." Each signed in the plate with Aldegrever's monogram and dated 1554. Bartsch 40-43. Provenance: Listed for auction by The Anderson Galleries on December 10, 1924 and pictured in the catalog. The Anderson Galleries auction label is on the verso of the backing board. We decided to remove the engravings from the cheap Anderson Gallery frame to get rid of the glare from the glass when taking pictures. In so doing we were able to discover more info. First the engravings are printed on laid paper. Second, The engravings are NOT laid down on the backing board, but they are tipped onto the backing with the adhesive limited to the top 1/4 inch of the print. We don't know what kind of adhesive was used, but there is no sign that it is acidic. There is none of the bleed-through to the recto of the print that one would expect after 100 years. Third, in the image of the robbers engraving you will notice what looks a darker line across the traveler's left leg above the ankle. There is a similar apparent line in the lower right quadrant of the "tending the wounds" engraving. Both are actually hairline printing creases and are not dark--the darkness is the way our scanner picks up the creases. [Note: these are not a big deal--we really had to search for them after noticing the lines in the zoomed images.] Fourth, the impressions are much better than we thought they were when we first viewed them under the old glass--especially the bottom two prints. Fifth, there is no foxing. There is a tiny, tiny spot of staining in the upper right quadrant of "tending the wounds" that I bet is too small for you to find without zooming in on the image. Aldegraver's engravings can be found in museums world-wide, including both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Getty Museum in the United States. Seller Inventory # W2754

Bibliographic Details

Title: PARABLE OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN: Suite of Four...

Publisher: Germany

Publication Date: 1554

Binding: Framed Prints

Illustrator: Heinrich Aldegrever

Condition: Very Good

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

Edition: First Edition.

Book Type: Fine Art Print