Bidspirit auction | A C. 1493 NUREMBURG CHRONICLE

A C. 1493 NUREMBURG CHRONICLE WOODCUT PRINT, RENAISSANCE BIOGRAPHICAL ILLUSTRATIONS, HALF-PAGE - The upper half of page CCLV (255) from the Nuremberg Chronicle, one of the most famous of the early incunable printings of Europe and one of the first to successfully combine illustrations and text. Its creation involved the workshop of Michael Wohlgemuth, the mentor of Albrecht Durer, and was published by Anton Koberger, Durer's Godfather. This page has three illustrations of famous people of the renaissance along with biographical text in latin, one image to the front and two to the verso. The first shows the astronomer known as Regiomontanus, written here as the latinized Johannes de Monte Regio, a brilliant scientist in the Holy Roman Empire whose works would go on to be instrumental in the foundation of Copernican Heliocentrism. He is depicted in typical German clothing of the time with an astrolabe in his hand. The second image shows Galeazzo Maria Sforza, the fifth Duke of Milan, and second of the Sforza dynasty, wearing a suit of armor with his long curls flowing about him, and a large plume stuck into his coronet. His father was the famous condottiero Francesco Sforza, Fourth Duke of Milan and ally of Cosimo de' Medici of Florence. The third image shows Charles the Bold, the last Duke of Burgundy of the House of Valois-Burgundy, arrayed in a full suit of armor, complete with a sallet helmet on his head and spear in his hand. Charles is most famous for leading War of the Public Weal, a rebellion of the vassals of King Louis XI of France in 1465. Nuremburg, Germany, 1493. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All lots are sold ”as-is”, refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions does not ship in-house. A list of recommended shippers will be provided. Dimensions: 8 5/8 x 9 3/4 in., (21.9 x 24.8 cm.) Condition: Page cut in half horizontally, lower half no longer extant. One tiny spot of bookworming to left of page. Some minor foxing consistent with age.