The Destruction of Troy, full-page coloured drawing from Sigismund Meisterlein's 'Augsburg Chronik', in German [Germany (Augsburg)], dated 1490

Estimate

5,000 - 7,000 GBP

bidding is closed

Description

ink and pigments on paper

single leaf, 204x150mm, paper, 2 columns, 30-34 lines, 195x135mm, cut close to frame of miniature, text not affected, remains of paper from previous mounting, the drawing well preserved

Catalogue Note

A HITHERTO UNRECORDED LEAF FROM A LAVISHLY ILLUSTRATED COPY OF THE 'AUGSBURG CHRONIK', WRITTEN AND DATED BY THE SCRIBE CONRAD VAIHINGER IN 1490

This is one of a series of illustrations for the 'Augsburg Chronik' of Sigismund Meisterlein, a monk of the monastery of Sts Ulrich and Afra in Augsburg, written by him in Latin in 1457, but soon followed by a group of manuscript German translations, of which five were illustrated. Hellmut Lehmann-Haupt (Schwäbische Federzeichnungen, 1929, pp.212-19 and pls. 90-100) has traced 22 leaves from the same manuscript, now dispersed in various libraries; CONRAD VAIHINGER identifies himself as the scribe in the colophon on a leaf now in Berlin, Kupferstich Kabinett 4076. A previously unrecorded leaf sold at Christie's, 26 June 1996, lot 5, subsequently offered by J. Günther, Handschriften und Miniaturen, Cat.5, 1997, no.31.

The cuttings recorded by Lehmann-Haupt are: Berlin, Kupferstich Kabinett 1050, 4073-4079 (8 leaves); Frankfurt, Coll. Hirsch (6 leaves), subsequently offered by H.P. Kraus, New York, Cat. 159, 1981, then Stuttgart, Priv. coll. and notified as stolen in 1996; Paris, Bibl. de l'Ecole Nat. Sup., Coll. Masson, ms. 204-209 (6 leaves); Frankfurt, Städel, Inv.-Nr.14399 (1 leaf); Haarlem, Coll. Franz Königs (1 leaf; missing since World War II).