The following is a fairly complete list over book publications of Holbein's original woodcuts.
Before 1538: The Trechsel brothers published a small book,
which may be regarded as a transition between the so-called proofs
and the proper book publications.
On the front page is Trechsel's printer's mark (right) and nothing else.
Then follow 39 woodcuts with
two scenes missing, viz
The Expulsion and
After the Fall.
On the other hand,
the astrologen
is included.
There are no headings and in fact no texts at all.
1538: »Les Simulachres & historiées faces de la
Mort, autant elegamment pourtraictes, que artificiellement imaginées«.
The first edition with 41 woodcuts.
The last page states that the brothers Trechsel were behind the publication:
»Excvdebant Lvgdvni Melchior et Gaspar Trechsel Fratres. 1538«.
The front page tells us that the book was printed »A Lyon, soubz l'escu de Coloigne«", which was the address of the brothers Frellon.
Jean and François Frellon were sons of a Parisian printer, but Jean had later acquired citizen's rights in Basel.
As of 1536 the brothers were established in Rue Mercière in Lyon at l'Écu de Cologne.
1542: »Les Simulachres et historiées Faces De La Mort,
contenant la Medecine de l'ame, utile et necessaire non seulement aux malades […]«
Published by the brothers Frellon, who are responsible for the following publications,
since the brothers Trechsel had closed their shop following a strike in 1539.
1542: »Imagines de Morte et Epigrammata e Gallico idiomate a Georgio Aemylio in
Latinum translata«.
A Latin version. As the title states, Gilles Corrozet's epigrams have been translated by Georg Aemilius.(1)
1545: »Imagines Mortis. His accesserunt, Epigrammata, è Gallico idiomate à
Georgio Æmylio in Latinum translata.«
This edition has 42 woodcuts,
since the beggar has been added. The beggar has nothing to do with the rest of the dance
but appears in a different section of the book.
1547: »Imagines Mortis. Duodecim imaginibus præter
priores, totidemque inscriptionibus præter epigrammata é
Gallicis à Georgio Æmylio in Latinum versa, […]«.
At the end: »Lvgdvni, Excudebat Ioannes Frellonius, 1547«,
because François had died in 1546.
Now there are 53 woodcuts and the beggar has become an integrated part of the series.
The Frellon Brothers' printer's mark
|
1547: »Icones Mortis, Duodecim imaginibus præter priores, […]«
The first word of the titles are different between this and the previous book
("Imagines" / "Icones"), and the whole text has been set anew. Other than that these two books are identical.
1547: »Les Images de la Mort. Auxquelles sont adjoustées douze figures. […]«
The book was printed »A Lyon, A l'escu de Cologne, chez Iehan Frellon«.
Unlike the two previous versions that were in Latin, this one is in French. Other than that the contents are the same.
1549: »Simolachri historie, e figure de la morte. La
medicina de L'anima. […]«
Italian version with 53 woodcuts.
In the preface Jean Frellon complains about the pirate edition of Vincenzo Valgrisi,
but Frellon got his revenge by copying Valgrisi's Italian text for his own edition.
1554: »Icones Mortis. Duodecim Imaginibus praeter
priores, totidemque inscriptionibus, […]
Basileae«
The title claims that this edition was printed in Basel, but doesn't specify which publisher/printing house.
The question is whether the woodcuts were really sent to Basel and back,
or if the place of printing was forged in order to avoid censure.
1562: »Les Images de la Mort, auxquelles sont adjoustees
dix sept figures. […] A Lyon, par Jehan Frellon«
This was the last edition. This time there are 5 more woodcuts —
or as the sub-title says: 17 ("dix sept") more
than in the first edition.
The title page says, »A Lyon, Par Iehan Frellon, 1562«,
but is wasn't printed by Frellon, who had sold his presses by this time.
The last page states:
»A Lyon, Par Symphorien Barbier«.
1574: »Imagines Mortis : item epigrammata è Gall. à G.
Æmilio in Latinum versa. Lugdun. Frellonius«.
This edition probably doesn't exist.
Douce (page 109) gives Peignot as his only source, and
Peignot (Recherches historique et littéraires sur les danses des morts, 1826, page 62)
says that M. Courtois had such a copy.
The only reference then is a catalog over
Edme-Bonaventure Courtois' library from 1819.
Douce is probably right when he suggests (footnote 114) that two numbers have been exchanged
and that the book in question is one of the three editions from 1547:
»This edition is given on the authority of Peignot, p. 62, but has not been seen by the author of this work.
In the year 1547, there were three editions, and it is not improbable that, by the transposition of the two last figures, one of these might have been intended«.
1654: »De Doodt vermaskert met des werelts ydelheyt afghedaen
door G. V. Wolsschaten,
Verciert met de constighe belden van den vermaerden schilder Hans Holbeen«, Antwerp.
A Dutch language book with 15 good copies of Holbein's original woodcuts.
Some experts consider them to be genuine, but I don't believe that (any longer).
The Internet Archive and other collections offer scans of various
photographic reprints from the 1800's. While they are not bad, the photo-technique of the 19th century leaves something
to be desired;
Georg Aemilius . . .: 1517-1569, (also called Oemmel, Aemylius, Emilius, Öhmler and Oemler).
Several authors claim that Georg Aemilius was Martin Luther's brother-in-law,
but this is incorrect. It was Georgs father, Nicolas Oemeler,
whom Luther called his boyhood friend and brother-in-law — and brother-in-law should be understood in a very broad sense,
since Nicolas Oemeler and Luther's brother Jakob had married two sisters.
inding Holbein on the Net is easy, but in the majority of cases
the "genuine" Holbein woodcuts turns out to be the copies produced by
Douce in 1833
(or rather: 1858).
All their qualities untold they are still copies with inevitable
differences — particularly in the facial expressions.
Finding genuine Holbein is a bit more difficult,
but the situation is becoming better and better.
Dances of death
Holbein's dance of death