small book with 10 woodcuts published by Tindall Wildridge in 1887.
The book can be seen in detail at The Wenceslaus Hollar Digital Collection (see link below),
where the woodcuts are attributed to John Bewick.
It's a mistake to claim the blocks were cut by Bewick, because:
The book itself nowhere makes the claim that the cuts were made by Bewick
John Bewick copies Holbein's woodcuts rather closely, whereas this unknown artists follows
the deviations that were invented
by Arnold Birckmann and later imitated by
Wenceslaus Hollar and David Deuchar.
The books itself mentions (p. 32) that Bewick's wood-blocks were destroyed by fire in 1825.
This would have made it a tad difficult to employ them in 1887.
The book states clearly (p. 37) that the blocks
»are a series found in a northern printing office many years ago«
and that they
»seem to be of considerable age«.
Has this unknown artist then copied
Birckmann, Hollar or Deuchar?
The picture where all the different artist deviate most from each other,
is that of the preacher.
Birckmann and Hollar have given Death empty hands,
while Deuchar and the unknown artist has given Death a small bone in his hand.
Hollar has drawn the hourglass so indistinctly that Deuchar has missed it.
Birckmann: Empty hands distinct hourglass
Hollar: Empty hands indistinct hourglass
Deuchar: A small bone no hourglass
Unknown artist: A small bone indistinct hourglass
It's hard to conclude anything. The unknown artist includes Hollar's indistinct hourglass (which Deuchar has missed).
Death gets a little bone in his hand, like in Deuchar's plate, but the hand is held upturned like in Birckmann's wooodcut.
small book with 10 woodcuts published by Tindall Wildridge in 1887.
The book can be seen in detail at The Wenceslaus Hollar Digital Collection (see link below),
where the woodcuts are attributed to John Bewick.
Dances of death
Holbein