alvasor (1641-1693) was also known as Johann Weichard Valvasor.
He was a Slovenian nobleman from Ljubljana (Laybach), and he had established a printery in his castle
with a large library and collection of prints.
In 1681 he published the book Theatrum Mortis Humanæ Tripartitum.
As the title says, the book is in three parts:
Only the first part is a dance of death.
Second part deals with the subject of various "death types" (i.e. the death of famous historic persons),
and the third part shows 42 pictures of people being tortured.
The pictures are framed with decorations of flowers, birds and fruits.
The illustrations were executed by Andreas Trost and Johann (Janez) Koch,
and they follow the versions invented by
Arnold Birckmann very closely.
This is also true for Hollar and David Deuchar,
but Valvasor is even more consequent:
Hollar (and Deuchar) copied some of their scenes from Holbein, but Valvasor has only copied Birckmann.
The only exception is the expulsion, where Valvasor doesn't follow Birckmann
but on the other hand doesn't make an exact copy of Holbein either.
Valvasor and Hollar
Sleeve by Birckmann
Sleeve by Holbein
oth Valvasor and Hollar copies Birckmann. Valvasor is from Slovenia and Hollar is from Czechia.
Is it possible then, that Valvasor might be a sort of "missing link" between Birckmann
and Hollar? Has Hollar copied Valvasor?
Hardly, since Hollar's copperplates are 31 years older than Valvasor's.
If further proof is needed, then look at the sleeve that Birckmann has
designed for the troubadour who plays for the nun.
Birckmann's sleeve (to the left) is puffy at the top and tight below,
while Holbein's original sleeve is shorter and made of strips.
Hollar (and Deuchar) copies Birckmann's sleeve, and Hollar hasn't done this via Valvasor,
because in Valvasor's version of the nun, the troubadour has been removed.
Another example is the astrologer, where Valvasor adds a mussel motif above the window.
Hollar ignores this motif, which shows that he has copied Birckmann and not Valvasor.
Is it the other way around then? Has Valvasor copied Hollar's book, which was 31 years old by then?
This is hardly credible either. Valvasor has
copied far more of Birckmann's woodcuts than
Hollar has. In the pictures of Creation,
Temptation and Fall, the emperor
and the duke, Valvasor has chosen to follow Birckmann's deviations,
and he hasn't done this via Hollar because in these 4 cases, Hollar has
chosen to ignore Birckmann and copy Holbein's originals.
The conclusion is then, that Valvasor and Hollar independently of each other have chosen to copy Birckmann instead of Holbein.
Resources
The 1682-edition was republished in 2004 by Georg Olms Verlag with a postscript by Hartmut Freytag
in the series Emblematisches Cabinet. ISBN 3487117614.
2. part of the 1681-edition.
Theatrum mortis
alvasor (1641-1693) was also known as Johann Weichard Valvasor.
He was a Slovenian nobleman from Ljubljana (Laybach), and he had established a printery in his castle
with a large library and collection of prints.
Sleeve by Birckmann
Sleeve by Holbein
oth Valvasor and Hollar copies Birckmann. Valvasor is from Slovenia and Hollar is from Czechia.
Is it possible then, that Valvasor might be a sort of "missing link" between Birckmann
and Hollar? Has Hollar copied Valvasor?
Children
Dances of death
Holbein