A memento Mori with wishes for the New Year, by Unknown (1500, c.)

Picture42.jpg

Title

A memento Mori with wishes for the New Year, by Unknown (1500, c.)

Description

"A memento mori with wishes for the New Year; sheet printed from eleven blocks; in the centre is a woman with a skull instead of the face reflected in the mirror which she is holding; her mirror and dress are inscribed; further inscriptions are on six scrolls; at the top and bottom are two borders, of which the upper one contains Christ-child, two angels and greetings for the new year." (Description from The British Museum, London, UK,
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1895-0122-28)

Inscription content: On the upper border the New Year's wishes: "EIN GVT SELIG NEV IAR BVSCH ICH EVCH". On the scroll underneath the upper border: "~ Leben · Leben · Leben ~ Ich bin iung schön hübsch wolgestalt · Wie aber wenn ich wird alt". On the central block: on the dress the name "Hans KVRCZ" is inscribed, on the mirror: "ZIT BRINGT ALLE DING"


"The beautiful woman with long hair has a skull in the place of the young face she sees in her mirror. The main text underlines the obvious message. It is written in verse by the Munich poet Hans Kurz, whose name appears on the hem on the woman's skirt. The two ribbon-texts which flank her add the information that her name is Syman (sie-Mann) and Frau Hille (Holle), respectively virago and witch. The heading gives the function of the sheet as a New Year greeting. Its male producers (artist, poet, printer) thus issue a warning to those who buy and contemplate the sheet that women are dangerous agents of mortality in the world. Above sits the Christ-child holding the orb of power. The print was probably published in Munich." (Curator's comments from The British Museum, London, UK,
https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1895-0122-28)

Creator

Unknown

Source

Date

1500, c.

Format

Woodcut, partly hand-colored and underlined in red.
Dimensions: 30 × 19,5 cm

Item Relations

This item has no relations.

Comments