A Warning Against Playing Dice

c. 1500

French 15th Century

Associated Names
The image shows a medieval scene with an aerial perspective looking down on a castle landscape. The horizon is in the middle with fortified walls, towers, and structures across rolling hills. Buildings, walls, a windmill, and more structures are depicted in the distance. The hills slope upwards towards more architectural elements on elevated terrain. The style resembles engravings or woodcuts with bold, thick lines and a monochrome color palette of black and white. Two riders on horses appear engaged in an activity, with detailed costumes and armor. Curved lines add texture to the horses and figures, while wavy lines suggest foliage.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut [fragment]

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 37.7 × 21 cm (14 13/16 × 8 1/4 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.646

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Schreiber, Vol. *, no. 1972, State m


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Martin Aufhäuser [1875-1944], Munich, Holland, and Los Angeles; [1] Lessing J. Rosenwald, Jenkintown, PA; gift to NGA, 1943.
[1] For complete information on Aufhäuser's collection, see Rosenwald Papers, box 9, and Richard S. Field, Fifteenth Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts, Washington, D.C., 1965, Preface (np).

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1955

  • French Woodcuts, Engravings and Books of the 15th and Early 16th Centuries, The Davison Art Center, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, 1955.

1965

  • Fifteenth-Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art, NGA, 1965-1966, no. 283, repro.

Bibliography

1926

  • Schreiber, Wilhelm Ludwig. Handbuch de Holz- und Metailschnitte des XV Jahrhunderts. 8 vols. Leipzig: Verlag Karl W. Hierseman, 1926-1930.

1965

  • Field, Richard S. Fifteenth Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.. Exh. cat. Washington: National Gallery of Art, 1965.

Wikidata ID

Q64953149

You may be interested in

Loading Results