Ornamental Alphabet

1480/1490

German 15th Century

Associated Names
German 15th Century

Artist

This is a drawing of stylized alphabet letters in an elaborate calligraphic style. The artwork features a complete set of uppercase letters arranged in three horizontal rows. Each letter is embellished with swirls, flourishes, and patterns resembling ribbons and motifs. The background is a light color, enhancing the vintage appearance of the lettering.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    woodcut

  • Credit Line

    Rosenwald Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet: 27.8 × 40.8 cm (10 15/16 × 16 1/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1943.3.698

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Schreiber, no. 2001

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

1965

  • Fifteenth-Century Woodcuts and Metalcuts from the Collection of the National Gallery of Art, NGA, 1965-1966, no. 284, repro.

1994

  • Fanciful Flourishes: Ornament in European Graphic Art and Related Objects, 1300-1800, National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1994.

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

Q64953223

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