Martyrdom of St. Matthias
Workshop of Michael Wolgemut; Workshop of Wilhelm Pleydenwurff
Description
Workshop of Michael Wolgemut (1434–1519) and Wilhelm Pleydenwurff (c. 1458-94)
Nuremberg, Germany, 1434–1519
Martyrdom of St. Matthew Matthias
ca. 1493
Woodcut on laid paper from the Nuremberg Chronicle
Gift of Professor Walter M. and Nesta R. Spink, 2012/2.205
Subject Matter:
This woodcut print is an excised illustration from the Nuremberg Chronicle showing the martyrdom of Saint Matthias, the haloed figure in the foreground. Around 1493, The Nuremberg Chronicle was commissioned by a wealthy entrepreneur from Nuremberg, Germany, Sebald Schreyer, as a history of the world from the story of creation through the date of publication. Humanist Scholar, Hartmann Schedel (1440--1514) compiled the text, which drew on already published histories. The Chronicle was initially published in both Latin and German versions, indicating that it was intended for a wider audience, not just clergy or nobility.
This woodcut is one of over 1,800 woodblock illustrations in the Chronicle, all produced by Michael Wolgemut and William Pleydenwurff’’s workshop in Nuremberg. In later centuries, early printed images became valuable as works of art on their own. Many were cut out of their original books and sold individually.
Saint Matthias was one of Jesus’ apostles, chosen to replace Judas after he betrayed Jesus. In the Chronicle, this illustration accompanied a paragraph explaining who Matthias was, as well as the details of his martyrdom. The devilish figure on the column is an idol, a symbol of the work of the Christian martyrs to convert people to Christianity.
Physical Description:
A haloed man kneels in three-quarter profile in the left center of the foreground of the composition. A male figure stands behind the haloed figure in a wide stance with an ax raised above the kneeling figure's head. In the background is another male figure wearing a pointed hat and a jester or demonic figure shown falling off a column in the distance in the upper left.
Usage Rights:
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