Extremely rare, nearly complete Luther-Cranachanti-Papist woodblock print series

Offered for sale by:ASHER Rare Books & Antiquariaat FORUM

Extremely rare, nearly complete Luther-Cranach anti-Papist woodblock print series: 2nd recorded copy of one edition plus 2 unrecorded prints from another edition,

both early editions printed from the original blocks of the first (1545) edition

LUTHER, Martin. [Abbildung des Papsttums]. [Wittenberg, Hans Lufft?, 1545/69]. Folio. A large fragment of each of 7 prints in a series of 9 (I-VI & IX) plus a large fragment of each of 2 prints (V & VI) from a different edition of the same series, each fragment with a woodcut illustration from the workshop of Lucas Cranach (ca. 14.5 x 10.5 cm), a letterpress title in Latin at the head (in roman capitals), a decorative band built up from cast fleurons on each side of the woodcut, and a letterpress caption in German at the foot in a Canon (270 mm/20 lines or about 40 point) fraktur type (partly or wholly cut off in the prints of the present sets). Prints VII & VIII, lacking here, actually came from a single, double-page print with a single woodcut showing 2 illustrations. The prints are accompanied by Grisar & Heege’s 1923 illustrated book devoted to the series and by a printed facsimile [Frankfurt am Main, Völker, 1886] of the only known complete copy of the edition represented by the present set of 7 leaves. Each fragment mounted in a passe-partout, the whole preserved in a modern half morocco box. € 35.000

Nine extremely rare woodblock prints with letterpress text, from Luther’s famous anti-papist propaganda print series illustrated by Cranach, mercilessly satirizing and caricaturing the Roman Catholic Church in general and the Pope in particular, probably published by Hans Lufft in Wittenberg. They were originally produced at the same time as Luther’s fiercely polemical treatise Wider das Papsttum zu Rom, vom Teufel gestiftet and can be thought of as its illustrations, so they have become known as the “Abbildung des Papsttums”. Luther’s verses, coarse to the point of obscenity, are accompanied by no less scurrilous woodcuts, with obscene, gruesome and scatological images. The print series went through several different editions using the original woodblocks from 1545 to 1618, but ignoring the latest printings dated 1609 to 1618 only 5 known copies have all 9 prints (and some of those include fragmentary prints). Two include a tenth print, but it is not usually considered part of the series. The only other copy with more prints than the present set of 7 is a made-up copy with 8. One copy has 6 prints and the others 1 to 4 prints. Each of the five complete copies represents a different edition and the incomplete copies include prints from at least two further editions and probably more. Only two known editions have the prints numbered in roman numerals at the foot of each print. One was known only from a complete set at the Lutherhalle in Worms (present location unknown) and the other only from 2 prints (nos. III & IV) at Veste Coburg. The present set was discovered in a Saxon binding of 1569. It includes fragments (with the woodblocks complete or nearly complete) of 7 of the 9 prints (I-VI & IX) in the same edition as the Worms copy, and fragments of 2 prints (nos. V & VI) probably in the same edition as the two prints of the Coburg copy. “It is beyond doubt that they [the woodblocks] originated in Cranach’s workshop” (Grisar & Heege). Claus & Pegg (1982) record 3 sets of 9 prints and 3 of 2 to 6 prints, all 6 sets also noted with others in Gisar & Heege (1923). Claus & Pegg also note a reproduction of 1 print whose location they did not know (though it, the 1886 facsimile and at some of the illustrations in Gisar & Heege appear to be made from the Worms copy, which Claus & Pegg do not mention). Based on the states of the woodblocks, Grisar & Heege conclude that the complete copy at the Wittenberger Lutherhalle represents the earliest edition. Neither Gisar & Heege nor Claus & Pegg distinguishes between differences resulting from press variants and differences resulting from resetting and reprinting, and they do not establish a clear order among the later editions (except the last ones, dated 1609 to 1618). The fact that the present leaves were found in a ca. 1569 binding shows that the two present sets come from early editions, probably by a single printer at close to the same time. The printer letterspaced the roman capitals of the titles, and in prints I and III of the present the main series, several of the spaces have accidentally worked up and printed. The two prints from a different edition show inked impressions of bearing material in the margins. The present prints may therefore be proofs and/or rejected prints (though 1 raised space can also be seen in print VI of the facsimile). Grisar & Heege list the prints by a different series of numbers that was also used for a series printed from later copies of the present blocks and published with a title-page: Abbildung des Bapstum, Wittemberg, “1545” [= post-1600], while Claus & Pegg list them in yet another order. We refer to them by the numbers in the Worms copy (our main series is the same edition and our second series probably had the same numbers), giving Grisar & Heege’s numbers in parentheses. The printed facsimile was probably made from the Worms copy, for it exactly agrees with Grisar & Heege’s description except for 2 small points, perhaps errors in their description: in print V (VI), the first line of text below the woodblock ends with a comma, not a colon, and in print VI (V), the last line break for the letterpress text within the frame of the woodblock is crimine|ab, not ab|uno. The present copy matches the facsimile on both points. Misaligned letters in several prints also show that the present main series belongs to the same edition as the copy used for the facsimile. The missing prints VII (III) and VIII (IV) form a single double-page print as noted, but in at least some editions other pairs were printed together on a double leaf, though usually separated after printing: I & IX (II & I), III & IIII (VII & VIII) and V & VI (VI & V).Seven of the nine prints (all but III (VII) and IX (I)) have their titles in 2 lines, and in the present main series both lines are set in the same 4 mm roman capitals. In the 2 prints from the second series, the first line is set in the same 4 mm roman capitals, but the second line in 3 mm roman capitals in the same style. Grisar & Heege note the same feature in the Coburg copy of print IIII (VIII). The only other print in the Coburg copy is print III (VII), with the title in 1 line, but the letterpress text within the border of its woodcut is set in roman type while the Wittenberg and Worms copies use italic. The same difference can be found in print VI (V) of the present second set. The two prints at Coburg and the two in the present second set also match in other respects and probably come from a single edition, known only from these four leaves. In both sets each print was originally a folio leaf, but no watermarks can be clearly discerned.Light browning and brown stains, margins slightly wormed and a few defects to individual prints as noted, but very well preserved for a trove of binding waste sheets. A deliberate effort seems to have been made to preserve the woodcuts and titles. Second known copy (with 7 of 9 leaves) of an early edition of an infamous Luther-Cranach print series, with 2 unrecorded leaves from another early edition.

7 [of 9] & 2 [of 9] ll. Claus & Pegg 3505a (our print I, location unknown, and other editions of all prints); Grisar & Heege, Luthers Kampfbilder IV, pp. 16 ff, especially pp. 44-45, 47-48 & 143-149; cf. VD17, 7:666656B (3 copies of “1545” [= 17th-century] Abbildung des Bapstum, printed from copies of the present woodblocks); not in VD16.

Main series, same edition as Worms copy:

I (II). Monstrum Romae inventum mortuum in Tiberi. Anno 1496. (22 x 18 cm). Claus & Pegg 2.3 (“Verbleib des Blattes unbekannt” citing a 1921 published reproduction that appears to match the Worms copy). With 2 raised spaces in the title. German caption cut off after 1 shaved line; right band of fleurons shaved; minor worming, slightly affecting the foot of the woodcut.

II (IX). Regnum Satanae et Papae. 2. Thess. 2. (18.5 x 20.5 cm). Cf. Claus & Pegg 3.1 & 3.3 (“Unterschrift” differs, though cut off in the present copy). About 1 cm shaved off the foot of the woodcut; German caption cut off; some worming, slightly affecting the woodcut and the left band of fleurons.

III (VII). Hic oscula pedibus Papae figuntur. (22 x 18 cm). Cf. Claus & Pegg 4.1-4.5 (all differ). With 10 or 11 raised spaces in the title. German caption cut off after 1½ lines; right band of fleurons cut off; some worming, slightly affecting the caption. Although the facsimile appears to be made from the Worms copy of the present edition, and their line breaks differ from those in the London copy, the London copy and the facsimile both have an appendage hanging on the “P” of “PEDIBVS” in the title, while the present copy does not.

IIII (VIII). Adoratur Papa deus terrenus. (18 x 21 cm). Cf. Claus & Pegg 5.1-5.4 (“Unterschrift” differs, though cut off in the present copy). About 1 cm shaved off foot of woodcut; German caption cut off; some worming.

V (VI). Digna merces Papae satanissimi et Cardinalium suorum. (22 x 18 cm). Cf. Claus & Pegg 9.1-9.4 (line-break in title differs). 1 letter shaved off Latin title at right (and D of Digna misprinted); right band of fleurons shaved. German caption cut off after 1 line; minor worming, slightly affecting foot of woodcut and the caption.

VI (V). Papa agit gratias caesaribus pro immensis beneficiis. (18 x 22 cm). Cf. Claus & Pegg 8.1-8.4 (line-break in title differs). About 1½ cm shaved off foot of woodcut; German caption cut off; minor worming, slightly affecting the border of the woodcut; with a tear through the title without loss.

IX (I). Ortus et origo Papae. (22 x 18 cm). Claus & Pegg 1.2 & 1.3 (“Unterschrift” differs, though cut off in the present copy). German caption cut off after 1 slightly shaved line; minor worming with no significant loss.

Second series, probably same edition as Coburg leaves III (VII) & IV (VIII). Since these leaves have not been described in the literature, we indicate their line breaks:

V (VI) Digna merces Papae satanissimi et | Cardinalium suorum. (15.5 x 21.5 cm). Cf. Claus & Pegg 9.1, 9.3 & 9.4 (line-break in title differs). With the second line of the title set in a smaller type (about 3 mm rather than about 4 mm roman capitals). End of first line of title slightly slurred during printing. Inked impressions of some bearing material in head and right margins (and a short rule marked for removal). About 2½ cm cut off foot of woodcut; German caption cut off; some worming, slightly affecting the woodcut.

VI (V) Papa agit gratias caesaribus pro | immensis beneficiis. (22 x 16 cm). Claus & Pegg 8.1-8.4 (line-break in title differs). With the second line of the title set in a smaller type (about 3 mm rather than about 4 mm roman capitals), and with the letterpress text printed inside the borders of the woodcut set in a single size of roman type (using the same 3 mm capitals) rather than 2 sizes of italic, with line breaks: Im|peratoris, Ne-|apolis, IIII.|Papa, insidias,|&, difce[!]|omnes. A space after “truncatus.” has raised and printed. A thin rule at the upper right may be an attempt to repair the gap in the border of the woodcut. The f in “difce” has been struck through to indicate that it should be replaced by a long s. With a crease in the paper made before it was printed. Title slightly slurred during printing. Inked impressions of some bearing material in head and left margins. Woodcut complete but wormed. Some cuts at lower right, leaving a small gap in the foreground of the woodcut; German caption cut off leaving only traces (probably the same Canon fraktur used in the other edition); some worming, slightly affecting the foreground of the woodcut and the Latin title. (Image on next page)

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