Bookplate of Wilhelm von Zell
in or after 1500
Medium
woodcut on laid paper mounted on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet: 8.5 × 7.6 cm (3 3/8 × 3 in.) mount: 17.1 × 18.7 cm (6 3/4 × 7 3/8 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1943.3.647
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the National Gallery of, where we spotlight the "Bookplate of Wilhelm von," a charming woodcut print from German 15th-century artistry, created in or after 150. This petite sheet, measuring just 8. × 7.6 cm, served as an ex-libris—a personalized label affixed inside books to denote ownership. Wilhelm von Zell, likely a scholar or bibliophile, commissioned this mark of possession, blending practicality with pride in one's library during the dawn of the print revolution. Crafted as a woodcut on laid paper (later mounted for preservation), the technique exemplifies early Renaissance p...
About the Artist
German 15th Century
**German 15th Century** The designation "German 15th Century" encompasses a collective of anonymous artists active in the late medieval and early Renaissance periods in Germany, primarily known through their contributions to early printmaking and panel painting. These creators emerged during a transformative era when woodcuts and engravings began democratizing religious imagery, bridging the Goth...