Der Spiegel des Menschlichen lebens
July 23, 1479
Medium
Woodcuts
Dimensions
Overall: 11 9/16 x 7 9/16 x 2 1/4 in. (29.3 x 19.2 x 5.7 cm)
Classification
Books
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.100.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
This 1479 volume, titled *Der Spiegel des Menschlichen Lebens* (The Mirror of Human Life), stands as a remarkable example of an early printed book illustrated with woodcuts. Created through the collaboration of Spanish author Rodericus Zamor, printer Baemler and translator Heinrich Steöwel, the work produced during the infancy of the printing press. Just decades after Gutenberg’s innovations, such books helped spread moral and philosophical ideas across Europe in the vernacular German language. The woodcut medium played a vital role in making the text accessible and engaging. These hand-carve...
About the Artist
Rodericus Zamorensis|Baemler|Heinrich Steinhöwel (Spanish|German|German) · 1404 | |1400 –1470 | |1500
Spanish, 1404–1470| |German, Swabian,15th century