Schreiber states that this is an etched metal plate which is likely to be a forgery as the date of 1430 is impossible.<\/p>
Willshire states: 'We are of the opinion that the original metal ... was a forgery of comparatively modern times. The peculiar mixture of techniques and the ornamentation of different periods and styles, the bad and almost childlike drawing of the two figures by the Cross, the character and work of the tree bearing the date, the date itself and the presence of a portion of a second plate intruding on the other metal, are sufficient in themselves to excite strong suspicion as to the genuine antique character of the engraving'.<\/p>
Dodgson states: 'probably a modern forgery'. He notes elsewhere that 'The fact that not only is the inscription reversed, but the Virgin appears on the right (in this case, the wrong) side, shows that the plate was intended for decorative purposes and not for producing impressions'.<\/p>
Dibdin states: 'The drawing and execution of these three figures are barbarously puerile ... The date is fixed upon the stem of a tree of which both the stem and the branches above appear to have been scraped, in the copper almost white - for the sake of introducing the inscription or date. The date, moreover, has a very suspicious look in regard to the execution of the letters ... As to the paper ... it has doubtless much of the look of old paper; but not of that particular kind, either in regard to tone or quality, which we see in the prints of Mechlin, Schoen or Albert Durer'. Dibdin concludes that both plate and impressions are forgeries, noting that Baron Dershau had two impressions, one now Rylands 23025, the other at the Ashmolean Museum (via Douce).<\/p>
The Rylands impression is on paper bearing a watermark which can be dated to 1512-1517, suggesting that that impression is more likely to be taken from a genuine early fifteenth-century source. If this is the case, then this source was presumably an etched decorative plate of some kind, perhaps attached to a chest or pew, and not originally intended as a printing surface. This would explain the reversed lettering, the incorrect placement of the Virgin, and the odd inclusion of the semi-circular space in the original design, the decorative plate presumably affixed to something which had a similarly shaped protuberance. The decorative plate was presumably altered at some point, with the original design of the tree scraped away and replaced with the current design and the forged date to enhance its significance.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Former Owner(s)", "value": "Derschau, Hans Albrecht, Freiherr von, 1754-1824; Spencer, George John Spencer, Earl, 1758-1834" }, { "label": "Acquisition", "value": "
Part of the library of the Earls Spencer, acquired in 1892 by Enriqueta Rylands from John Poyntz Spencer (1835-1910), 5th Earl Spencer, for The John Rylands Library.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Title", "value": "The Crucifixion" }, { "label": "Funding", "value": "Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC); Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)" }, { "label": "Project Information", "value": "
Created as part of the Incunabula Cataloguing Project, funded by the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, and the research project: '\u2018Werck der bücher\u2019 Transitions, experimentation, and collaboration in reprographic technologies, 1440\u20131470', funded by the AHRC/DFG. John Gandy is Project Cataloguer on the Incunabula Cataloguing Project. 'Werck der bücher' is led by Dr Stephen Mossman, Senior Lecturer in Medieval History, Department of History, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, (SALC), University of Manchester, and Edward Potten, Principal Consultant, Department of History, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, (SALC), University of Manchester.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Publication", "value": "Southern Germany?: publisher not identified" }, { "label": "Date of Creation", "value": "1515" }, { "label": "Origin Place", "value": "Germany" }, { "label": "Language(s)", "value": "Latin" }, { "label": "Physical Location", "value": "The John Rylands Research Institute and Library" }, { "label": "Extent", "value": "1 sheet. Leaf height: 429 mm, width: 265 mm." }, { "label": "Classmark", "value": "23025" }, { "label": "Subject(s)", "value": "Jesus Christ--Crucifixion--Art; Etching--16th century; Christian art and symbolism; Early works to 1800" }, { "label": "Physical Description", "value": "
Uncoloured.<\/p>
The Rylands impression is on paper bearing a watermark of an anker in a circle surmounted by a star, with an additional motif, a stylised SB, sewn across three chain lines measuring 70 mm, height 69 mm, diameter 45 mm. This places it within a bounded group of six examples within Piccard (Anker, V, 151-156) and on WZIS (AT3800-PO-119031; AT3800-PO-119033; AT3800-PO-119034; AT3800-PO-119172; DE6300-PO-119026 and DE5580-Clm14560_205/208) all dated to 1512-1515.<\/p>
Within a conservation mount.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Abstract", "value": "
Impression on paper from an etched metal plate depicting the Crucifixion, Christ on the Cross, central, facing the viewer, on a tablet above his head the inscription INRI [reversed], his loincloth blowing to the left. To the right, the Virgin standing with clasped hands facing left, next to a tree which is lettered with the date: MoCCCCoXXXo [reversed]. To the left, Saint John standing, facing right, with one hand at his waist holding a tablet, on the lower part of which are the initials GH, and the other raised to his chin. At the top there is an arabesque in Moorish style, while the dotted base is decorated with large floral tendrils. At the foot of the Cross, Adam's skull. The top of the plate is rounded. With nine holes around the outer border, indicating that the plate was nailed at some point. The bottom left of the plate was designed in such a ways as to incorporate a semi-circular space (the design runs around this space, and one of the nail holes is within that design); at a later date this space has been filled with another engraved piece matching the Arabesque design at the head.<\/p>" }, { "label": "Collection", "value": "Special Collections" }, { "label": "Bibliography", "value": "