Greater Germany

detail of engraving with houses and a tower on the background

Geographical Locations in Texts: Greater Germany.

4 people in this category.

53. Albrecht Dürer
53. Albrecht Dürer

53. Albrecht Dürer

Etching
Signed Hh excud. By Hendrick Hondius, attributed to Simon Frisius
11.8 x 19.4 cm


Transcription of Inscription:

ALBERTUS DURERUS, NOREBERGENS
Vir virtute gravis, túmque arte insignis habetur,
   Teutonicae gentis gloria summa suae.
Contulit huic Caesar insignia nobilitatis,
   Tantus honos artis, famáque tanta viri.

Translation of Inscription:

Albrecht Dürer of Nuremberg
He is considered to be a man grave in virtue and famous for his skill, the greatest glory of his Teutonic1 people.  The emperor2 gave him the marks of nobility.  So great was the honour [paid] to his skill, and so great the man’s fame. 

Orenstein 1996 Frisius, no. 143; Hollstein 2008 no. 163

 Karel Van Mander's biography of Albrecht Dürer 
 Grove Art Online biography

59. Heinrich Aldegrever
59. Heinrich Aldegrever

59. Heinrich Aldegrever

Etching and engraving
Signed 'Hh' by Hendrick Hondius, attributed to Simon Frisius
20.4 x 12.7 cm


Transcription of Inscription:
HENRICUS ALDEGREVER, VESTPHALUS. PICTOR, ET SCULPTOR 
Vestphalus incultus non Aldegravius hic est,
Regum et Doctorum clarus imaginibus.
Sartorem rege pinxit bene, Vestphaliam qui
Subtili filo strinxerat ingenii.

Translation of Inscription:
Heinrich Aldegrever, the Westphalian, painter and sculptor
This Aldegrever is not an uneducated Westphalian. He was famous for images of kings and learned men.  He painted well the tailor king,3 he who had bound Westphalia with the subtle thread of his genius. 

Orenstein 1996, Frisius no. 136; Hollstein 2008 no. 156
Karel Van Mander's biography of Heinrich Aldegrever
Grove Art Online biography

61. Jacob Binck
61. Jacob Binck

61. Jacob Binck

Etching
Signed 'Hh' by Hendrick Hondius, attributed to Simon Frisius
20.2 x 12.2 cm

Transcription of Inscription:
IACOBUS BINCKIUS, GERMAN. PICT. ET SCULP.
Binckius, ingenio quae finxit, pinxit et idem,
Et scalpsit.  certant ars, manus, ingenium.
Cúm tua sint docté parvis expressa tabellis ;
Artis Censori credito magnus eris. 


Translation of Inscription:
Jacob Binck, German painter and sculptor 
Binck painted and engraved himself what he imagined in his mind.4 His skill, hand and mind vie [with one another].  Since your [works] are learnedly expressed,5 you will be great, if the censor of skill is believed.6

Orenstein 1996, Frisius, no. 137; Hollstein 2008 no.157 
Grove Art Online biography

113. Hans von Aachen
113. Hans von Aachen

113. Hans von Aachen

Engraving by Andries Jacobsz. Stock (Orenstein 1996, 270)
Signed 'Hh exc.' by Hendrick Hondius

20.4 x 12.3 cm


Transcription of Inscription:

IOANNES AQUANUS, COLONIENSIS. PICTOR. 
Picturae Aquanus primus7 se tradit ab annis : 
     Quae praestat juvenis vix potuere viri.
Germanum juvenem cúrri temneret Itala tellus ;
     Mox artem observans Roma magistra stupet.

Translation of Inscription:

Hans von Aachen 
Aachen gave himself over to painting from his earliest years.8 What the youth accomplished men could scarcely do.  Although the Italian land despised the German youth, soon, observing his skill, mistress Rome was amazed.

Orenstein 1996, Stock no. 270 
 RKD artists biography

Footnotes:

  1. Perhaps better to translate “German”.
  2. Can be translated as “Caesar”  Cf. note on “Emperor” on the text for 33. Jan Vermeyen.
  3. Jan van Leyden
  4. “ingenio... finxit”.  Cf. the texts on 67. Maarten van Heemskerk, “finxit qui ingenio”; 83. Christian van den Queborn, “fingit at ingenium”; 111. Cornelius Ketel, “finxerat ingenio”.   The combination is common enough in classical Latin (Cicero, Seneca, etc.)
  5. Does the author here mean “engraved” by “expressa”?  Compare note on text for 89. Joos van Winghe.
  6. I am here translating as if the author had written the ablative “censore” instead of the dative “censori”.  For metrical reasons, we can be sure he wrote “censori”, but translating the dative would give the extremely awkward “you will be great for the censor of skill, if he is believed”.  I have little doubt the author meant what I have written. – See also the note 5 on “pictorum censor” in Poem to the Lovers and Admirers of Pictures.
  7. Sic.
  8. Reading “primis” for the text’s impossible “primus”.  Cf. also 141. Adam Elsheimer, “primis … ab annis”.