Titelbordüre mit der Taufe Christi

Unknown artist

The artist designed a border of four border bars, which in the first quarter of the 16th century was used several times as a decorative frame for cover leaves. For example, an index to the overall work of the church father Augustin, printed by Friedrich Peypus in Nuremberg in 1517 (see Schoch III.531.A.43.1). While three of the picture bars show apocalyptic scenes, the fourth closes down with the baptism of Christ by John the Baptist, flanked by angels with tools of suffering. Heller listed the border in his Dürer publication of 1827 as the original of the Nuremberg master (cf. Heller Dürer 1827 II.726.1934). Today, woodcarving scenes are seen as a potpourri of Dürer motifs. The Bamberg art scholar also referred to various publishing contexts, e.g. with a German poem or as the title frame of various publications.