Double-page with woodcuts from Hartmann Schedel's Nuremberg Chronicle.
The principal woodcut refers to the 5th Council of Constantinople, held 879/880 AD...

It has taken some research on the net to determine that this unusual item is apparently an early 20th century facsimile of an incunabula (pre 1500 printing) leaf from a book. JOHANN GRUENINGER (1455-1533) was a major, prolific early German printer and publisher, who developed an innovative method for illustrating books. This sheet on rag type paper measures 11" by 8". There is text in old Latin, and an image of the Trojan Horse outside of Troy, the soldiers entering his side...

Woodcut entitled ‘Vates Sibyllinae’, showing three naked prophetesses next to a tree. This may be an early representation of the ‘Three Graces’ so fashionable in Renaissance art.
The print is taken from a Latin edition of Münster's Cosmography one of the most influential geographical works of the 16th century.
Sebastian Münster (1488-1552) was a cosmographer and professor of Hebrew who taught at Tübingen, Heidelberg, and Basel...

The page deals with the creation of nature and of Adam on the sixth day of Genesis.
Important woodcut with God the Father creating Adam from a lump of clay...

An unframed circa late 1600's or early 1700's oil on wood panel painting of old ruins in a poetic Italianate landscape that includes a distant bridge over a river, more ruins, and several tiny foreground figures with their animals. The 9 3/4" by 12 5/8" oak panel shows great age; it is ever so slightly bowed. I do not see a signature although there may have been one at one time at lower left, where others have rubbed perhaps with saliva, to try to bring up a signature...

Old master painting, the subject soldiers in an extensive landscape battle scene, some mounted, 16" by 24 3/4", unframed, on old canvas, relined long ago, not signed, but on the stretcher is written in old hand "Borgognone". JACQUES COURTOIS, 1621-1676, was well known for his skill painting battle scenes. As a result of his fame, centuries later, it is tempting apparently to attribute all unsigned battle paintings to his hand, or his studio, or circle...

Giovanni Battista Gaulli, Italian, 1639-1709, called Baccico or Baccicia. Italian Angels or Putti on Clouds plus a small portrait of a man is a charming example of Gaulli's work. It is 5" by 7 3/4" of pen and sepia brown ink on paper. Provenance is Leslie Hindman Auction, Collection of P Waite, English Collection until 1994, German Collection Basenge. Condition good upper life corner restored. Giovanni Battista Gaulliwas a painter of the Italian High Baroque verging onto that of the Rococo...

An Old Master woodcut, likely one of 118 images illustrating one of the greatest books of the German Renaissance, going by that same name, Theuerdank. The book is considered something of a chivalric romance, relating the fictionalized, romanticized adventures of Maximilian I in the course of his journey to the Netherlands in 1477 to fetch his bride, Mary of Burgundy. Apparently Maximilian, also known as the Holy Roman Emperor (1459-1519), wanted to achieve a measure of immortality...

Departing from 874 AD, the German text develops the context of the 5th Council of Constantinople, held 879/880 AD – an initiative of Pope Johannes VIII to appease the Byzantines and obtain their aid against the Saracen threat in Italy.
The hand-colored woodcut of the council shows the pope and a large group of clergy under the blessing of the Holy Spirit, who is depicted as a dove.
On the right, woodcuts of contemporary popes Johannes VIII, Martinus II, Hadrianus III and Stephanu...

Hand-colored page with an attractive woodcut showing heavily armed Amazons, who must have appeared very alien at the time...

Attributed to English artist J.Leslie, 19th Century English Painter, Mother and Child Oil Painting painted in the Italian style Frame Size 36 x 28"

An antique Japanese two panel screen painting (byobu) of the battle between the two historical figures Minamoto no Yoshitsune and Benkei.
Minamoto no Yoshitsune (born Ushiwakamaru c.1159) was raised in a monastery near in Kyoto. His incredible skill as a warrior emerged when he was very young. In the scene depicted here, he famously defeats the great warrior-monk, Benkei (Saito Musashibo Benkei). The young Ushiwakamaru easily leaps over the larger warrior...

A fine old wood engraving dating to the sixteenth century, the title apparently "Saint Paul Giving a Letter to a Messenger" according to handwritten notes on the backing, which also relate that this is from the Biblia series. The artist HANS BROSAMER (circa 1506-1554) was born at Fulda in central Germany. He became known for his fine oil portraits, but also for his wood engravings and copper engravings, many produced for various editions of Luther's German Bible...

Abraham Bloemaert, Dutch, 1564-1651. This exquisite drawing in ink, wash and chaulk is a fine example of Bloemaert's talent. It is 13.2 cm h by 9.5 cm w.Provenance: Private Collection, Leslie Hindman Auction, Private Collection, Fine English Collection ( paper verso ). Condition is good and it has an old label from Folio fine Art LTD in London. The son of an architect, Abraham Bloemaert, known for painting, engraving and teaching, was born in Gorinchem, Holland in 1564...

A very fine possibly Dutch seventeenth century oil painting of the Madonna and child, measuring 27” x 20”, frame size 32” x 25”

is is a detailed and enlarged photo of Isabella Brant, Peter Paul Rubens wife. The image is of a close up of Isabella which shows the detailed embroidery design symbol of a honeysuckle. This painting was done in 1609 as a wedding portrait of Rubens and his wife. The background is a honeysuckle bower. This symbol means family love, and it appears in over 17 Flemish Paintings by Rubens, Van Dyck and Jordanens. The black and white image on the right shows the design in black and white. Refer to...

A very antique unsigned red chalk drawing on laid paper, late 17th or early 18th century, measuring 9 7/8" by 7 1/2" (25 cm. by 19 cm.), 15 1/2" by 12 1/2" as framed, proclaimed at bottom in neat professional hand lettering, on the mat, to be by the Italian master Guercino (1592-1666). The old master drawings expert of a major auction house did not believe this to be by Guercino, and suggested Lanfranco or Albani as possible directions to pursue. I have opened up the backing and discovered th...

Double-page with woodcuts from popes, kings and famous people of the second half of the 10th century AD.
As part of the world’s sixth age, the chapter deals with the origins and formation of the German Empire.
The Nuremberg Chronicle was published in 1493 by Anton Koberger in an edition of 2000 copies.
Beautiful late Gothic style. The fold paper sheet covers the pages 178/179 and 181/182. Thread stitching marks.
Nuremberg, Latin edition, 1493 AD
Woodcut on la...