Prints & Wall Art

Photo Credit: odetowhitman

Leaf Hortulus Animae Woodcut Wolfgang from Regensburg Border Nuremberg – 1519

Buy It Now Price: $65 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a 500 year old post-incunable woodcut print from the late medieval period.  It comes from a religious text titled “Hortulus Animae cum Horis Beate Virginis” which roughly translates from the Latin as “Garden of the Soul with the Hours of the Blessed Virgin”.

-The book was published in the German city of Nuremberg in 1519 by Federici Peypus and Joannis Koberger.  The leaf measures 17 cm (6.7 inches) tall by 10.5 cm (4.1 inches) wide and is printed in Latin, the lingua franca of the elites in medieval Europe.

-Incunable (or incunabula) is the period from the inception of European printing, when the Gutenberg Bible was published in 1454 AD, to an arbitrary end date of 1500 AD.  The post-incunable era ran from 1500 to either 1520 or 1540, another arbitrary end date.

-This work was published in 1519, right at the end of the medieval period in Europe.  The famous theologian, Martin Luther, had just nailed his anti-papacy Ninety-five Theses to the doors of Wittenberg Cathedral two years earlier, in 1517.  This radical event precipitated the Protestant Reformation, one of the most transformative incidents in European history.

-The highlight of this late medieval woodcut print is a gothic-style image of Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg.  He was a German saint from the 10th century who converted the Hungarians to Christianity and was then appointed bishop of Regensburg.  This leaf also has a magnificent floral and grape vine border running around the entire page, which really adds to the work’s striking appearance.

-The black printing is very bold.  The leaf also has separately printed reddish-orange text, a detail that gives the page some added color and eye appeal.  These are both desirable attributes in early printed works.

-This woodcut leaf is in a wonderful state of preservation.  There is no obvious foxing (brown spots), water stains or other damage visible.  Also, the margins appear to be fully intact, with no signs of trimming.

-Incunable and post-incunable works are rare.  Print runs typically varied from a couple thousand copies to no more than a few tens of thousands of copies at most.  And attrition over the centuries means only a fraction of those original copies has survived.  In light of this, as well as the leaf’s excellent condition, a $65 price tag is justified.

Cons:

-This woodcut print is a post-incunable impression from 1519.  All else being equal, earlier incunable prints from before 1500 are more desirable and generally more valuable.

-This leaf is on the smaller side at 17 cm (6.7 inches) tall by 10.5 cm (4.1 inches) wide.  Within reason, bigger is better with early woodcut prints and a size closer to that of a standard sheet of office paper (8.5 inches by 11 inches) would be more desirable.

-The woodcut illustration of Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg only occupies about 1/3 of the page.  In some early prints, woodcut illustrations fill 1/2, 2/3 or even the entirety of the page.  A larger illustration is more appealing than a smaller one.

Photo Credit: Metal-Wall-Art-by-Statements2000

Metal Abstract Modern Wall Art Sculpture by Jon Allen – Constant Variation

Buy It Now Price: $125 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a contemporary wall sculpture that measures 14 inches (35.6 cm) wide by 14 (35.6 cm) inches tall by 2 inches (5.1 cm) deep.  It was created by Jon Allen, a well-known contemporary artist currently working in Florida.

-It is made from high quality aircraft-grade aluminum and is finished with a UV resistant clear coat.  These are good quality materials and the piece is obviously professionally crafted with great attention to detail.

-This contemporary wall sculpture is a phenomenal example of what I call “neo-cubism” – a.k.a. 1980s style.  The bold use of primary colors, coupled with simple shapes and varied textures, combine to give a visually stunning effect.  The play of shadows across the work as one changes viewing angles as well as the textured, guilloche enamel-like appearance of the colored metal blocks also contributes meaningfully to the work’s je ne sais quoi.

-While neo-cubism is most closely associated with the 1980s in the common conscience, the style staged a significant comeback in the 2000s after hibernating throughout the 1990s.  The look is still current as of 2016.

-Although this work appears as if a Rubik’s cube barfed on a wall after drinking too much vodka, it perfectly embodies the spirit of neo-cubism.  The $125 price point seems reasonable for a piece that so utterly exudes the zeitgeist of the contemporary era.

Cons:

-The work is non-representational and very contemporary, which could be either a pro or a con, depending on your tastes.

-This work is not one-of-a-kind; the artist has sold other copies.  I don’t see that as being a large drawback, but for some people who strictly demand uniqueness it would be an important factor.

-This contemporary wall sculpture is absolutely new, fresh from the artist.  It is not antique, or even vintage, and therefore is not seasoned at all.  Seasoning is the process where lower quality or faddish items are removed from the pool of potential investment-grade antiques via attrition.  Because I have screened this item carefully for both high quality materials and composition, however, I don’t believe that will be an issue.

-Buying art directly from the artist for investment purposes is generally quite challenging.  It is sort of like investing in penny stocks.  There is a great deal of risk offset by a lot of reward if you choose wisely.

Photo Credit: leaves-of-old

Lovely Medieval Illuminated Manuscript Book of Hours Leaf Circa 1420 – Gold, Prayers

Buy It Now Price: $789.99 (price as of 2016; item no longer available)

Pros:

-This is a marvelous medieval illuminated manuscript leaf from a book of hours created in Paris circa 1420 to 1440.  Paris was an important center for illuminated manuscript production late in the medieval period.

-This leaf is made from parchment which is processed animal hide that is surprisingly durable.  It measures 197 millimeters (7.76 inches) tall by 120 millimeters (4.72 inches) wide.  This specimen is in excellent condition, despite being almost 600 years old.

-This is a beautiful, relatively affordable, high-quality example of medieval European art.  There are certainly cheaper medieval illuminated manuscript leaves out there, but they will be less intricately decorated and lack the same “Wow!” factor that clearly sets this example apart.  All in all, I would judge the $790 asking price for this piece to be easily justified.

-This particular leaf came from a Book of Hours – the personal prayer book of a wealthy and devout man (or woman).  It has 15 lines of Latin text on the front and 10 lines on the reverse rendered in dark brown ink.  Medieval Latin was the common European language of the Catholic Church, intellectuals and writers during this period.

-The illumination on this leaf is exceptional, displaying vibrant red, blue, green and gold decoration.  The illuminated initials – “D” on the obverse and “F” on the reverse – are particularly ornate and richly adorned.  The panel border is a lavish rinceau (sinuous floral) pattern that is heavily illuminated with burnished gold.

-The front of this leaf reads as follows (translated from Latin): “O God the giver of pardon, and the lover of human salvation, we beseech thy clemency: that thou grant the brethren of our congregation, kinsfolk, and benefactors, which are departed out of this world, blessed Mary ever virgin making intercession with all the saints, to come to the fellowship of eternal blessedness.”

-The back of this leaf reads as follows (translated from Latin): “O God the creator, and redeemer of all the faithful, give unto the souls of thy servants’ men, and women remission of all their sins: that through Godly supplications they may obtain the pardon which they have always wished for. Who livest and reignest. Through Christ our Lord, Amen”

Cons:

– This illuminated manuscript leaf does not have any illustrations.  Illustrated pages are more desirable than pages that are merely decorated.  Of course, a finely illustrated page from a medieval illuminated manuscript is also substantially more expensive, with good examples rarely available for less than a few thousand dollars.

-This is a late medieval work.  Early medieval illuminated manuscripts are less common and consequently bring somewhat higher prices, all else being equal.