Virgil Solis (1514–1562)

Double-sided woodcut printed leaf: (recto) “The Beast is Thrown into a Lake of Burning Sulphur”; (verso) “The Angel Throws Satan into the Abyss”;  (TIB titles), 1560 (and 1562 with the strapwork border as shown here), from the series of 220 woodcuts in woodcut borders by Vigil Solis, published in 1562 by Sigmund Feierabend (1528–1590) in Frankfurt and printed by Johann Rasch (fl.1556–1562) and David Zöpfel (aka David Zephelius) (fl.c.1555–1563) as illustrations to “Biblische Figuren des Alten Testaments / Biblische Figuren des Neuwen Testaments”.

Archive.org offers an online view of these prints in their context in the publication: https://archive.org/details/VirgilSolisBible1562/page/n231/mode/2up.

Regarding the publication in which these prints feature, the Curator of the British Museum advises: “The first edition was published in 1560. [This print with its strapwork frame features in] the second, enlarged edition, with 74 new images and woodcut borders from the 1561 Bible. The New Testament part is wrongly dated 1552 on the title-page” (https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1870-0625-191-411). Note that the title page to the edition of shown by Archive.org shows the date “MDLXII” (1562): https://archive.org/details/VirgilSolisBible1562/page/n115/mode/2up. 

Woodcuts printed on both sides of laid paper trimmed with a small margin around the strapwork borderline (recto) and backed with a support sheet with a window so that each side of the sheet may be seen.

Size: (sheet) 14.4 x 17 cm.

Letterpress text recto: (above the image borderline) “APOCALYPSIS XIX./ Vltima narrantur cœlestis prælia pugnæ,/ Qua ferus æthereo concidit ense Draco.// Iā pereunt quotquot Dominū impugnare parabāt,/ Mergitur ardenti bestia sæualacu.” ([transl.] “Revelation 19 The last heavenly battles are recounted. With this the ethereal beast fell down with the dragon's sword. Now perish as many as were preparing to attack the Lord. He is drowned in the burning beast of the sea.” Note that Revelation 19 is the nineteenth chapter of the Book of Revelation or the Apocalypse of John in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.)

Lettered recto in plate with the artist’s monogram along the lower edge: (left) “V”; (right) “S”.

Lettered verso in plate with the artist’s monogram in cartouche at lower centre: “VS”.

TIB 19.1.215–1.216 (Jane S Peters & Walter L Strauss [eds.] 1987, “The Illustrated Bartsch: German Masters of the Sixteenth Century”, vol. 19 [Part 1], p. 392, cat. nos. 1.215–1.216).

Condition: strong and well-printed impressions showing very few signs of wear to the printing plate, trimmed around the strapwork borderline(s) with small margins and laid onto a support of archival (millennium quality) washi paper that is window-cut allowing both sides of the sheet to be seen. The sheet is in an excellent condition with no tears, holes, folds or significant stains.

I am selling this superb double-sided leaf of woodcuts for a total cost of AU$227 (currently US$155.72/EUR139.65/GBP116.68 at the time of this listing) including Express Mail (EMS) postage and handling to anywhere in the world, but not (of course) any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries. Note that payment is in Australian dollars (AU$227) as this is my currency.

If you are interested in purchasing this small but visually arresting double-sided leaf of woodcuts, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This leaf of woodcuts has been sold