Art Institute of Chicago

Plate 7a, from Turnier Buch Herzogs Wilhelm des Vierten von Bayern (Tournament Book of Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria)

Theobald Senefelder (German, 1777-1846)

Date

1817

Medium

Lithograph in black and metallic pigments, with pen and ink retouchings, on ivory wove paper

Culture

Germany

Department

Prints and Drawings

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

Alois Senefelder, the inventor of the lithographic printing process, settled in Munich in 1806, where he made facsimiles of manuscript treasures from the German Renaissance, including works by Albrecht Dürer and Lucas Cranach the Elder. Alois’s brothers joined in and reproduced a 16th-century manuscript showing combats during tournaments held by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria between 1510 and 1545. These images are full of period details such as the curious-looking lances on the ground that are swathed in feathers to prevent splinters from injuring aristocratic jousters. In this impression, the armor is illuminated in different metallic inks to approximate its original appearance and luster.

The authoritative record is held by Art Institute of Chicago. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.