The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 18, 2024

Der Weisskunig (The White King): The Siege of Padua

Der Weisskunig (The White King): The Siege of Padua

1512–1515
(German, 1473–1531)
Catalogue raisonné: Hollstein V.117.518
Location: not on view

Description

These woodcuts depicting military campaigns are illustrations for Der Weisskunig, or The White King, a fictionalized biography of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I (reigned 1486–1519). Written in German, the book takes the form of a courtly romance novel featuring armored knights. The hero, Maximilian, is the White King. The Blue King and his party represent France. Maximilian was the earliest Renaissance prince to extensively use printed images and texts to cultivate his authority and spread his ideology. Der Weisskunig is one of several major print projects sponsored by the emperor and executed by a legion of advisors, authors, designers, and craftsmen.
  • Prince of Liechtenstein
    Prince of Liechtenstein
  • Cleveland Museum of Art, “Woodcuts from Der Weisskunig,” September 15, 1960, Cleveland Museum of Art Archives. archive.org
  • Gods and Heroes: Ancient Legends in Renaissance Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26-December 31, 2017).
    Against the Grain: Woodcuts from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 17-November 9, 2003).
    Images of War. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 5, 1991-January 12, 1992).
    Year in Review - Nineteen Hundred Sixty. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 30, 1960-January 1, 1961).
  • {{cite web|title=Der Weisskunig (The White King): The Siege of Padua|url=false|author=Hans Burgkmair|year=1512–1515|access-date=18 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1960.32