Description
In Christian belief, God speaks the world into existence, creating it and ruling over it. This woodcut is one of over 1,000 images in the Nuremberg Chronicle, an early printed book narrating the history of the Christian world. Amid creeping vines and pillars of cloud, God sits enthroned, lips parted and hand upraised in a gesture of speaking. He holds an orb as a sign of his authority over the universe. The scroll above him reads: “For he [God] spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created. Psalm 22.” Here, God is eternally powerful.
Provenance
Leona E. Prasse [1896-1984], Rocky River, OH, given to The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (?–1966); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (November 5, 1966–)
Accession Number
1966.410
Medium
woodcut
Dimensions
Platemark: 37.6 x 23.9 cm (14 13/16 x 9 7/16 in.); Sheet: 45.8 x 32.2 cm (18 1/16 x 12 11/16 in.)
Classification
Credit Line
Mr. and Mrs. Charles G. Prasse Collection
Related Artworks
Der Schatzbehalter: The Return of Tobias to Tobit; The Arrival of Tobias' Wife; The Angel Bringing Food and Drink to Elijah in the Desert
Michael Wolgemut
Der Schatzbehalter: The Last Supper
Michael Wolgemut
Der Schatzbehalter: The Trinity
Michael Wolgemut
Der Schatzbehalter: The Last Supper
Michael Wolgemut