European Rulers, Cornelis Anthonisz. (manner of), 1538 - 1558
hand coloring, h 405mm × w 294mm More details
These woodcuts of European princes, queens and lords are perhaps best compared with today’s collectors cards of soccer players. They are cheap and the people portrayed are celebrities whose exploits are followed with great interest. They are also similar in that they are ephemeral. They are printed by the thousands, are popular for a while and then discarded. Accordingly, such prints are extremely rare nowadays.
