Book of Art and Instruction for Young People by Jost Amman

Book of Art and Instruction for Young People by Jost Amman

Celebrated for his woodcuts, the Swiss-German artist Jost Amman (1539–91) was born in Zürich and spent his professional career in the bustling German Renaissance city of Nuremberg, where he moved and became a citizen in 1560. In Nuremberg, he worked with Virgil Solis (1514–62) a German draughtsman, printmaker, and engraver best known for the woodcuts he made to illustrate the works of Ovid (43 BC – AD 17/18). His art is distinguished by its accuracy and vivacity, depicting minute details of clothing in particular. Amman worked prolifically, with one of his pupils estimating that in a period of four years, the master had produced enough drawings to fill a hay wagon with ca. 1,500 prints being attributed to him altogether. The specimen at hand, published in 1580 is unique among the various books produced by Amman, because it was not intended for the public, but rather as a textbook for young artists and is filled with examples of his splendid engravings for them to aspire to.