20% off of purchases $100 promo code: TWENTY

1875 Woodcut Alphonse Neuville Gerbert Pope Sylvester II Abacus Costume XEA6

1875 Woodcut Alphonse Neuville Gerbert Pope Sylvester II Abacus Costume XEA6

Regular price $73.95 USD
Unit price  per 

This is an original 1875 black and white woodcut of an illustration by French artist Alphonse de Neuville, which depicts Pope Sylvester Ii (formerly known as Gerbert). Sylvester was quite the accomplished man, mixing religion and science as he worked on his relationship with God as well as more earthly problems. Although branded by many as a sorcerer in league with the devil, he went right ahead and designed all sorts of things which were incredibly ahead of his time, such as an abacus, an armillary sphere, and a hydraulic-powered organ. Yet, some of the crazier people still believed he had won the papacy playing dice with Satan.

CONDITION

This 136+ year old Item is rated Near Mint / Very Fine. Light aging throughout. No creases. There is acid staining in this image. No surface rub.No tears. No water damage. Please note that there is a blind emboss mark in the upper right corner.

  • Product Type: Original Woodcut; Black / White
  • Grade: Near Mint / Very Fine
  • Dimensions: Approximately 6 x 7 inches; 15 x 18 cm
  • Authentication: Serial-Numbered Certificate of Authenticity w/ Full Provenance
  • Protection: Packaged in a custom archival sleeve with an acid-free black board (great for display, gift-giving, and preservation)

This image was selected from a collection of woodcuts and steel engravings prolifically depicting scenes from French history, ranging from ancient Gaul to Charlemagne and his wars, to Joan of Arc and Marie Antoinette. Historically important for French archivists, these images are extremely rare to locate and are virtually unseen individually. Period Paper is pleased to present these beautifully preserved images, which would make an ideal addition to any French lover's collection. To view more images from this portfolio, please click on the link offered below the condition paragraph.

This piece was illustrated by De Neuville, Alphonse. Artist signature in print - bottom left of image.

De Neuvile, Alphonse-Marie-Adolphe

Alphonse-Marie-Adolphe de Neuville (1835 _ 1885) was a French painter who specialized in very patriotic historical scenes with subjects such as the Franco-Prussian War, the Crimean War and the Zulu War. He originally joined the naval school in Lorient, France, but he soon realized that his primary passion was art. After his death, several of his pieces were acquired for the Luxembourg Palace in Paris.

Keywords specific to this image: robes, papal hat, historical

XEA6C75 zz4334