Celestial vision at Constantinople

Germany, Nuremberg, c. 1490-1491

This unique pamphlet reports on a fire that descended from the sky in 1490, devastating a Turkish army encampment near Constantinople. Afterwards, a vision of a three-headed knight in full armour appeared exactly as rendered in the woodcut.

This work has been sold.

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Single-leaf print on paper

Leaf: 295 x 411 mm, woodcut: 272 x 195 mm. – Combined single-leaf print with a coloured woodcut on the right and a xylographic text with floral border on the left.

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Exceptionally rare pamphlet to rouse a crusade against the Turks

Overview

The fire was most likely caused by a flash of lightning, and scholars believe that the celestial apparition was actually the aurora borealis with a strong arc and flickering glows of light. The Nuremberg Chronicle mentions the fire too, although not the apparition, and counts as many as 3'000 people dead.

The text interprets the event as divine wrath against the Turks. Hence, the pamphlet appears to be a piece of political propaganda from the circle around Maximilian I, who strove for a new crusade.

This is the only traceable copy of this version (a close variant with nearly identical text survives in Munich, BSB). Woodcuts and especially single-leaf prints could only survive in such excellent condition in the protective environment of books, as is the case with the present sheet. However, pamphlets were only very rarely sewn into books as they were intended as ephemeral, instant news media, rather than objects to be preserved permanently.

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