Artwork
Coat of Arms of Lazarus Spengler
Coat of Arms of Lazarus Spengler is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hans Springinklee. It dates from 1525 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Hans Springinklee’s woodcut, dated 1525, presents the heraldic device of Lazarus Spengler, a Nuremberg councilor and early reformer. Executed in the German Renaissance, the print combines a central shield, a crowned figure, and a surrounding array of ornamental motifs, including a skull, foliage, and stylized symbols, all framed by a decorative border.
Subject & Meaning
The composition centers on Spengler’s coat of arms, featuring a crowned figure bearing a shield that signifies authority. Beneath the shield, a skull introduces a memento mori element, while the Latin motto “Ultimus ad morte post omnia fata recursus” – “the last refuge after all things of fate” – underscores a contemplative, perhaps reformist, worldview.
Technique & Style
Springinklee employed the traditional woodcut method, carving fine lines into a wooden block to achieve a crisp, decorative quality. The print displays his characteristic precision: clear contours, balanced negative space, and intricate ornamental details that reflect the Northern Renaissance’s emphasis on elaborate, yet legible, graphic design.
History & Provenance
Created in the mid‑1520s, the work originates from Nuremberg, where Springinklee trained under Albrecht Dürer. The print was likely commissioned by or for Spengler himself, serving both as a personal emblem and a public statement of his civic and religious affiliations during the early Reformation period.
Context
The piece belongs to a flourishing period of German printmaking, when woodcuts were widely used for both artistic and propagandistic purposes. Its heraldic subject aligns with contemporary practices of visual identity among civic leaders, while the inclusion of a skull and motto reflects the era’s preoccupation with mortality and moral reflection.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Springinklee (c.1490/c.1495 – c.1540) was a German artist from Nuremberg, best known for his woodcuts. He was a pupil of Albrecht Dürer.
