Rather than build an actual f’ing arch the Emperor Maximilian commissioned a monumental print arch, which could be reproduced and installed all over. It was the only of his grandiose print projects that was completed during his lifetime. Albrecht Dürer and a workshop of least four other artist/printers spent two years producing 198 woodblocks to print on 36 folio sheets (18 x 24 inches). The assembled image is 12 x 10 feet, and was printed in five editions, beginning in 1517. The first edition of around 700 was distributed to the princes of the Holy Roman Empire. The Fraktur typeface was commissioned for this print.
The New York Public Library says their The Triumph of Maximilian on view at 42nd Street at the moment, printed in 1799, is a third edition. But the third edition was printed in 1559; the edition printed in 1799 was the fourth, which sounds a little rough. [The NYPL item listing has this correct.] Nevertheless, it is on view, and should be seen before it goes into storage in October. [h/t @arthistory.bsky.social for the heads up].
Meanwhile, a few years ago The Met discovered that they had an uncatalogued copy of the print, which they called Arch of Honor, since 1928. After a major conservation project in 2019 it was identified as a proof copy, complete with inset and overlaid corrections and 16th century annotations.
[A FEW MINUTES LATER UPDATE] In the three 16th century editions, the 24th panel of historical events was left blank. It was to contain an image of Maximilian’s tomb, which would be created, printed, and distributed for installation after his death.
In the Met’s proof, that folio sheet includes the thick column at the center of the detail above, and two rows of scenes. The National Gallery of Victoria, meanwhile, has a 3rd edition of the Arch, printed in 1559, with the 24th panel replaced. But they also have the blank 24th panel [from a 1st edition?] The inclusion of a border likely means it was cut out of an assembled Arch, not from the sheet, and not, it seems, from their Arch, whose decorative border looks intact. Also, they show it upside down.
It would be my new favorite Dürer print, but the Met says only the column and the first two scenes on that sheet are by Dürer; the rest is by Hans Springinklee. So I guess it is my favorite Springinklee.
I would hang it next to my favorite Titian woodcut.
Previously, related: Titianic: Titian Woodcut Print was almost the same mometn