Trombone
I just added the below image and caption to the Trombone History Timeline (16th century).
1581—Dresden, Germany: A quartet of 3 strings and a trombone is depicted by artist Friedrich Bercht as part of celebrations surrounding the visit of Archduke Charles of Austria to Dresden (see below image; public domain) (Dresden, Sächsische Landesbibliothek).
The famous series of woodcuts entitled The Triumph of Maximilian, executed primarily by artist Hans Burgkmair, includes the trombone in four different plates. The series depicts an imaginary procession of the court of Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519), who died before the project was actually completed. You can read more about the individual entries and instructions for the plates depicting trombones and see the original plates under “1526″ in the Trombone History Timeline (16th century).
I recently found two more versions of the woodcuts. One of them is a set of the original 1526 prints that was hand colored in 1765. The full set, digitized by the University of Graz in Austria, can be found here. The other version is a Spanish “copy” of the prints, c. 1700. Some of the Spanish images are relatively close copies, while others depart from the original in all but the most general sense. The artist for this version is unknown. An online copy of the full set is hosted by Biblioteca Digital Hispánica here.
Hand-colored set of original woodcuts (1765):
Spanish version of woodcuts by unknown artist (c. 1700):
Added color version of Pinturicchio’s fresco (see below) to the 16th Century Trombone History Timeline. The painting provides one of the earliest examples of trombone iconography showing the instrument in a wind band setting (called pifferi in Italy). The color version of the fresco shows the vibrancy of the painting, as well as revealing the three instruments in a little better detail than in the more common black and white reproductions.
c. 1503—Siena, Italy: Bernardino Pinturicchio includes a depiction of a trombonist in his painting, Coronation of Pius III, a fresco decorating the exterior of the Piccolomini Library in the cathedral of Siena. The trombonist is part of a trio of wind players seen performing at center-right (see facing detail and full image, below; public domain) (Jenkens 159; Cecchi 19). Documents have shown that trombone did, indeed, perform at this particular coronation (see below).
Added the below image and caption to the 16th Century Timeline. One never knows how literal these depictions are, but the artist groups together an interesting combination of instruments. Another consort performs at a table in the background.
c. 1585—Italy: An engraving by Antonio Tempesta entitled The Concert features a trombone performing with a mixed consort of strings, winds, and keyboard (see facing image; public domain).
Added the below image and info to the 16th Century Trombone History Timeline. The artist, Cornelis Court, was well known for making engravings that were copies of pre-existing artworks. In this case, the engraving is after a work by Flemish Renaissance artist Frans Floris. The image, which is obviously symbolic, features a relatively small-looking trombone hanging on the upper right area of the wall. It is nearly impossible to tell, and artists are often less than literal, but the instrument could be an alto trombone. (Compare it proportionally, for example, with the other instruments nearby.)
1565—Musica, an engraving by Dutch artist Cornelis Cort from a series called the Seven Liberal Arts (after works by Frans Floris) includes a small trombone hanging on a wall in the background (see facing image; public domain) (Burgers 99).
Added several new images to the 16th Century of the Trombone History Timeline. They include, respectively, a detail and 2 paintings by Caravaggio (the less-famous Caravaggio, sometimes known as Polidoro Caldara) (c. 1520, Rome, Italy), as well as a detail and full color version of a painting by Schelhas (c. 1600, Augsburg, Germany). The Caravaggio paintings, dealing with the muses, reflect the symbolism attached to trombone during this period of trombone history. The Schelhas painting, depicting an aristocratic dance, appears to be much more literal, highlighting the trombone’s role as a dance instrument at this time.
