The Ship Of Fools - new blog page to be launched September 2010
July 21st, 2010 Doug
Das Narrenschyff _ Original woodcut from 1509 translation
Over the last year or so, I have been developing and planning a series of images based on Sebastian Brandt’s “Ship of Fools”, originally published in 1494. The book has fascinated me for a long time; strangely, I came across it through my interest in gaelic poems such as Tanaig Long ar Loch Raithneach (A Ship Has Come on Loch Rannoch), which is believed to show signs of being influence by Brandt’s poem.
Starting in September I will be producing a series of fifty two images, based on the translated text and original book plates from the 1509 version of the book, by Scottish writer Alexander Barclay. Some of woodcuts in the original publication were created by the master printmaker, Albrecht Durer.
I’ll be posting an image every week, interspersed with notes, sketches and excerpts from the book. As well as creating and interesting new section on the website, the work will form the basis for a new exhibition of work to be shown in 2011/12.
As part of my research for this project, I am deeply indebted and grateful to Sally Evans and Ian King of King’s Bookshop in Callander, who very kindly provided me with a beautifully bound copy of the 1873 reprint of Alexander Barclay’s translation. The book was invaluable to me as it filled in many missing areas of text and images.
Annotated title page from Volume 1 of the 1873 edition of the book
Click on this link, or follow the button on the home page of my website to The Ship Of Fools page, and watch out for regular posts from the end of August.
For more details about King’s Bookshop, with Ian’s superb bookbinding and Sally’s poetry, click on this link and find out more information about the shop and how to get there.
