Triumphal Arch (woodcut)

The Triumphal Arch (also known as the Arch of Maximilian I, German: Ehrenpforte Maximilians I.) is a 16th-century monumental woodcut print commissioned by the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. The composite image was printed on 36 large sheets of paper from 195 separate wood blocks. At 295 × 357 centimetres (9 ft 8 in × 11 ft 9 in), it is one of the largest prints ever produced and was intended to be pasted to walls in city halls or the palaces of princes. It is a part of a series of three huge prints created for Maximilian, the others being a Triumphal Procession (1516–1518, 137 woodcut panels, 54 metres (177 ft) long) which is led by a Large Triumphal Carriage (1522, 8 woodcut panels, 8 × 1.5 feet (244 × 46 cm)); only the Arch was completed in Maximilian's lifetime and distributed as propaganda, as he intended. Together, this series has been described by art historian Hyatt Mayor as "Maximilian's program of paper grandeur". They stand alongside two published biographical allegories in verse, the Theuerdank and Weisskunig, heavily illustrated with woodcuts.

Very large multi-sheet prints designed to decorate walls were a feature of the early 16th century, although their use in this way means their survival rate is exceptionally low. The prints were intended to be hand-colored, but only two sets of impressions from the first edition survive with contemporary coloring (held in Berlin, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic).

The architectural form of the arch was designed by Tyrolean architect and court painter Jörg Kölderer, and elaborated by Maximilian's court historian and mathematician Johannes Stabius, modelled on the triumphal arches constructed by Roman Emperors in Ancient Rome (although Maximilian's arch was never intended to be constructed in stone). It may have been inspired by a six-panel woodcut View of Venice, a bird's-eye view of Venice, Italy designed by Jacopo de' Barbari and published by the Nuremberg publisher Anton Kolb, both of whom entered the employ of Maximilian from about 1500. Detailed drawings for the woodcuts were created between 1512 and 1515, mainly by Albrecht Dürer and his pupils, Hans Springinklee and Wolf Traut; the flanking round towers are attributed to Albrecht Altdorfer.

The design includes three arches: the central arch is entitled "Honour and Might", the left arch is "Praise", and the right arch is "Nobility". Each arch is illustrated with scenes relating to Maximilian, including a family tree above the central arch which leads back to Clovis I, first King of the Franks, and then the mythical Francia, Sicambria and Troia, flanked by heraldic escutcheons, and 12 historical scenes above each of the two side arches. To the left are busts of emperors and kings, including Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great, and to the right are Maximilian's ancestors. Towers to each side show scenes from Maximilian's private life. Towards the lower right is a line of three shields showing the coats of arms of Stabius, Kölderer and Dürer. Many panels contain a descriptive text, and a long inscription at the bottom describes the whole. The design includes elements of Egyptian hieroglyphs, influenced by Willibald Pirckheimer's 1514 translation of the Hieroglyphica by Roman author Horapollo.

The woodcut was responsible for the Fraktur font.

Emperor Maximilian, as patron of the Triumphal Arch, commissioned this almost twelve-foot-tall print. He wanted to commemorate his military conquests, generosity, and nobility. The Triumphal Arch, along with the Triumphal Procession and Large Triumphal Carriage, is one of three very large prints representing Emperor Maximilian I’s triumphs. The illustrations, designed between 1516 and 1518, were largely the work of Hans Burgkmair (German, Augsburg 1473–1531 Augsburg), with contributions by Albrecht Altdorfer (German, Regensburg c. 1480–1538 Regensburg), Hans Springinklee (German, c. 1495–after 1522), Albrecht Dürer (German, Nuremberg 1471–1528 Nuremberg), Leonhard Beck (German, 1480–1542), and Hans Schäufelen (German, Nuremberg c. 1480–c. 1540 Nördlingen). Only the Triumphal Arch was completed before Maximilian's death in 1519. It reflects Maximilian's position as Holy Roman Emperor and links him to the triumphal arches and triumphs of Ancient Rome

Dürer, a painter, draftsman, and writer, known for his highly elaborate woodcuts designed 192 of the woodblocks. His ambition, talent, and wide-ranged intellect earned him the recognition of some of the most prominent figures like Maximilian I (and successor Charles V). Dürer apprenticed with his father (a goldsmith) and Michael Wolgemut (a painter), who produced woodcuts for written text and publications. Emperor Maximilian I recognized Dürer's creativity and that his success was only going to increase, making him an appropriate choice for such an important project.

The earliest and most imposing uses of the triumphal arch motif in Renaissance art begun in 1462 with Leon Battista Alberti’s Basilica of Sant’Andrea in Mantua. In Imperial Rome, triumphal arches were a common way to honor the emperors. In later centuries, triumphal arches inspired imitations worldwide like Arc de Triomphe and Arc du Carrousel in Paris, the Wellington Arch and Marble Arch in London, and the Siegestor in Munich. Freestanding Roman arches also serve as design resources in the Renaissance and later. Primary models either have single-arch or triple-arch form with inscription panels.