Wildwood (Tree of Life) Unlined Guest Book

This delicate foliage pattern was originally crafted to adorn a 17th-century binding of the Passion Series. The original work was created in 1521 by the northern Renaissance painter Lucas van Leyden, one of the greatest engravers of his time.

This edition does not contain Van Leyden’s 1521 version, but rather a copy of it done by Jan Harmensz. Muller, an artist best known for his skilful reinterpretations of the work of his predecessors. So exactly replicated were his engravings, that Van Leyden’s original dates and monogram appear in Muller’s woodcut plates.

Though there is no indication that Muller himself attempted to pass off his work as that of the earlier master, scratched-out marks in this edition suggest that previous owners tried to make it appear as though they owned an original Van Leyden. It is only thanks to a small engraving of Muller’s name that we know this is a reproduction.

With a complicated history not unlike the tangled branches depicted on the cover, this Tree of Life binding stands out amongst the British Library’s collection of antique tomes.