RATDOLT, ERHARD

RATDOLT, ERHARD. - German printer and bookseller, b. in Augsburg in 1447, d. in his native city in 1527 or 1528.

As a young man, in 1462 he went to Venice, where he remained until 1486, at first associated with Bernardo "Maler" (Pietor) and Pietro Löslein (1476-78), then on his own (1480-86). From 1486, having returned to his native city at the invitation of Bishop Johann von Werdenberg, he continued to print until 1522.

A pre-eminent figure among the printers of the 15th century, he used elegant typefaces and gave impetus to the book adorned with beautiful and rich borders and graceful woodcut initial letters, sometimes printed in several colors. His output includes books on mathematics, astronomy, and history, but concerns predominantly liturgical books (breviaries and missals) which he supplied to numerous dioceses, always printed with a true sense of art. Among his printings mention should be made of: the Latin and Italian editions of the Kalendarium by G. Müller of Königsberg, known as Regiomontanus (Venice 1476), considered the first book with a title page; the Ars moriendi of Capranica (Venice 1478); the editio princeps of Euclid's Geometria (ibid. 1482), the first book with geometric figures; the Chronica Hungarorum of G. Thwrocz (Augsburg 1488) with woodcut engravings of portraits and battle scenes.