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p. 103 N. Levaine A 655.1 [?]65 By far the most important of the illustrated books of Mainz, and
one of the most important of the 15th C, is the Peregrinationes
in montem Syon (Travels in Mount Syon) written by Bernardus de
Breidenback & published by the artist Erhard Renwich in 1486,
using Peter Schoeffer's type & probably his press. Breidenback was
a wealthy nobleman who reputedly had a loose life until the
time of his pilgrimage, which he undertook in penance. He
brought with him on his hands the artist Renwich to draw the
cities & sights they saw along the way. This was the 1st time
that the name of the illustrator of a printed book was recorded.
Most of Renwich's pictures in Peregrinationes are views of
places visited: Venice, Corfu, Candia, Rhodes, & others.
Some of these are double-page views to fold-out shapes - the most
extensive is the view of Venice, which folds out to a leaf 57"
long plus its facing page. A map of Palestine is almost
as long. Renwich made drawings of the types of people
he met in his travels - Saracens, Greeks, Jews, Indians - all
in carefully detailed costume. He also drew the strange beasts
of the Holy Land - some so strange they must have been
meant as jests. In the illustrations in this book, Renwich
used cross-hatching for the 1st time in wood cut history.
He used the direction of the line & consummate skill in molding.

Woodcutter Erhard Renwich at Mainz - produced the illustrations
to the Peregrinatio in Tenam Santam (1486) by the Dean
of Mainz Cathedral, Bunbard von Breydenbach. This was a very
popular work. 8 editions appeared by the end of the century.
Renwich was a native of Utrecht, & his style has been
compared to that of contemporary Dutch woodcuts, especially
those of Delft.

Stanford Catalogue - Renwich's woodblocks were still used in the editions of 1486, 1488,
1489, 1490, & 1498.