Saint Florian

This sheet, pasted into the inside of a book cover, is one of nine associated with Casper, a publisher and woodcutter working in Regensburg and Ulm during the latter half of the fifteenth century. His printed signature appears at the lower left. Saint Florian served in the Roman army in Austria in the third century and was martyred by drowning during Diocletian's reign. The city of Regensburg venerated Saint Florian as a protector against fire. He is shown here larger than life extinguishing a blaze with a single bucket of water.

Credit: Bequest of James Clark McGuire, 1930