Vos (Reinaert) voor leeuw (Nobel) en andere dieren 1910

This print of a fox, a lion and other animals was made by Bernard Willem Wierink, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. The medium is described as wood engraving, and you can see the characteristics of that process here: the crisp lines, the careful cross-hatching to create tone, and the slightly blocky overall feel. Wood engraving is a relief process. The artist carves into the surface of a block, then inks it, and prints it, creating multiples. The process has a long history, associated with both fine art and commercial printing. This image is of a fable, so it would have been reproduced in a book. Like other printmaking processes, wood engraving has a democratic character. It is a relatively inexpensive medium. By its nature, it also creates multiples, making the image available to a wide audience. In this way, it is different from painting or sculpture, which tend to be unique, costly works of art.