Lippen van Jesaja met gloeiende kool gereinigd 1538

This print, ‘Lippen van Jesaja met gloeiende kool gereinigd’, was made by Hans Holbein the Younger, likely in the 1520s, using the technique of woodcut. This process is essentially a relief carving, like a rubber stamp. The artist would have used knives and gouges to cut away the negative spaces from a block of wood, leaving the lines of the image standing in relief. This block would then be inked and printed onto paper. The very graphic quality of the work is a direct consequence of this process: notice the stark contrast between black and white, the bold outlines, and the linear texture created by the wood grain. These aren't flaws, but expressive qualities inherent to the medium. Woodcut was relatively quick and inexpensive compared to other printmaking methods, making images like this one accessible to a wide audience. It's a testament to the enduring power of simple materials, skillfully worked.