Portret van Albrecht III, hertog van Saksen 1601

This is a woodcut portrait of Albrecht III, Duke of Saxony, created by Christoffel van Sichem I. The image is made by cutting away parts of a wooden block, then inking the remaining surface and pressing it onto paper. Notice how the lines define the Duke's armor and clothing. Woodcut, unlike other printmaking methods, requires bold, decisive cuts. Look closely at the texture, you can see the marks left by the knife, particularly in the shading. Woodcut was a relatively accessible medium, meaning that artists from various social strata could engage with it. Sichem’s choice of this medium highlights the growing accessibility of image-making during this period, reflecting the increasing importance of visual communication in society. The very act of carving, in this instance, elevates the artwork to a level of creative expression on par with more conventional artistic mediums.