Letter R in een omlijsting met een bijbelse voorstelling 17th century

This small woodcut, an initial 'R' with biblical scenes, was made by an anonymous artist. The block has been meticulously carved, using the end grain of the wood to allow for finer detail. Look closely, and you can see the individual marks of the cutting tools. The process is labor-intensive; it takes a skilled hand to translate an image into a series of precise cuts, creating a design that will read clearly when printed. This wasn't fine art, but a functional object; one of a set of letters, made to be used in printed books. Woodcut letters like this one democratized images. Each letter could be reproduced many times over, giving a wider audience access to biblical stories than ever before. In its own way, this small print embodies a radical shift in the means of production and consumption. It is not merely an image, but a testament to the power of accessible art and literature.