Man met een zwaard en een boek zittend op een troon voor een menigte 1541

This print, dating from an unknown date, depicts a man with a sword and a book sitting on a throne before a crowd. It was created with a woodcut, a process that involves carving an image into a block of wood, inking the surface, and pressing it onto paper. The bold lines and strong contrast are typical of this technique, and speak to the labor involved in manually cutting away the wood. The choice of woodcut, rather than a more refined intaglio printmaking method, suggests the print was intended for wider distribution. The image itself carries social significance. The central figure, armed with both a sword and a book, symbolizes power and knowledge. The crowd before him hints at a dynamic between authority and the populace, rendered through the democratic medium of a printed image. Understanding its materials and mode of production helps us recognize the print not just as an image, but as an object embedded in the social and political context of its time.