Pyrgoteles 

Hans Wechtlin the First created this woodcut print, Pyrgoteles, in Germany, sometime around the early 16th century. It depicts the figure of Pyrgoteles, the celebrated gem-cutter of Ancient Greece. Wechtlin updates him to the early 16th century, in the era of the printing press, with the figure holding a sign with his name. The print would have been of particular interest to artists who were part of a humanist circle, interested in the rediscovery of classical art and science. Wechtlin seems to be alluding to the growing importance of the artist as an individual with unique skills. The choice of a woodcut print medium is itself interesting, as it was the technique used for the wide distribution of images in books. By referencing a famous artist from antiquity in a popular form, Wechtlin is blurring the lines between high and low art, which was a new phenomenon in this period. The social history of art gives us the tools to think critically about these categories. Studying the historical context of art institutions helps us understand how such categories are formed and policed.