Gud skaber Eva 1550 - 1551

Curator: This portrait of Reverend John IV has a certain sternness about it. The balance, the tight composition, the detailed ornamentation - all speak to an order befitting the sitter's station. Editor: It’s arresting. You feel the weight of his clothing, the metal of those chains – the sheer labor involved in creating and conveying this image. I wonder about the artisan’s hands as well as the man portrayed. Curator: The piece dates to 1536. It's a woodcut print by Hans Brosamer, so its creation would have involved meticulously carving into a woodblock to produce the image we see. It is as you say, labor-intensive. Editor: Absolutely. And the context – what does this print *do*? Was it a political token? Distributed amongst the clergy? Its purpose informs our reading, wouldn't you agree? How many prints were created? Curator: Undoubtedly a means of propagating an image of power. Brosamer has been remarkably successful here: note the symmetrical layout, anchoring the stern visage above the reverend’s Latin epitaph. Above his head are a pair of heraldic shields. It speaks to structure, and lineage. Editor: Right, lineage secured through repetitive, material means. Brosamer, while executing the commission, leaves his mark on it too. Do we know how the woodcut process impacted the final design? Did the nature of the woodgrain subtly impose itself? It would be fascinating to see how such material limitations may have guided choices in form. Curator: An interesting question. The linear precision suggests an artist keenly aware of the medium. However, one senses the constraints of woodcut have refined, not restricted the overall impact of its intended symbolism, wouldn’t you concede? Editor: Perhaps. This piece really pulls us into thinking about craft and its connection to the societal values. Thank you for highlighting this work and the many issues at stake. Curator: The pleasure has been all mine, and yours. Such are the dialogues engendered by studying images from this vantage point.