Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist 1470 - 1500

Saints John are presented in this late 15th-century woodcut, likely created in Cologne, Germany. The print was made by carving a design into a block of wood, inking the surface, and pressing it onto paper. The artist, known only as the Master with the Cologne Arms, skillfully employed the technique of hatching and cross-hatching to create a range of tones and textures. Notice how the close, parallel lines define the folds of the robes and the intricate details of the background. The choice of wood as a medium is significant; it allowed for the relatively quick and inexpensive production of multiple copies, making religious imagery accessible to a wider audience. The creation of such prints depended on a whole economy of skilled labour, from the felling of the trees to the work of the printmakers. This artwork reminds us that even seemingly simple images are the product of complex social and economic relationships. Woodcuts democratized the consumption of art and culture and challenged traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.