Recto of Sheet with Scene of The Fifth Trombone, from The Apocalypse 1523 - 1524

Hans Burgkmair created this woodcut print, titled "Recto of Sheet with Scene of The Fifth Trombone, from The Apocalypse," using a block of wood and a sharp cutting tool. The process of woodcut, line by line, demanded both precision and patience. Look closely, and you’ll see how Burgkmair carefully carved away areas of the woodblock, leaving the design raised. When inked and pressed against paper, the remaining image is transferred, resulting in the graphic contrast we see here. Prints like this were relatively inexpensive to produce, making images accessible to a wide audience. The lines are not only descriptive but also expressive, creating a range of textures and tones. The image presents a scene from the Book of Revelation, and reflects social anxieties of the time, using then-contemporary print technology. Consider the labor that went into the production of this woodcut; a testament to the merging of craft, art, and cultural narrative.