Selectie van Gideons manschappen 1645 - 1646

This tiny woodcut, titled "Selection of Gideon's Soldiers," was created by Christoffel van Sichem II, sometime before his death in 1658. Look closely, and you’ll see the artist has used line and shadow to create an entire world. The material, wood, influenced the artwork's appearance, with its inherent qualities of texture and form. Van Sichem used knives and gouges to carve away the block, leaving behind the lines that define the image. This required skill and planning, and a controlled hand, to make a design that is legible and compelling, despite its small size. Woodcuts like this were relatively cheap to produce and were widely circulated. The format allowed for a democratization of images, making biblical scenes accessible to a broad audience, beyond the wealthy elite. Each print is the result of both artistic labor, and the labor of the printing press. Appreciating the artistry of this work means recognizing its original context as popular media.