Album met prenten van Urs Graf, Erhard Schön, Hans Holbein (II), Hans Weiditz (II) en Hans Springinklee 1500 - 1637

This album, assembled in 1637, contains prints by Urs Graf, Erhard Schön, Hans Holbein the Younger, Hans Weiditz the Younger, and Hans Springinklee. The album's material construction is simple: bound in leather, a common and durable choice for protecting its valuable contents. The prints themselves, produced through woodcut and engraving, speak to a sophisticated economy of artistic production. These techniques allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images, making art more accessible to a wider audience. Consider the labor involved: from the initial carving of the woodblock or engraving of the metal plate, to the printing process itself, and finally the binding of the album. Each step represents skilled work, contributing to a final product that's both a functional object and a repository of artistic expression. Looking at this album, we're reminded that art is not just about individual genius, but also about the social and economic systems that enable its creation and distribution, blurring the lines between art, craft, and commerce.