Christ Bearing the Cross c. 1470 - 1480

Here is an anonymous image of Christ Bearing the Cross, printed on paper. It uses the woodcut technique, which is quite simple: the artist carves an image into a block of wood, then inks the raised surface and presses it onto paper. In this work, the blocky forms and bold outlines are typical of the medium. The addition of color by hand transforms the cheap, repeatable process of printmaking into a unique work. The effect is raw and immediate. These inexpensive images were devotional objects, a ubiquitous aspect of the religious landscape of the time. Think of this less as a precious artwork and more as a mass-produced tool for spiritual contemplation. It's fascinating to consider how labor, in its many forms, is represented here. We have the labor of Christ, the labor of the figures tormenting him, and the labor of the anonymous printmaker who made this image possible. These all play a role in the image’s meaning. Ultimately, this work challenges our assumptions about the relationship between art, craft, and mass production.