Underweissung der Proportzion und stellung der possen 1538

Erhard Schön’s woodcut print, *Underweissung der Proportzion und stellung der possen*, presents us with a lesson on proportion and the human figure. Made in the first half of the 16th century in Germany, a period marked by religious and social upheaval, Schön situates us in a world steeped in the revival of classical ideals and the burgeoning unease of the Reformation. In the print, three male figures occupy a stark, tiled space. One lies prone, while two others stand, seemingly in contemplation or judgment. What can we read in their gestures? Do they represent the artist's exploration of form, or perhaps the social and religious tensions brewing at the time? The nude figures challenge viewers to consider not just the aesthetic, but also the socio-political dimensions of the human form. The artist uses the traditional form of printmaking, a method accessible to many, to share his view of the world. This work invites us to contemplate how we, too, measure up to the ideals of our own time.