Hemelvaart van Elia 1525 - 1530

This print, "The Ascension of Elijah," was made by an anonymous artist using a technique called woodcut. The visible grain of the wood contributes a tactile quality to the image, with the fine lines and hatched areas creating a sense of depth and texture. Woodcut is a relief printing process where the artist carves away areas of a woodblock, leaving the design standing in relief. This block is then inked and pressed onto paper. The process requires skill in both carving and printing, traditions that have roots in both fine art and craft practices. Here, the image's religious subject and the material of wood are interestingly connected. The physical labor involved in woodcutting, and the easily available materials, make this work accessible to a wide audience, blurring the lines between devotional imagery and popular art. The very act of making, and the materials employed, carry their own social and cultural meanings.