The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, from Das Plenarium 1517

Hans Schäufelein created this woodcut, "The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard," sometime in the early 16th century, as part of a series illustrating a book of Bible readings. This image reflects the religious culture of the Holy Roman Empire during the early Reformation. Schäufelein was working in Nuremberg at a time when artists like Dürer were grappling with religious reform. Woodcuts like this one were part of a broader effort to make the Bible and its teachings accessible to a wider audience. Here, we see a vineyard owner negotiating with laborers. The story, as told in the Gospel of Matthew, challenges conventional notions of fairness, as all the workers, regardless of how long they toiled, received the same wage. To truly understand this woodcut, we can consult scriptural commentaries, Reformation-era pamphlets, and studies of the print market at the time. This helps us see how art engaged with the burning religious questions of the day.