Blad met scènes rond de geboorte van Christus 1750 - 1800

This artwork, "Sheet with scenes around the birth of Christ," was made by an anonymous artist using a relief printing technique. The image is printed in gold ink on a blue ground, and the choice of textile rather than paper gives the artwork a tactile quality. Note the overall pattern-like composition, which is filled with scenes and motifs related to the birth of Christ: the adoration of the magi, shepherds, angels, and numerous sheep. Each figure has a kind of stippled effect, resulting from the printing process. The artist would have carved a design into a block of wood or linoleum, applied ink to the raised surface, and then pressed it onto the fabric. The medium and the process are critical to the meaning here. Block printing allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images, and the gold ink would have added a sense of sacredness to the scene. At the same time, the textile support suggests a more vernacular context of production. Together, the materials and making processes point to a convergence of fine art and craft, inviting us to reflect on the social context of the artwork.