Sint Franciscus van Assisi, staand in het water, omringd door dieren 1926

Reijer Stolk made this print of Saint Francis of Assisi surrounded by animals using a woodblock technique. The image is achieved by carefully carving away areas of the woodblock, leaving the design to stand in relief. Woodcut is a relief printing method where the areas to remain white are cut away from a block of wood. Ink is then applied to the remaining raised surface, and the image is transferred to paper under pressure. The bold, graphic quality of the print results from the directness of the carving process, and the way the wood grain influences the image. The process requires patience and skill, as the artist must consider not only the image they wish to create, but also the properties of the wood itself. Although historically produced for mass consumption, prints are also a handmade medium with a longstanding relationship to art and craft. The very act of carving, in this instance, imbues the artwork with a sense of Stolk's labor, and a reverence for the natural world that he depicts. It blurs the boundaries between artistic expression and the everyday.