Saint Mary Magdalene Pray for Us c. 1820

This print, Saint Mary Magdalene Pray for Us, was made anonymously using woodcut and stencil. Look closely and you can see the distinctive linear quality of the woodcut process, which is then augmented by hand-applied color to the print, using stencils. The method has a social resonance: woodcut is among the most democratic of printmaking media, and stencils can efficiently add color, allowing for mass production. Both techniques require skill, but not the kind of academic training usually associated with ‘fine art’. Notice how the material and the making influenced the look of the print. The hard, resistant nature of wood allows for bold, graphic images like this one. And the addition of color via stencils emphasizes the broad areas of hue. It's fascinating to consider how this piece blurs the boundaries between devotion, labor, art, and the means of production. It reminds us that the meaning of an artwork is not just in its subject matter, but in the materials and processes used to create it.