Het leven en de bedrijven van Sint Nicolaas 1856 - 1900

This print, *Het leven en de bedrijven van Sint Nicolaas*, of *The life and times of Saint Nicholas*, was made by Glenisson & Zonen, but we don’t know exactly when. What is clear is that this work was made through the labor-intensive process of relief printmaking, where the non-image areas of a block are carved away, leaving the design to be inked and pressed onto paper. The crude lines and blocky forms suggest a woodcut, a technique common in popular printmaking for its durability and relative ease compared to metal engraving. Look closely, and you can see the inherent qualities of the wood's grain influencing the image, adding texture to the scenes of Saint Nicholas's life and good deeds. The repetitive process of carving and printing speaks to a desire for mass production, a way to disseminate stories and moral lessons to a wide audience. In its materiality and production, this print blurs the lines between fine art and craft, embodying the values of accessibility and widespread communication.