Illustration from Voragine, Leben der Heiligen. Augsburg, Bämler, 1475 c. 15th century

Editor: This illustration from "Leben der Heiligen," printed in Augsburg around 1475, is fascinating! The stark lines of the woodcut and the visible texture of the paper make the image feel quite raw. What can you tell me about the process of creating something like this? Curator: Consider the labour involved: from carving the woodblock to the physical printing process. Each impression is a testament to the printer Bämler's craft. The accessibility of the printed image, versus illuminated manuscripts, speaks to shifting modes of production and consumption of religious narratives at the time, doesn't it? Editor: So, the materials themselves are telling a story about the changing social landscape? Curator: Precisely. We’re not just looking at an image; we’re examining the evidence of a society embracing a new technology and its impact on belief. Editor: I never thought about it that way. It makes me appreciate the image even more.