St. Barbara 1472 - 1553

Lucas Cranach the Elder made this print of St. Barbara sometime in the early 16th century, using the technique of woodcut. Here, the artist cuts away the areas that he doesn't want to print, leaving a raised image that is then inked and pressed onto paper. Notice how the lines are bold and graphic, giving the image a strong sense of contrast. The process relies on the steady hand of the artist, using a knife to carefully carve away the wood. Cranach's skill is evident in the intricate details of St. Barbara's dress and the landscape behind her. Woodcut was a relatively accessible medium, allowing for the production of multiple prints at a lower cost compared to other art forms. The texture of the wood grain is also visible in the print, adding another layer of visual interest. The image, therefore, is not just a representation, but an index of human labour and of the materials with which that labour was achieved.