Silver Statuette of St. Philip, from the Wittenberg Reliquaries 1472 - 1553

Curator: Here we have a woodcut entitled "Silver Statuette of St. Philip, from the Wittenberg Reliquaries," attributed to Lucas Cranach the Elder. It was likely produced between 1472 and 1553, during a period of significant religious and social upheaval. Editor: It’s strikingly austere, isn't it? The heavy lines, the figure almost swallowed by his own robes… a sense of pious burden is palpable. Curator: Indeed. The starkness is characteristic of woodcut prints. Think of the process involved – carving away the negative space to leave only the lines that define the figure. This piece was intended to spread quickly and cheaply. Its function, circulating Reformation-era ideas. Editor: Yes, context is everything. How easily accessible this image must have made spiritual representation. This St. Philip, so visibly grounded, approachable even…It serves as a strong marker, speaking to changes in theological emphasis during that era. Less adornment and ornamentation and increased circulation of information through image production. Curator: Exactly. Now note the symbolism. Philip stands upon what appear to be bound books. The act, in its way, an embodied materialist challenge of church hierarchy, standing on a pedestal of theological knowledge? It would have surely communicated much for audiences when mass production of printed matter facilitated novel relations to visual information. Editor: It prompts me to consider power structures, absolutely. It could be that it is more than theological—socio-economically speaking, there are certainly critiques about labor present. Think, the conditions of workshop practice. And, given printmaking’s democratizing potential—challenging elite access to art, knowledge, and control… I think of contemporary activist printmaking today! Curator: It is such visual tension that is interesting here – mass produced works intended to represent a wealthy institution—an interesting contradiction, isn’t it? This print, although simple and small, is indeed rich with meaning. Editor: A small image that mirrors such momentous change; a testament to art's unique ability to bear witness.