The King c. 16th century

Curator: This woodcut, known as "The King," was created by Hans Holbein the Younger. I find the stark contrast of the figures fascinating. Editor: It's pretty grim. All that finery, the spread of plates, and then…death as the ultimate server. What materials did Holbein use? Curator: Holbein worked with wood, carving away at the block to create the design. The image itself is a meditation on power and mortality. Note the hourglass. Editor: Absolutely. The labor here, though—the cutting, the printing—reveals a process accessible to many, a commentary on how death levels everyone, regardless of craft or kingly status. Curator: And Holbein uses death, a familiar symbolic figure, to convey this universal truth. It acts as a kind of memento mori. Editor: Holbein’s choice of the woodcut method speaks volumes. The starkness feels deliberate, stripping away any illusion. Curator: The woodcut's lines definitely amplify its stark message. I see this as a very potent reminder. Editor: Indeed, a stark yet meticulously crafted memento of the fleeting nature of earthly power.