Illustration til Adam Oehlenschlägers digt "De to kirketårne" 1844

This illustration for Adam Oehlenschläger's poem "The Two Church Towers" was made by Lorenz Frølich using a technique called wood engraving. Look closely, and you'll see how the image is composed entirely of fine lines, meticulously cut into the surface of a block of wood. This isn't just drawing; it's a labor-intensive process demanding precision and control. Frølich likely used specialized tools called burins to carve away the wood, leaving behind the raised lines that would hold the ink. The resulting print has a distinctive texture and a graphic quality, ideally suited to illustrate a poem. Consider the amount of time and skill involved in creating this small image, and the way that the wood engraving process itself becomes part of the artwork's meaning. It reminds us that even seemingly simple images are the product of immense labor and technical know-how.