“The Madonna on the Cresent” by, Albrecht Durer

Woodcuts- The Oldest Form of Print-making

Woodcuts originated in China and made their way over to Europe, as well as paper during the 13th Century. This new printing technique became heavily used in the Middle Ages, for book illustrations and decorative text. In the 1400’s Germany popularized the development of woodcuts. Albrecht Durer was a prolific printmaker, he produced over 300 woodcuts in his lifetime, using wood carving knives, which is an extremely meticulous process. He is also regarded as the “Greatest German Renaissance artist”.

Rationale

For my historical artifact project, I decided to recreate Albrecht Durer’s woodcut of “Madonna on The Cresent”. I did so by buying a linocut block (a hard rubber surface) to imitate the wood, which is closely similar. I found this assignment enjoyable but it also had its challenges. This project did take up a lot of time and patience, luckily I had everything planned and set early on. And I was able to manage my time around this piece, without stressing out or having to rush. I didn’t want to create something that was solely for a school project that becomes disposable afterward, but rather memorable for keepsakes. I am planning to create some prints with this linocut afterward!

I would grade myself a 9/10, based on the effort and time articulated into this project. And for the sore hands, I received from carving this piece, Haha. The materials I used for the backdrop were bought from Dressew Sewing Supplies. And the printing block was bought from Opus art supplies. I tried to imitate a Catholic Church altar. I was fortunate to find a long red skirt at home to use as the background which resembles a red curtain. I think that helped with the success of capturing an alluring photo, however, I could have perfected the shot by using better lighting. But I wanted to use candles to portray the dim-lit Middle Ages. I also think I could have Incorporated the text in a way that is more readable.

Progress Shots