Woodcut is one of the oldest printing techniques in the world, as it was known in East Asia as early as the 9th century. The new trade routes and the technological improvements paper mills provided in Europe from the 14th century onwards—which contributed to the rapid production of paper—boosted printmaking.

Woodblock books were popular around the 15th century. Illustrated books printed with this technique were cheaper than handwritten books or those printed with the movable-types.

Woodcut is a relief method, so the image needs to be carved out in negative and in reverse in a block of wood, so the remaining areas of the original surface are the ones to be inked and transferred onto the paper.

FRANZ GERTSCH, FOUR SEASONS CYCLE

Franz Gertsch (b. 1930; d. 2022) was well-known for his hyperrealist paintings of the 1970s; however, in 1986 Gertsch abandoned this medium and shifted to woodcut. After completing the painting cycle titled Four Seasons Cycle in 2011, Gertsch continued to explore the same theme through woodcuts such as Summer II, on view in gallery 209.

Gertsch’s prints involved a very lengthy process: he began with the projection of the image on a large woodblock; then carefully traced the motif, proceeding to carve the surface with a sharp tool, creating a densely dotted pattern (similar to criblé). Measuring several meters wide, each of these blocks could take months to complete. Afterwards, the woodblock was inked with a single hue and printed onto large handmade Japanese paper produced at Heizaburo Iwano’s exclusive workshop.

Through his prints, Gertsch tried to highlight the act of observing the ordinary in our everyday lives that might go unnoticed. Look closely at the large surface of this woodcut and the way in which Gertsch’s remarkable technique summons a meditative observation of nature.

 

Image from the documentary film Images in stone, Wood and copper. #1 Printmaking: Woodcut by the Collection of Prints and Drawings of the Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest (2024)