Illustration from Decadas, plate 79 from Woodcuts from Books of the XVI Century
1520, assembled into portfolio 1937
Medium
Woodcut on paper
Dimensions
Image: 11.8 × 14.1 cm (4 11/16 × 5 9/16 in.); Image/text: 24 × 14.1 cm (9 1/2 × 5 9/16 in.); Sheet: 28.5 × 19.9 cm (11 1/4 × 7 7/8 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
132224
Art Historical Context
This delicate woodcut, titled *Illustration from Decadas, 79*, hails from 1520, a pivotal era in the Renaissance when the printing press revolutionized the spread of knowledge across Europe. Created by an unknown artist, it exemplifies the woodcut technique—where intricate designs were carved into wooden blocks, inked, and pressed onto paper to produce affordable book illustrations. At just 11.8 × 14.1 cm, this image (with surrounding text measuring 24 × 14.1 cm on a 28.5 × 19.9 cm sheet) captures the precision required for small-scale printing, allowing detailed visuals to accompany scholarly...