Christ, after His Transfiguration, Exorcises the Devil from the Lunatic, from Leven Christi (Life of Christ), Plate 44 from Woodcuts from Books of the 15th Century
1495, portfolio assembled 1929
Unknown Artist (Gouda or Antwerp, late 15th century) printed and published by Pieter van Os (Netherlandish, active c. 1479-1496) original text by Ludolphus de Saxonia (German, c. 1295–1378) portfolio text by Wilhelm Ludwig Schreiber (German, 1855–1932)
Netherlands
This sheet, detached from the 1495 edition of Life of Christ by the 14th-century German theologian Ludolph of Saxony, uses both words and image to describe a supernatural event in which Christ expels a demon from a man.
The ability to print images alongside text opened new possibilities that sparked the interests of artists and entrepreneurs alike. To accomplish this, an image is carved into a block of wood that is the same height as the letterpress type, enabling both to be inked and printed simultaneously. The hand-applied red ink on the capital letters recalls more costly illuminated manuscripts.
Woodcut in black, and letterpress in black with rubrication (recto and verso), on cream laid paper