WOODCUT: HISTORY, TECHNIQUE, FAMOUS XYLOGRAPHERS - ART - 2025

The xylography is a discipline that consists of the recording of texts and images on wooden plates, to later reproduce them by using inks on paper or cloth. It is one of the oldest systems used to print engravings, which is still in force for artistic uses.

The creation process is divided into two stages. In the first, the design is carved by hand with a gouge or burin in the wood. Once completed, the plate is covered with ink, which remains only on the high reliefs. In this way, by pressing a paper or cloth on it, a copy of the mold is obtained.

Albrecht Dürer's Rhinoceros is one of the most famous woodcuts. Source: pixabay.com

When making a woodcut it is important to bear in mind that the resulting image will be inverted with respect to the original, since what is achieved is a mirror effect.

For this type of work, the use of firm woods is recommended, with cherry, pear or boxwood being the most used. On the contrary, maple and oak are not recommended for being less hard.

The advantage of woodcut is that it allows a large number of prints to be made with a single plate.

History

According to historians, woodcut originated in China. The oldest surviving works from this culture date back to the year 220 and consist of prints on fabric. On the other hand, there are works from Egypt made between the 6th and 7th centuries.

This technique arrived in Europe much later, at the beginning of the 13th century. In this continent, the first designs carried out corresponded to card games and religious prints.

An impression of San Cristóbal, made in 1423, is considered the oldest dated woodcut piece.

In Japan, from the seventeenth century on, a technique known as ukiyo-e, which can be translated as "paintings of the floating world", became popular. These were engravings made with wooden stamps, which showed landscapes and the lifestyle of those years.

The woodcut allowed a mechanization of the printing process and served as a model for Gutenberg's printing press design. When this arrived, its use was losing popularity, although it continued to be used for a long time to illustrate books.

Starting in the 15th century, with the appearance of intaglio engraving, which used metal sheets and a press, its relevance diminished even more, due to the fact that this technique was considered more precise.

Resurgence and validity

At the beginning of the 20th century, German Expressionism greatly aided the revival of woodcut. It was a movement that was opposed to impressionism and distorted reality to express it in a more personal and subjective way.

The use of this technique allowed them to give a more intimate and primitive touch to their works, leaving them looking unfinished and in a wild state.

Today, with much faster and more efficient printing methods, the industrial use of woodcut is practically nil.

However, its use continues in the artistic field, as it is used by artisans and artists who value the beauty of their lines.

Etymology

The word woodcut comes from the Greek "xilo", which means "wood" and "grapho", which can be translated as "engraving", "inscription" or "writing".

In this way, from the etymological point of view this term means “engraving on wood”.

Woodcut techniques

Due to the way in which the wood engraving is carried out, the xylographic techniques are divided into two types: the thread xylography and the butt xylography.

Woodcut to thread

It is also known as fiber woodcut. In it, the wood is cut longitudinally to the trunk of the tree and the grain is parallel to the surface of the board.

This can cause the plate to have knots and uneven fibers, making printing a bit difficult.

Head woodcut

It is also known as a fiber optic woodcut. In it, the wood is cut crosswise and the grain is perpendicular to the surface of the board.

Instruments

When working with wood, the most used tools are the burin and the gouge. The first is a pointed steel instrument used to open lines, while the second is a thin half-round chisel used to carve curved surfaces.

With them the surface is carved, leaving only the lines that are intended to be printed in the reproduction to stand out. On the other hand, serrated knives and metal brushes can be used to cut and texture the plate.

On the other hand, to place the ink a spatula and a roller are used, and to print a paper or cloth is used, together with a press to exert pressure.

Meanwhile, if you want to obtain a woodcut of different colors, it is necessary to engrave a different plate for each of them and then print them one over the other.

Famous xylographers

Woodcut is one of the oldest systems used to reproduce engravings. Source: pixabay.com

Albrecht dürer

(1486-1532) He was one of the first to implement color woodcut, by using several plates on the same engraving. Main works: Diogenes, Hero and Sibyl, Descent from the Cross, History of Simon the Magician and David hitting the head of Goliath.

Thomas bewick

(1753-1828) He was the ideologue of the head woodcut technique, which offered greater precision in engraving. Main works: Select Fables, British Birds, Traveler and Deserted Village and Fables of Aesop and Others.

Paul gauguin

(1848-1903) He was a post-impressionist painter who in his woodcut works carved the blocks as if they were wooden sculptures. Main works: Nave Nave Fenua, Maruru and Palabras, Sounds and Silences.

References

1. Lanke, JJ (1932). A woodcut manual. Crown Publishers. U.S.
2. García Larraya, Tomás (1979). Woodcut: history and techniques of wood engraving. Successors of E. Meseguer, Barcelona, ​​Spain.
3. Chamberlain, Walter (1999). Woodcut and related techniques. Herman Blume, Madrid, Spain.
4. Woodcut, Wikipedia. Available at: es.wikipedia.org
5. Etymological dictionary. Available at: etimologias.dechile.net