Saint Matthew

About this work

This is a black-and-white woodcut of a bearded man with curly hair and a halo. He’s holding a book in one hand and a scroll in the other, dressed in flowing robes. Below his feet, a small figure lies on the ground, and the background shows some bushes and clouds. The date "1519" is written in the top right corner, and the letters "I.G.B." appear on the left. This was made as a single carved block of wood, pressed onto paper. Next, look up woodcut to see how artists like this made prints before photography.