1480
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Allegory of the Eucharist is a 1480 ink by German 15th Century, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a strange, symbolic scene. Two robed figures stand on either side, holding up a tall, spiky tree. The tree has a skull at the top and three smaller figures hanging from its branches. Below, a red-and-gold altar holds a white cloth and a chalice. The colors are flat—mostly brown, blue, green, and gold—with a rough, hand-painted look. The tree might represent something deeper, like faith or sacrifice. The skull and hanging figures suggest a warning or lesson. The artist used woodcut, a printing method where shapes are carved into wood, then inked and pressed onto paper. Next, look up woodcut to see how this technique works.
This 15th-century German artist carved vivid religious scenes into metal and wood, then hand-painted them in bright, symbolic colors.
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