The Vintage of the Grapes of the Vine, from the Blockbook Apocalypse
1465–70
Medium
Hand-colored woodcut on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Image: 12.9 × 19.8 cm (5 1/8 × 7 13/16 in.)
Classification
woodcut
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
3671
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Blockbooks were hand-printed from wooden blocks with hand-carved text. This woodcut is the lower half of a page representing visions from the Book of Revelations. The upper half showed a grain harvest; this half demonstrates the production of wine. Both were highly symbolic substances for the sacrament of the Eucharist. This stencil-colored sheet is almost identical to other surviving impressions. Although part of a book, only one side was printed, due to high embossing created by the process. I...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...