Voorstelling van een verhaal uit de Aesopus fabelen

About this artwork

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Art Historical Context

This delicate woodcut by Dutch artist Hendrik Numan captures a scene from one of Aesop’s timeless fables. Created on a small sheet of paper measuring just 98 by 82 millimeters, the print exemplifies the intimate scale often favored for book illustrations and moral prints in the eighteenth century. Numan, who lived from 1746 to 1788, worked during a period when printed fables remained popular vehicles for conveying ethical lessons to both children and adults across Europe. The woodcut technique itself lends the image a crisp, graphic quality. By carving the design into a wooden block and printing it onto paper, Numan could produce multiple impressions that made classical stories widely accessible. Though the specific fable depicted is not identified, the work reflects the enduring cultural importance of Aesop’s narratives in Dutch visual culture, where such images blended entertainment with gentle instruction. Numan’s modest yet expressive print invites viewers to pause and consider the simple wisdom embedded in these ancient tales, reminding us how art and storytelling have long worked together to shape moral understanding.

About the Artist

Hendrik Numan · 1723–1793

Hendrik Numan (1736–1788) was an 18th-century Dutch woodcut artist considered one of the best woodcutters of his generation, known for creating catchpenny prints that entertained and educated the poorer parts of Dutch society. Born in Amsterdam in October 1736, Numan specialized in the often-overlooked medium of woodcut at a time when copper engraving dominated fine printmaking. His father, Lauren...