The History of Wood Engraving

Wood engravings are beautiful art that can have practical printing applications.

Wood engraving is the art of cutting figures on wood. These engravings are then used to press the image on paper or some other surface with ink or stain. Wood engraving as an art, both fine and practical, has existed in many regions. Ancient examples of these pieces of engraved art used for stamping, or impressing, have been found throughout the world.

Egypt

In ancient Egypt an engraved stamp made of wood was discovered that was likely used on make impressions on bricks before they hardened. The stamping of bricks was commonly in use in both Egypt and Babylonia. Relics of this kind have been found that date back to the Egyptian King Amonoph, who was a contemporary of Moses.

Engraving And Stamping

Ancient examples of stamped money found in Greece predate the printing of books by approximately 2,000 years. The art of wood engraving emerged early in China's history; relics remain though there are no mentions of the art in European reports from Asia from that era. Documents and charters made in Spain during the ninth, 10th and 11th centuries have marks or monograms that seem to have been impressed with a stamp. During the 13th and 14th centuries notaries from Italy and Germany would put their official marks on documents by means of a stamp.

Engraved Pictures

Early in the 15th century artists began to use engraving to depict figural images and pictures. One of the earliest examples of this dates from 1423, and depicts St. Christopher. The work on this piece if of such quality that it reveals prior efforts in the art. This example was found on the inside cover of an manuscript volume of prayers from the Carthusian monastery of Buxhiem. A second cut from the same period was found inside the opposite cover of the book and depicted the Annunciation.

Card Makers

In Germany up until approximately 1500 the German terms Breifmaler (card-painters) and Formschneiders (figure-cutters) were used interchangeably. Based on this information it is believed that card-makers were among the first professional wood engravers. The base word form in the compound word Formschneiders means "original form or pattern," alluding to the idea of the engraved block used for making the prints. Mentions of the vice of playing cards within sermons from St. Bernadin of Sienna reveal that the manufacturing of playing cards was common business as far back as 1423.

Illustrations

Throughout the 19th century wood engraving enjoyed its golden era and flourished in the United States. Because printing technology was not advanced enough to reproduce photos, most printed items such as books, magazines and newspapers were illustrated with wood cuts. Box wood was used for these cuts, because it is a soft wood and was not prone to splinter as it was engraved. Box wood grew in Ohio, Indiana and Northern Kentucky, which made it convenient for use throughout the United States.

References

• Antique Maps and Prints: A History of Wood Engraving
• History Buff: The Art of Wood Engravings