Creation of Adam

Artist Michael Wolgemut (German, 1434/37–1519)

Dateearly 1490s

MediumHand-colored woodcut

Dimensions8 3/8 x 8 3/4 inches (21.3 x 22.2 cm)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineGift of Harold L. Bache, Class of 1916, and Alice K. Bache

Terms

Prints
Woodcut
Adam
Animals
Bears
Creation
Deer
God the Father
Landscapes
Old Testament
Stags
German

Object number62.0447

Label CopyIn 1493, Wolgemut produced one of the first major series of woodcuts in the form of the Nuremberg Chronicle. This version of the creation of Adam from the book of Genesis was included in this landmark in printing history. The figures in Wolgemut’s image show the trend in early woodcuts to create highly stylized figures rather than to strive for naturalism, a development that came about in the work of his apprentice, Albrecht Dürer. The woodcut itself is hand-colored with watercolor, the method commonly used before cutting and printing separate blocks for each color became the standard practice in the nineteenth century. ("Imprint/ In Print," curated by Nancy E. Green with assistance from Christian Waibel '17 and presented at the Johnson Museum August 8 - December 20, 2015)

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