SMU is serving as a temporary home to part of Europe’s literary history. Until Dec. 9, Bridwell Library at SMU is hosting one of the Library of Congress’ exhibits, “A Heavenly Craft: The Woodcut in Early Printed Books.”
According to Eric White, curator of special collections at SMU, the exhibit “complements our efforts to educate the public about the history and importance of books.”
This exhibit features woodcut images from Europe and outlines the evolution of illustrative art during the Renaissance period. “A Heavenly Craft” examines various nation’s cultures and societies that contribute to the difference in artistic form and style.
SMU was given the opportunity to temporarily show the “Heavenly Craft” exhibit in part because the university has a such fine collection of books itself and is devoted to the exhibition of rare books.
“Bridwell Library has hundreds of books from the 15th and 16th centuries containing woodcuts,” White said. “Several are from the same editions on display from Washington.”
Because of the historical significance and high profile of the exhibit, White struggled to determine why attendance to the event has been average. White emphasized the historical importance of the exhibit and said he “would like the attendance to be above average.”
Liza Kozlowski, administrative assistant in Bridwell, said, “There was a really good response at the opening,” but she, too, failed to see why the exhibit has not done as well as forecasted.
Although attendance has been lower than expected, White hopes that the public and students will recognize the historical impact on illustrative art that woodcut lithography made and visit the exhibit before its close on Dec. 5.
The exhibit features 84 books from the renowned Lessing J. Rosenwald collection and demonstrates the value of woodcut illustration in history. Though the form and content of these illustrations vary greatly, the theme is constant.
Christianity is the dominating presence found in nearly all of the woodcuts, demonstrating the importance of this religion in Western Europe during the time of the Renaissance. Bibles, devotionals, and accounts of saints or other religious figures comprised most of the exhibited books.
The collection was previously owned by Lessing J. Rosenwald, retired chairman of Sears, Roebuck and Company. Lessing purchased the items at auction from C.W. Dyson, heir to the Lea and Perrins fortune and a fellow bibliophile. Rosenwald’s collection was given to the Library of Congress in 1979 upon his death. The Rosenwald collection is “the jewel in the crown” of the Library of Congress, according to Fred Goff and the Special Collection and Rare Book Division of the library, further emphasizing the collection’s value in a monetary, literary and artistic range.
Many nations are represented in Rosenwald’s collection increasing the value as a means to compare cultures of the period. Even within a nation, the styles can vary from city to city.
The illustrations from Florence are characteristically shaded, taking on a sculptural form. In Venice the designs are vividly colored, and pure outline is used to create the work.
Although the woodcut illustration was popular all over Europe at this time, each country and city developed its own style.National taste is evident in individual work, as artists from each country portray the subjects of their illustration in the appropriate dress of the region.
A few of the countries represented are Turkey, Spain, Netherlands, Italy and France. Though all these countries were developing culturally, each evolved its own identity and incorporated the artistic ideas developed during the Renaissance into their society.
During the Renaissance, woodcut illustration combined art and literature while “fostering rapid development in the sciences, arts, and religion through the transmission of texts,” according to the Library of Congress Public Affairs Office. This rapid development was bolstered by the advent of movable type printing by Johannes Gutenberg in the 1450s.
“During the Renaissance, woodcut lithography was a catalyst to mass production of knowledge,” Donna Denig, a student of art at Richland College, said. “Historically speaking, it has had a long withstanding effect through history.”
The qualities of woodcut illustration paralleled the other visual arts of this period.
The 15th and 16th centuries brought a new desire for information and with it practical application. Within the Bridwell exhibit, there are manuals for math, astrology and a physician’s guide to dissection, though primarily the exhibit focuses on religious text and themes.
Woodcut illustration and the advent of movable type were considered a “God-given miracle” during the Renaissance era, according to White. White also said during the Renaissance, the “spread of learning was based in the church.” This clarifies the reason for the overwhelming theme of religion in the literature of this period.
The Renaissance in Europe encouraged the arts and intellectual stimulation. During this period, woodcut illustrations provided a visual element to the written word and stylistically exemplified this era. The Judeo-Christian theme echoed throughout the arts and was especially prevalent in literary works. The theme of religion, especially Christianity, impressed the significance of the church and faith to the people of the Renaissance.
Woodcut lithography is a key example of the evolution of illustration in Europe. Woodcut illustration was vital to the spread of knowledge and intellectual growth.
The examples of pictorial art exhibited at the Bridwell Museum show why the art of woodcutting has been called “a heavenly craft.”
