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woodcut

woodcut

4 6.5
A picture printed from a carved block of wood or the carved block itself
  • noun
  • /ˈwʊdˌkʌt/
translation icon : xilografía
  • Early in the history of printing, woodcuts already reproduced other works of art.
  • woodcut illustration
  • famous woodcuts
  • cycle of woodcuts

And, and we thought we could save a lot of money and do it just as well if we had woodcuts of what happened and the narrator telling the story.

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Examples

  • The June Days were surely in Rethel's mind when he executed his series of woodcuts.

    Academic text (1991)
  • A copy of this woodcut is in the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Munich.

    Academic text (2012)
  • His book was also the first in Europe to include woodcuts.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Look at this famous woodcut by Dutch artist M. C. Escher.

    Academic text (2012)
  • Next came the woodcut, top left, with the manifesto printed beneath it.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Each issue was embellished with a woodcut by Borges' sister, Norah.

    Academic text (2002)
  • A tailor and his assistants in a woodcut by Jost Amman (1539-91).

    Academic text (2011)
  • Both the Burgos and Zaragoza editions include woodcuts illustrating the labors of the year and the astrological signs.

    Academic text (1998)
  • The spectrum of processes includes woodcuts, engravings, wood engravings, etchings, aquatints, and lithographs.

    Blog text (33)
  • The gallery displayed several stunning woodcuts created by renowned artists from the 16th century.

Synonyms

print
vswoodcut
105 3.6

A picture made by pressing paper on a carved surface with ink

is a specific kind of that image made by carving a wooden block
wood block
vswoodcut
1 4.8

A block of wood with a carved design used to make prints on paper or cloth

also names the printed picture made from that carved wooden block
wood engraving
vswoodcut
1 5.2

A print or method of making prints by cutting a design into a wood block and pressing paper onto it

also includes the carved block itself as well as the printed image

How Detailed

engraving
25 4.1
print
105 3.6
woodcut
4 6.5
drawing
184 1.0
sketch
150 2.5

Surface Forms

woodcut singular
woodcuts plural

Morphology

woodcut = wood + cut (semi-transparent) = wood + cut

While the components 'wood' and 'cut' are clear, the specific meaning of a picture printed from a carved wood block is specialized.

Etymology

Woodcut is simply made from wood and cut, meaning 'wood' and 'to cut'. Think of carving a design into a block of wood, putting ink on the carved surface, and pressing it onto paper — that is why a woodcut is a picture made from a carved piece of wood.