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Woodblock printmaking began in ancient China before 200 AD.

By 700 AD, the Japanese printed patterns onto textiles

using the technique. Woodblock prints appeared in Europe during the

1400s to illustrate books.

The German artist Albrecht Dürer

elevated the technique to a fine art form in the early 1500s.

Multicolored woodblock prints called Chiaroscuro developed in

colorful woodblock prints in the 1600s.

These Ukiyo-e prints reignited Europe’s fascination with the far east

and influenced both impressionist and post-impressionist artists.

Many leading printmakers of the early 20th century

created works highlighting war’s

devastating impacts government failure,

One of my favorite artists, Leonard Baskin,

created a monumental image called The Hydrogen Man

in response to the detonation of a powerful nuclear device

by the US in 1954. 30 years later,

the artist Antonio Frasconi created the Los Desaparecidos series

that documents Latin American citizens who disappeared during

military dictatorships.

People now appreciate the art of woodblock printmaking

throughout the world.

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