This exhibition (14.08.2017 - 12.11.2017) is dedicated to the art of woodcut. It is a continuation of the series of mini-exhibitions that introduce print techniques.
Printing on wood, or woodcut, is one of the earliest printing techniques in Europe, likely rising from the practice of printing on cloth. This technique was invented between the 14th and 15th centuries and reached its peak in the 16th century, thanks to Albrecht Dürer’s works. After a long period of decline, woodcut was revived by German expressionists at the beginning of the 20th century. Influenced by cubism, futurism, and the art of Africa and the Far East, and combining them with the traditions of German printing of the 16th century, the expressionists created a new bright, expressive art. Its fundamental features were stylization, which was achieved via simplified draughtsmanship using angular lines and blots, and a strong, emotionally expressive confrontation of light and dark surfaces on a sheet of paper. (Text: The Pushkin State Museum)