II) The Knight of the Tower, from the Examples of Godliness and Honesty
Original title: II) Der Ritter vom Turm, von den exenplen der Gotzfurcht und erberkeit.
kurzbeschreibung
Michael Furter made this woodcut, dated 1499, 1512, and 1513, which shows a peasant at harvest. The image belongs to the exempla of a moral edification book.
Description
A countryman stands in the field, cutting grain with a sickle in his right hand. A broad-brimmed hat sits on his head; he wears a plain shirt and trousers. His expression seems tense and focused. The field consists of several straight rows of ears of grain. The background remains bare and brings the peasant and field into focus.
Context
The sheet comes from the book 'Der Ritter vom Turm,' a collection of moral stories and examples printed in Basel in the late fifteenth century. Furter worked there as a printer and woodcutter. The pictures were meant to bring the moral teachings to a wide readership.
Impact
Clearly drawn lines and the strong contrast between figure and background make the sheet immediately legible and memorable. The peasant's collected posture creates a quiet, serious mood that matches the book's moral message.
Technique
In relief printing, the non-printing parts of the woodblock remain standing while the printing lines are cut away; the resulting sharp contours and the interplay of cut and uncut areas shape the outcome. The book was printed with movable type and woodcut images.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)