One of the oldest methods of making prints from a relief surface, woodcuts are produced by inking a raised surface against which a piece of paper is pressed, either manually or by running it through a press, to create an image on the paper. The technique first rose to prominence as a practical method of disseminating messages to a broad audience quickly and efficiently. The prevalence of the technique across the world and throughout different eras has resulted in a wealth of woodblock prints depicting art and life in a variety of time periods and societies. The design of a woodcut is produced by elimination, cutting away everything except the lines and shapes to be printed. Woodcuts have evolved with technological improvements in printing and inking, but woodblock printing has remained a highly physical technique– through cutting and rubbing - possible even without a press.

Rare Posters is pleased to present a group of extraordinary woodblocks prints by Ben Shahn, Josef Albers, Eduardo Chillida, Katia Koudria and Frank Hartley Anderson, exploring the enduring beauty of this ancient art form.

To view all available woodblock prints, click here.