Artwork
Letter F
Letter F is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Hans Lützelburger. It dates from 1523 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
The woodcut entitled *Letter F* dates from around 1523 and is attributed to the German blockcutter Hans Lützelburger. Executed in the early sixteenth‑century print tradition, the image presents two solemn figures framed by a simple rectangular border. The work exemplifies the instructional character of many contemporary prints, using clear, linear composition to convey its subject matter.
Subject & Meaning
Within the bounded space, a standing figure on the left clutches a scroll, while a kneeling figure on the right gestures upward with one hand and rests the other on a low table. Both figures are robed and display calm, composed expressions, suggesting a didactic or allegorical scene, possibly related to a moral or scholarly theme conveyed through the letter designation.
Technique & Style
The artist’s skill as a cutter is evident in the clean line work and the balanced arrangement of the two figures.
Lützelburger’s carving reveals a precise, high‑contrast approach typical of German woodcuts of the period. Sharp folds in the garments and the crisp delineation of facial features are achieved through fine incisions, while the background remains minimal, limited to a few geometric motifs. The artist’s skill as a cutter is evident in the clean line work and the balanced arrangement of the two figures.
History & Provenance
Hans Lützelburger, active in Augsburg from about 1516, worked primarily as a blockcutter for other designers, signing his work on the reverse side of the blocks. He is best known for cutting 41 woodcuts in the *Dance of Death* series after designs by Hans Holbein the Younger, a project left incomplete at Lützelburger’s death in 1526. *Letter F* reflects his independent output within this collaborative workshop environment.
Artist & collection
Artist
Hans Lützelburger (died June 1526), also known as Hans Franck, was a German blockcutter ("formschneider") for woodcuts, regarded as one of the finest of his day.
