Artwork
Page from "Canticum Canticorum": 2nd Edition
Page from "Canticum Canticorum": 2nd Edition is an ink print by the Renaissance artist Netherlandish 15th Century. It dates from 1465 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art. The work is a single page from the second edition of the medieval collection known as Canticum Canticorum.
About this work
Overview
The work is a single page from the second edition of the medieval collection known as Canticum Canticorum. Executed as a woodcut on laid paper, the image presents two figures, traditionally interpreted as lovers, clasping hands. Their garments are rendered with careful attention to the drapery’s folds, while the unadorned background isolates the pair, emphasizing their interaction.
Subject & Meaning
The central motif of two entwined figures reflects the lyrical themes of the Song of Songs, a biblical text celebrating love and desire. By depicting the couple in intimate contact, the image visualizes the poem’s allegorical dialogue between the beloved and the beloved, inviting contemplation of both earthly affection and spiritual union.
Technique & Style
The picture was produced by carving the design into a wooden block, inking the relief surface, and transferring the image onto paper—a process known as woodcut. The artist achieved fine line work for the intricate folds of the robes, while the stark, flat background demonstrates the medium’s capacity for bold contrast and clear delineation of form.
History & Provenance
This page belongs to the second edition of the Canticum Canticorum, a block‑book series printed in the late medieval period to make devotional literature more affordable. The use of woodcut allowed multiple copies to be produced relatively quickly, facilitating wider distribution of the text and its accompanying illustrations across Europe.
Artist & collection
Artist
These prints show Christ’s suffering in bold, hand-colored images from 15th-century Northern Europe.
The Visitation
The Adoration of the Magi
Virgin and Child, Abbot Ludwig Kneeling
Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint John the Evangelist
Adoration of the Shepherds
The Baptism of Christ; Pharoah Passing through the Red Sea; Joshua and Caleb
Saint Ottilia
Coat of Arms of the Passion
The Death of Lucretia
The Madonna and Child with the Abbot Ludwig von Churchwalden
Agony in the Garden
Page from "Canticum Canticorum": 2nd Edition