Ink Paper Chisel Grain

Brought to you by Penguin.

Discover the magic, power and craft of one of the world's most significant art forms: the woodcut.

For almost two thousand years, artists have transformed a piece of wood into meaning by cutting its surface, inking the block and transferring the image to paper, creating some of the most significant works in art history, like Hokusai’s The Great Wave and Dürer's Apocalypse.

This is a book about why the woodcut matters and why its power to shock, thrill and inspire has never diminished. From third-century China to the present day, it explores how we have used the medium to visualise ideas, capture key moments in history and shape our societies, and tells the story of the art form itself in all its historical and intellectual significance.

© Paul Coldwell 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026