Michael Ostendorfer (1490/1494 – December 1559): A Pioneer of Renaissance Woodcuts Michael Ostendorfer was a German painter, graphic artist and xylographer born in Ostendorf near Hemau, Bavaria. While biographical details remain scarce—primarily due to the limitations of archival records from his time—scholarly research has established him as a significant figure within the artistic landscape of the Holy Roman Empire during the High Renaissance. His legacy rests largely on his prolific output of religious woodcuts and engravings that profoundly impacted visual culture and contributed substan…