A striking woodcut by Dutch designer Karel Petrus Cornelis de Bazel, created as an admission ticket for an allegorical drama.

This woodcut by Karel Petrus Cornelis de Bazel serves as an admission ticket for the fifth part of the allegorical drama 'Adam'. De Bazel, a prominent Dutch architect and designer, was a key figure in the development of the Nieuwe Kunst movement, which paralleled international Art Nouveau. His work often displays a rigorous geometric discipline combined with symbolic, often mystical, subject matter.

The composition features a central standing figure with arms raised, flanked by two seated, dejected figures. The stylised, elongated forms and the integration of text into the visual frame reflect the artist's interest in theosophy and the structural harmony of design. The lines are deliberate and sharp, characteristic of the woodcut medium, which de Bazel utilised to create high-contrast, graphic imagery. The text, integrated into the upper and right portions of the print, uses a distinct, angular typeface that complements the overall aesthetic of the figures.

De Bazel's approach to this piece demonstrates his ability to balance narrative content with decorative requirements. The figures are rendered with a degree of abstraction that prioritises the rhythm of the composition over anatomical realism. This print provides a clear example of the graphic output of the Dutch school at the turn of the twentieth century, where the boundaries between fine art and applied design were frequently blurred. The work remains a compelling study in the use of negative space and symbolic representation within a restricted monochromatic palette.