The chiaroscuro woodcut, developed in early 16th-century Germany and Italy, extended the traditional single-block woodcut by using multiple carved blocks — each inked in a different tone — printed in register to create gradations of light and shadow rather than flat, linear images. Hans Burgkmair and Lucas Cranach the Elder were among the first practitioners in Germany; Ugo da Carpi pioneered the technique in Italy. The resulting prints achieved a sculptural quality previously impossible in printmaking. The technique was adopted across Europe and represented a revolution in the dissemination of images — complex tonal compositions could now be reproduced and distributed at scale. It was the first step towards modern colour printing.