Wood was more than just a material; it was imbued with symbolic meanings that resonated deeply within the religious and cultural context of late medieval Germany. The book explores how wood was used in religious art to symbolize the cross and other spiritual themes, making it a powerful medium for conveying complex ideas.

The book highlights how artists like Matthias Grünewald and Tilman Riemenschneider used wood to create art that was deeply connected to the natural world. This connection between art and environment helped to make spiritual themes more relatable and accessible to the people of the time.

The book also delves into how the agrarian lifestyle of late medieval Germany influenced the use of wood in art. Wood was a common material in everyday life, and its use in religious art helped to bridge the gap between the sacred and the mundane, making spiritual themes more tangible and immediate.