Canto V. Ascent to the Second Sphere c. 15th century

Editor: This is "Canto V. Ascent to the Second Sphere," created by an anonymous artist. It looks like a woodcut print. The image feels so otherworldly, and yet so full of familiar symbols like the sun and stars. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Looking at this, I'm struck by how images serve as memory triggers. Consider the sun with a face – what does that imagery evoke? The figures below it...do they remind you of similar depictions in illuminated manuscripts or tapestries? What feelings do they evoke for you? Editor: I'm not sure exactly...a sense of wonder? And maybe a bit of religious awe? Curator: Indeed. It's fascinating how this artist uses visual symbols to carry cultural memory, drawing on a shared visual language to create a sense of the spiritual journey. Editor: So, it's not just about the literal depiction, but about what those images meant to people at the time? Curator: Precisely! And how those meanings might shift or endure. Editor: That's such a helpful way to consider art. Thanks!