Evangelisten Johannes 1479 - 1499

Curator: The precision! I’m drawn to the textures meticulously etched in this print of the Evangelist John, dating back to the late 15th century, between 1479 and 1499, by the Monogrammist FVB. Editor: It feels rather somber. The lines, though fine, cast a heavy mood over the figure. There’s a sense of burdened duty in the way he’s depicted, wouldn't you agree? And what of the role that printmaking played in shaping religious identities during this time? Curator: Absolutely. And if you observe closely, the technique…look at how each tiny stroke of the burin or knife carves meaning and structure into the physical material. It seems likely a woodcut, maybe an engraving, but the way the line is deployed speaks volumes of process. The labor that goes into these early prints—considering their purpose of widespread dissemination—is simply remarkable. Editor: The cup and snake, central symbols, obviously speak to his association with miraculous escapes from poisoning, framing him as a figure of resistance against corruption and evil in an era rife with sociopolitical upheavals. Curator: From my perspective, understanding how such images were consumed en masse, and produced by skilled artisans who might remain nameless to us, helps democratize how we relate to artwork. Did those who created this image even feel recognized? Editor: Indeed. This piece makes me consider the agency afforded to both its subject and potential viewership—and the tension inherent in assigning attributes and characteristics to such an emblematic character. Curator: Seeing how line by line, material reality creates what once only was ethereal is something that makes art so valuable to me, as it recontextualizes what we deem culturally valuable Editor: Precisely. I leave feeling that we can never be completely in one singular point in history without being affected by a whole network of circumstances that shape that perspective.