Letter 32 to Marcella - Jerome writes that he is busy collating Aquila's Greek version of the Old Testament with the Hebrew, inquires after her mother, and forwards two letters c. 15th century

Curator: Editor: This is a fascinating image. The text, "Letter 32 to Marcella," alongside the woodcut illustrations, create such a compelling scene. What strikes you about it? Editor: Well, it's clearly a reproduction of a letter, maybe from the early days of printing? The images show figures, perhaps Jerome and Marcella, engaged in scholarly activity. What do you see in this piece, particularly regarding its historical and material context? Curator: Considering its production, we can look at this as evidence of the burgeoning print industry and its reliance on labor, materiality, and consumption. The woodcuts themselves, how were they made? Who was involved in the process? And how does the letter's content, focused on textual accuracy, relate to the act of printing and disseminating knowledge? Editor: That's interesting. I hadn't considered the labor involved in producing the image itself. So, it's not just about the letter's content, but about the means of its production and distribution. Curator: Exactly. The text describes a complex and collaborative process that is mirrored by the printing process. And let’s ask, Who would have been able to access this printed work, and what does that tell us about class and literacy? Editor: I see! So the materiality tells a story about access and cultural exchange. Curator: Precisely. It's about the confluence of text, image, and the means by which they came into being.