Reliefs from the fourth car (Festival of Bacchus). Jupiter commits the infant Bacchus to Mercury. In the same compartment, Mercury is carring the child to the nymphs of Mount Nyssa in Thrace, who bring him up in a cave. (Fol. l ii recto) 1499

Curator: This diminutive print, residing here at the Harvard Art Museums, depicts "Reliefs from the fourth car (Festival of Bacchus). Jupiter commits the infant Bacchus to Mercury." The artist remains anonymous. Editor: It’s immediately striking how rudimentary the figures appear, almost like woodcuts. The line work is stark and unrefined. Curator: Indeed, the crude lines contribute to its narrative clarity. Notice the division into distinct compartments, each a self-contained scene. We see Jupiter passing the infant Bacchus to Mercury, and then Mercury delivering the child to the nymphs of Mount Nyssa. Editor: This division speaks to the method of production—likely printed and disseminated widely, making mythology accessible across social strata. One can imagine the conditions of labor required for such output. Curator: Perhaps. Yet, the composition compels the eye to follow the sequential narrative—a carefully constructed visual argument. Editor: I find myself drawn to the evidence of its making, rather than simply what it represents. Curator: A fair point, and certainly a valid perspective through which to appreciate its significance. Editor: Precisely. Thank you.