Illustration II c. 15th century

Curator: Here we have "Illustration II" by an anonymous artist. It's interesting how the text completely surrounds and almost cages the central image. Don't you think? Editor: It really does. It reminds me of those medieval manuscripts where the illustrations are almost secondary to the script. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Well, the density of the text gives it a claustrophobic feel. It's like the story is trying to contain the visual, but the image, with its figures and movement, is bursting to escape. There's a real tension there. Editor: That’s a cool way to look at it. I was so focused on the imagery itself, I hadn’t really considered that push and pull. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It's always rewarding to look at art through different lenses.