Book VIII.40. Minucia, a vestal virgin, is buried alive at Colline Gate for incest {Primae Decadis Liber Octavus p. LXX} 1493

Curator: This stark image, titled "Book VIII.40. Minucia, a vestal virgin, is buried alive at Colline Gate for incest," presents a grim scene rendered by an anonymous artist. The medium appears to be a woodcut or engraving. My immediate sense is one of cold finality. Editor: Indeed. The rigid lines amplify the brutal event depicted. What strikes me most is the passivity of the victim versus the stark gestures of the men enacting this ritualistic execution. Curator: The burial alive, as a symbol, resonates with the entombment of secrets and the suppression of female agency throughout history. The Vestal Virgins, meant to embody purity, were severely punished for transgressions. Editor: Right, a fascinating example of the public role of art, because its harsh imagery reinforced the power structures and moral codes of its time. It uses Minucia’s body as a stage on which to play out political and social anxieties. Curator: Absolutely, and those anxieties are still with us in some forms. It’s a potent reminder of how visual narratives perpetuate, or challenge, cultural norms. Editor: A deeply unsettling yet powerful image. Its rawness confronts us with the difficult dialogues societies have about punishment, gender, and power.