Book VI. 4-5. Romans busy rebuilding territories (Temple of Mars?) {Primae Decadis Liber Sextus p. LII verso} 1493

Curator: This anonymous print, titled "Book VI. 4-5. Romans busy rebuilding territories (Temple of Mars?)," held at the Harvard Art Museums, depicts a scene of construction. Editor: It has a stark, almost brutal quality. The high contrast and simple lines convey the hard labor involved in rebuilding. You can almost feel the weight of those stones. Curator: Indeed, and it speaks to the intersection of labor and power. We see the commoners physically rebuilding, while a figure on horseback, presumably of higher status, oversees the work. It raises questions about the distribution of labor and the dynamics of Roman society. Who benefits from this rebuilding, and at what cost? Editor: Absolutely. The materiality of the print itself emphasizes this division. The deliberate marks, the pressure of the block, and the distribution of ink all speak to the hands that made it, drawing parallels to the scene represented. Curator: It’s a powerful reminder of the human element behind grand narratives of rebuilding and restoration. Editor: Right, it gives us a tangible connection to the people behind the process.