Canto XXX. Circle 8: Bolgia 9 / The Falsifiers (Remaining Three Classes: Evil Impersonators, Counterfeiters [Master Adam], and False Witnesses) c. 15th century

Curator: This is a page from an unknown edition of Dante's *Inferno*, specifically Canto XXX, Circle 8, Bolgia 9, found at the Harvard Art Museums. The woodcut illustrates the falsifiers—evil impersonators, counterfeiters, and false witnesses. Editor: It looks like a chaotic scene—almost medieval comic book. The figures are busy, but their actions are hard to decipher. Are they being punished? Curator: Precisely! Dante's *Inferno* meticulously details punishments fitting the sins. Here, we see the consequences of deceit and corruption, rendered in stark visual terms. Notice the crude but expressive lines, typical of woodcut illustrations. The materiality is so immediate, you feel like you could make this print yourself. Editor: Absolutely. And this isn't about some ethereal morality. It's about the labor involved in the creation of deceit. Counterfeiting, for instance, involves the manipulation of materials for false gain. It's a literal, tangible corruption. Curator: Yes, the focus on the physical echoes Dante’s own concern with earthly justice and the repercussions of sins in both life and afterlife. The artist uses the constraints of the medium to emphasize that very earthly and corporeal hell. Editor: It’s interesting how a relatively simple technique can be so effective at conveying complex moral and social themes. A great reminder that material and meaning are so tightly intertwined.