Canto XII. The Fourth Sphere: The Sun / The Doctors of the Church; The Second Garland of Souls; Saint Bonaventura Recounts the Life of Saint Dominic c. 15th century

Curator: Let's consider this woodcut illustration, “Canto XII. The Fourth Sphere: The Sun,” an anonymous work. The linearity and stark contrast are immediately striking. Notice how the composition guides the eye, dividing the earthly from the celestial. Editor: It feels almost… didactic? Like it's trying to teach me something, with the figures lined up so neatly. What do you see in its structure? Curator: Indeed. The organization into distinct registers, separating figures and text, underscores a hierarchy of knowledge. The engraving favors symbolic clarity over naturalistic representation. Note the sun, stars and human souls that emphasize the spiritual allegory. Editor: So, it’s less about realistic depiction and more about conveying a specific message through its arrangement? Curator: Precisely. The medium and style serve a specific ideological and aesthetic purpose. The rigid lines and formal structure echo its function as illustration, and its intention to order a cosmology. Do you find that impacts your understanding of the content, now? Editor: Definitely. Thinking about the deliberate structure helps me appreciate the ideas it’s trying to communicate.