Tree of Jesse c. 16th century

Editor: This woodcut, *Tree of Jesse* by an unknown artist, feels like a family tree reaching towards heaven. All these figures sprouting from the reclining man, labelled Jesse. What do you make of it? Curator: It's like visual theology, isn't it? Jesse, from whose lineage Jesus is said to descend. See Mary and the Christ child right at the top? The whole thing's a living diagram of faith, reaching for the divine. It's interesting to consider how the artist uses the tree metaphor to explain something abstract, making it bloom with kings and prophecy. What do you think the leaves mean? Editor: Maybe the names on the scrolls? It's like the tree itself is speaking. I see so much more than just names and figures now. Curator: Exactly! It's a story etched in lines, an invitation to contemplate our own roots, how they connect us to something grander.