Illustration XXXVIII c. 15th century

Curator: This is Illustration XXXVIII, an anonymous work held here at the Harvard Art Museums. It's fascinating, isn't it? Editor: Absolutely! It feels like a scene from a dream. The stark black and white, the odd collection of figures… it’s wonderfully unsettling. Curator: Indeed. What immediately strikes me is the juxtaposition of the classical architecture on the left and the bearded figure seemingly emerging from the flora on the right. What implications might that hold? Editor: I’m wondering about that doorway. Who is on the other side? Is it a real place, or just an opening to a different state of mind? This print feels deeply symbolic. Curator: It invites us to consider the boundaries between the sacred and the profane, perhaps reflecting early modern anxieties about religious and secular power. The man on the left seems to be gesturing towards the door. Is he inviting us in? Editor: Or warning us to stay away? That's what I love about art like this; it lets us imagine our own stories, doesn't it? Curator: Precisely. It challenges us to actively engage with history and our present. Editor: This piece really does stay with you, doesn't it?