Polia drags her prostrate lover by his feet out of the sanctuary (fol. B recto) 1499

Curator: This is an intriguing woodcut, "Polia drags her prostrate lover by his feet out of the sanctuary," made by an anonymous artist. The stark black lines create a scene of dramatic expulsion. Editor: It's strangely captivating. The rigid lines and the high contrast evoke a sense of harshness, almost cruelty. The perspective is also very compelling. Curator: The print's starkness arises from its likely origin as a book illustration. The labor involved in carving the block itself, the repetitive action…it speaks to the craft of storytelling in a pre-industrial age. Editor: Yes, but look at how the artist used the linear structure of the architecture to draw our eye to the figures, creating depth and a clear narrative. Curator: The architecture tells us about the values of the culture that produced this image and the act of dragging her lover away is equally revealing. Editor: It's a fascinating interplay between form and function. Curator: Indeed. It makes one consider the purpose of such images within the broader cultural context. Editor: Absolutely. The balance within that tension is what gives the piece its power.