2 Chron. XII c. 16th century

Editor: This woodcut, "2 Chron. XII" by Hans Holbein the Younger, depicts a procession of figures carrying spoils. It feels very narrative, like a scene from a play. What significance do you see in this imagery? Curator: The act of carrying, and what is being carried, is laden with symbolic weight. Note the figures bearing the menorah and shields: these objects are not merely loot, they are the visual representation of power, faith, and identity, embodying a cultural memory being actively reshaped. Editor: So, the image is about more than just plunder? Curator: Precisely. It’s about the transfer of cultural power and the construction of a new visual order. The act of procession reinforces this. What emotions does this evoke? Editor: It feels like a story about conquest and the rewriting of history through symbolic objects. I see that now.