Illustration VIII c. 15th century

Editor: This is Illustration VIII, artist unknown, at the Harvard Art Museums. The stark black and white of the woodcut gives it a very serious mood. What do you read into this scene? Curator: The angularity and sharp contrasts are striking, aren't they? It feels like a moral play, perhaps? The seated figures seem to be judging the woman on the left. The outdoor scene, almost a landscape of the mind, adds to the symbolic weight. Editor: That's an interesting way to put it, almost like a stage set for a drama. I hadn’t considered the landscape as part of the emotional narrative. Curator: The sparseness invites us to fill in the gaps, doesn’t it? It reminds me of those early morality plays where every element has a deeper meaning. Perhaps we are all characters in a larger story. Editor: That's a new perspective for me. Thanks for sharing it! Curator: My pleasure! It's wonderful to see these old stories in a new light.