Flagellation c. 16th century

Editor: Here we have "Flagellation," an anonymous print held at the Harvard Art Museums. It's stark and unsettling, all in black and white lines. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It hits you, doesn’t it? The raw, almost brutal honesty. I see the fragility of the human form contrasted with the rigid lines of the architecture and the viciousness in the figures’ stance. It’s a dance of power, isn’t it? A story etched in pain, where the line between the sacred and the profane blurs. What do you make of that decorative border? Editor: I hadn’t really thought about it, but it's such a contrast to the scene inside. Maybe it's trying to frame the event, make it palatable? Curator: Maybe so. It reminds us that even in the darkest moments, life—or art—finds a way to decorate the edges, doesn't it? It’s a chilling thought. Editor: This really adds another layer of complexity. I see it differently now.