Moses Presenting the Tablets to his People c. 15th century

Curator: Oh, this has a slightly disturbing feel! Like a cautionary tale rendered in stark blacks and whites. Editor: Indeed. What we're looking at is a print, housed here at Harvard Art Museums, called "Moses Presenting the Tablets to his People." Its creator is, sadly, unknown. Curator: You know, the Moses figure, with those horns, almost looks like a devil proffering some strange bargain. And the people seem... not quite horrified, but definitely wary! Editor: That's a fascinating take. Historically, Moses' horns in art actually come from a mistranslation of the Hebrew word for 'radiance.' But the ambiguous reception of the tablets here certainly speaks to the challenges of imposing new laws or beliefs. Curator: Right, it's like they're thinking, "Are these really going to make our lives better?" I wonder what the artist wanted to say about that moment of reception? Editor: An important question. Thinking about it now, it's the public role of imagery that perhaps interests me most in this piece. Curator: I still can't get past those horns, though!