Christ Descending into Limbo c. 15th century

Editor: This is an anonymous piece, "Christ Descending into Limbo," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s a striking image, quite graphic. What do you see in this piece that I might be missing? Curator: I see a potent visual argument about power dynamics and liberation. Christ's descent isn't just a religious event, but a symbolic disruption of the established order, a defiant act against the forces that hold people captive. Consider the grotesque figures of hell beneath his feet, and the implications of him liberating Adam and Eve. Editor: So, it is about challenging power structures. Curator: Precisely. How does this image speak to contemporary issues of social justice, of challenging oppressive systems? Who are the figures in our society that need liberating? What does descending into the "limbo" of our own social ills entail? Editor: It reframes the whole narrative in a new, more socially relevant context. Thanks! Curator: Indeed, art calls us to consider perspectives of society and culture.