Avarice, from the series "The Seven Deadly Sins" early 20th century (original from c.1540)

Curator: How evocative! Avarice, from the series "The Seven Deadly Sins," presents a winged figure almost brazenly on display. It's a small bronze relief, about the size of your palm, and feels quite intimate. Editor: It's the texture that gets me—the way the drapery bunches and folds. You can almost feel the density of the bronze. The means of production must have been very physical. Curator: Absolutely. There's a real tension between the sensuality of the figure and the rather bleak landscape around her. Notice the animal at her feet and the crumbling architecture. Editor: Right, signs of material decay, perhaps, as a consequence of unchecked desire? A kind of commentary on the relationship between labor, materiality, and ruin? Curator: Perhaps. Or maybe a reflection on the impossible longings that haunt us all. It feels almost confessional. Editor: Ultimately, it's in the details, isn't it? The hand that shaped that metal, the sweat equity involved. That's the art. Curator: Indeed. Maybe we're all just a little bit Avarice, searching for meaning in the tangible.