Feast at the House of Simon c. 1511

Curator: This compelling woodcut, titled "Feast at the House of Simon," is an anonymous work held at the Harvard Art Museums. I'm immediately drawn to the stark contrasts, almost theatrical in their presentation. Editor: Yes! It feels like a stage setting. The rigid lines of the buildings in the background create this angular, slightly unsettling space for what should be a communal gathering. Curator: Notice how the artist uses varied line weights to suggest depth and texture. The dense hatching around the figures creates a strong visual weight, emphasizing the social dynamics and perhaps the labor involved in producing such an event. Editor: And the dog! Completely absorbed in its own world. Makes you wonder what’s really happening beneath the surface of this so-called feast. Is it celebration, or judgment? Curator: Perhaps it's both. The feast as a site of social negotiation, the material exchange of food and drink mirroring the exchange of power and influence. Editor: Right, that tension is exactly what holds my gaze. It’s as if the artist is saying, “Look closer, there’s more than meets the eye here.” Curator: Precisely. A powerful statement on the complexities of community, labor, and perhaps even spiritual reckoning. Editor: It really gives you a lot to chew on.