Illustration LXIII: the 6th figure: an angel holding the seal of God ascends from the east calling to the 4 angels, who stand at the 4 corners of the earth holding the winds, to wait until the servants of god have been sealed in their foreheads (Revelation 7) c. 16th century

Curator: This is Illustration LXIII, an unsigned piece housed at the Harvard Art Museums depicting a scene from Revelation 7. Editor: It has an ominous feel, doesn't it? The dense hatching creates a sense of divine chaos hovering over the architectural stability below. Curator: Precisely. Note how the composition is divided into celestial and earthly realms, united by the angel in the center. Editor: I'm drawn to the labor involved in creating all these lines. The artist must have spent hours carving into the block to communicate this vision. The printmaking enables multiple reproductions for mass consumption. Curator: Observe the figures’ classical contrapposto, and the symbolic weight of the ascending angel juxtaposed with the four stationary angels, each contributing to the visual and narrative balance. Editor: The materiality tells a story too – think of the paper itself, often handmade, and the cost of ink and distribution. These factors shaped who could access and interpret such apocalyptic imagery. Curator: A compelling observation, shifting focus from theological exegesis to the physical realities of its dissemination. Editor: Indeed. Contemplating the piece this way, I'm struck by the complex interplay of belief and the conditions of its making. Curator: Quite so, a fruitful dialogue that enhances our understanding of the artwork's many facets.