Book XXXVIII.44-5. Inquiry into embezzling public monies {Quarte Decadis Liber Octavus p. CCXXXVII} 1493

Curator: This compelling, though unsigned, piece titled "Book XXXVIII.44-5. Inquiry into embezzling public monies" resides in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: My first thought? Chaos! All these choppy lines making up the water, the bristling figures, it's like anxiety made visual. Curator: Indeed. The repetitive, almost frantic linework creates a sense of unease. The artist uses line to suggest movement but also, perhaps, moral turbulence. Editor: It makes me wonder about the person who made this. Were they obsessed? Haunted by corruption? Maybe they just needed to let off some steam with a woodcut. Curator: Perhaps a bit of both? Regardless, the image captures something timeless about power, corruption, and the human drama that ensues. Editor: It's funny how relevant it is, even without knowing when it was made. Curator: Precisely! That’s the thing about these old prints—they whisper across centuries.