Illustration VI c. 1491

Editor: This is Illustration VI, by an anonymous artist. The figures and bright colors have a medieval quality. What strikes you about this image? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the social dynamics at play. Who benefits from this labor, and who is excluded? The figures with halos watch as another toils, possibly challenging medieval notions of labor. Editor: So, it is a visual representation of hierarchies? Curator: Yes, and we must consider that the illustration is likely linked to religious parables, which also encode social expectations and gender roles. What does the harvest symbolize to you? Editor: I see it as a representation of resources. This really challenges how I initially perceived the illustration. Curator: Exactly. It shows how art can both reflect and critique the power structures of its time.