Illustration XVII 15th-16th century

Editor: This is Illustration XVII, an anonymous work in the Harvard Art Museums. It looks like a woodcut. It's striking how the lines define everything. What can you tell me about its creation? Curator: The means of production here are really interesting. The labor involved in carving this design into wood, then printing it, highlights a shift in access to images. Editor: So, it's less about the artistic genius and more about how it was made and distributed? Curator: Exactly! The material and process speak to a broader social context of accessibility and consumption of images. What do you make of that? Editor: I hadn't considered the impact of the printing process itself, rather than just the image. Thanks, I learned a lot! Curator: Me too. It’s all about seeing the art in the making and its social life.