Initial P, Jacomo de Voragine in His Cell Writing, Used by De Gregoriis c. 15th century

Curator: This woodcut, "Initial P, Jacomo de Voragine in His Cell Writing," gives us a glimpse into the life of a medieval scholar. I’m struck by the detail in the rendering of his workspace. Editor: Yes, the stark black lines create a mood of intense focus. It feels very contained. Curator: Absolutely. The linear quality speaks to the process of block printing. One can imagine the labor involved in carving this image for mass reproduction. Editor: And that labor serves a specific purpose: to disseminate knowledge, to shape perceptions of figures like Voragine. It elevates his intellectual labor to a public good. Curator: Indeed. The very fact that this image was used by De Gregoriis highlights the commodification and distribution of such figures of thought. Editor: A small image, but it reveals so much about the production and circulation of ideas in its time. Curator: It certainly does, making us think about the social life of images, even today.