Illustration XLVI c. 15th century

Editor: This is Illustration XLVI by an anonymous artist, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It’s stark, black and white, and seems to depict a crowd of people. What can you tell me about this image? Curator: Given the medium, likely a woodcut or engraving, we should consider its function as a reproducible image. Who was the intended audience? What kind of labor went into its production, from the artist to the printer to the distributors? How did its materiality impact its consumption and social meaning? Editor: So, thinking about it as a commodity changes how we view it? Curator: Absolutely! It makes us consider the socio-economic context in which it was created and consumed. Something to keep in mind. Editor: That’s a perspective I hadn’t fully considered. Thanks!