La Grande Prostituée s'énivre avec un Roi. Apoc. XVII 

Curator: This tempera and ink work on parchment is titled *La Grande Prostituée s'énivre avec un Roi. Apoc. XVII*. Editor: Woah. It’s intense! That flat perspective, those slightly unsettling wide eyes...It looks like it's right out of a dream or some bizarre fever fantasy, especially with that bizarre cup held aloft. Curator: Indeed, this piece evokes powerful symbolic associations. We're viewing a depiction inspired by the Book of Revelation. Specifically, the passage that portrays the symbolic downfall of a great, corrupt city or civilization. The scene of intoxication speaks volumes about that fall. Editor: Intoxication, yes! Absolutely. This king seems willingly complicit. And "la Grande Prostituée"--what does her posture, her presence here, communicate to you? Curator: Her positioning, elevated above, symbolizes her influence over earthly powers. The visual elements draw parallels between earthly kingdoms and spiritual corruption in medieval thought, indicating institutional critique. The triangle above her head is an especially unique touch. Editor: The artist captured her eyes wide open. No remorse? No sense of guilt, and all that bright, flat color and strong confident line. I guess you could say she embodies pure temptation...I see her in board meetings all the time. Curator: In many ways, the artist uses very blunt figuration to present some extremely nuanced notions regarding institutional and spiritual corruption. This artwork asks what power structures enable or even promote societal decadence. The Book of Revelation became politically popular. Editor: Decadence is right! It feels potent. It makes me consider the subtle seductions in power all around us, doesn’t it? These medieval artists had a real flair for making these weighty ideas feel strangely immediate, urgent even! Curator: A fitting and reflective summarization! Indeed, art like this helps us understand and critique the world we live in.