An Easter Calendar Beginning with the Year 1466 1466

Editor: This is "An Easter Calendar Beginning with the Year 1466," created anonymously, a print using woodcut and ink on paper. It's intricate and visually quite fascinating. What strikes you first about this work? Curator: The immediate thing that jumps out is the labour. Think about the material process: the meticulous carving into a block of wood to produce this image. This isn't just about religious symbolism or artistic expression; it’s about skilled craftsmanship and the means of reproducing information for a specific social context. How would this calendar function within that society? Editor: It seems like a fairly complicated device, certainly not mass-produced in the way we think of calendars now. It’s beautiful but functional. Curator: Exactly! The value wasn't just aesthetic; it was intrinsically linked to its utility, it mediated a very specific aspect of their lives, how to observe Easter! Think about who owned these calendars and who produced them. What economic and social relations made it possible? This reveals a hierarchical society that still has a functional use for decoration, unlike today's distinction between use and decoration. Editor: That makes sense. So you are thinking about the role that making and consuming art played in a specific community? Curator: Precisely. The choice of materials, the labour involved, the consumption of the final product. This is all a very interesting window into understanding the socio-economic relationships of 15th century Europe. We see both spiritual practice and commercial transaction merging here. What I would really love to know is the social and workshop structure within which it was designed and created. Editor: It’s amazing to think about the layers of meaning embedded within its materiality. This calendar is much more than just a date-keeping tool, but the result of very specific skills, social settings, and power relations. Curator: Indeed. Focusing on materiality brings it closer to understanding the real world, and the people who gave meaning to such objects, whether artistic, religious, or domestic.