Crucifix with Three Angels and the Symbols of the Evangelists c. 1470 - 1480

Editor: This is "Crucifix with Three Angels and the Symbols of the Evangelists," a drawing done around 1470-1480, attributed to Firabet of Rapperswil. It's a really striking image - the limited color palette gives it an almost haunting quality, don’t you think? The detail, particularly on the figures surrounding the cross, is incredible. What captures your eye most about this work? Curator: Haunting, yes! It’s like peering into someone’s fever dream, isn’t it? My gaze always snaps to those sun and moon faces in the top corners, their almost cartoonish expressions juxtaposed against the severity of the crucifixion. Are they weeping, indifferent, or complicit observers? What do *you* make of them? And, more broadly, of the overall flatness of the image? There's something so modern about it in a weirdly old-fashioned way. Editor: That's interesting, I hadn't thought of them that way, more like celestial witnesses. And the flatness does feel contemporary. Is that typical of the Northern Renaissance? Curator: In some ways, yes! There was a move towards detail but not necessarily realism in the perspective sense that the Italian Renaissance was pushing. Also, think of it as a print -- a design possibly intended for wider distribution, meant to communicate efficiently. The symbols of the Evangelists at the four corners of the cross give it an "official" quality as well, anchoring the central image. It’s a really powerful combination of accessibility and deep symbolism. It begs the question, what symbols would *we* use today to tell such a timeless story? Editor: I guess we're more about abstract metaphors now? This has been so enlightening, thinking about both its historical context and the enduring power of symbols! Curator: Totally. And the raw emotion of a nightmare meets deliberate artistic intent! Art, eh? Always provoking.