Illustration XCI c. 16th century

Editor: This is "Illustration XCI" by an anonymous artist, found at the Harvard Art Museums. The scene depicts people transporting a large tree. What strikes me is the stark contrast in the illustration, and I wonder about the process of creating something like this. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I'm fascinated by the depiction of labor here. Consider the tools and techniques used to produce this print. Woodcutting itself demanded specific skills, shaping our understanding of material culture in its time. What kind of consumption was this illustration intended for? Editor: It is interesting to think about the skill required to carve these tiny lines, and the labor represented in the print itself. I hadn't considered that. Curator: Right, and the materials themselves—wood, ink, paper—were commodities. These aspects offer insights into the social and economic contexts that shaped artistic creation.