Saint Patrick c. 16th century

Editor: This piece, "Saint Patrick," by an anonymous artist, is at the Harvard Art Museums. The stark black lines of the woodcut feel medieval and a bit haunting. What do you see in this work? Curator: Haunting is a great word. I'm struck by the contrast between the saint, almost serene, and the rather frantic devil being chased away. It speaks to the spiritual battles of the time, doesn't it? Makes you wonder about the stories and beliefs circulating then. Notice the text too, it almost feels like a comic book panel. What do you make of the bordering text and image? Editor: It’s like the image illustrates the text, which then contextualizes the image. I had not thought about the spiritual battles then, but that makes sense. Curator: Exactly! It's a window into how people understood good and evil, faith and doubt. A powerful little page, isn't it? Editor: It really is! Thanks for pointing out things I completely missed. I am going to keep my eyes open for similar works.