Border 16th-17th century

Curator: This anonymous artwork, simply titled "Border" and held in the Harvard Art Museums, presents an intriguing case for examining the power structures inherent in ornamentation. Editor: The density of the pattern and the stark contrast in the print certainly give it a graphic, almost industrial feel, despite the classical motifs. Curator: Exactly. The rigid, vertical composition, filled with mythological creatures and putti, speaks to the construction of privilege and power through visual language. How were these symbols used to reinforce hierarchies? Editor: And what was the process of making this print? The labor involved in the carving of this woodblock, for instance, and how this process influences the consumption of the final printed image. Curator: Considering the lack of attribution, we must also ask whose stories and labor are erased in the creation and dissemination of such works. Whose hands produced this, and whose voices are absent from its narrative? Editor: It's an important question to consider the impact of these kinds of prints and question the relationship between the means of its production and the values that are expressed by it. Curator: Agreed. It reveals how objects, even seemingly innocuous ones like borders, can embody and perpetuate historical inequalities. Editor: Yes, and recognizing that it is a vital step to understanding the political implications of art.