Tractato in Defensione 1496

"Tractato in Defensione," a 1496 woodcut by Domenico Benevieni, is a black-and-white illustration that depicts a group of men in a cloistered courtyard. The central figure appears to be addressing a group of friars while gesturing towards a building in the background. This image was created for the frontispiece of a book defending the teachings of the Dominican friar Girolamo Savonarola, who was a controversial figure in Florentine politics during this period. The print's simple style, which is typical of the early Florentine Renaissance, underscores its focus on the text it introduces. The woodcut is now part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.