Book XL. Prodigy: Pestilence in the Roman country {Quarte Decadis Liber Decimus p. CCL} 1493

Editor: This woodcut print, "Book XL. Prodigy: Pestilence in the Roman country", presents a stark scene of death and ritual. The sharp contrast and raw depiction evoke a sense of communal suffering. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It speaks volumes about power structures and social control during times of crisis. Who is afforded care, and who performs the labor of tending to the sick and dead? Consider how the act of burning bodies might relate to attempts at purification or control of disease, and the gendered dimensions of these actions. Editor: That's a great point about the gendered aspect of care. Curator: Indeed. And what does it mean to depict this event as a 'prodigy'? Is it a divine sign, a natural disaster, or a consequence of social inequalities made visible through suffering? Reflecting on these questions, what have you gleaned about how societies grapple with collective trauma? Editor: The artwork reflects not only historical anxieties but also timeless themes of societal responsibility in the face of disaster. Curator: Precisely. Art like this allows us to dissect power dynamics and their impact on marginalized communities during crises, historically and today.