Illustration LXXVI c. 16th century

Editor: This is Illustration LXXVI, by an anonymous artist. The medium looks like woodcut, and it’s got an unsettling, chaotic energy. What can you tell me about it? Curator: Well, let’s consider the labor involved in woodcut: the carving, the printing process. Who was making these images, and for whom? Was this part of a larger project? The red speckling looks added, almost as if it were blood, perhaps meant to heighten the emotional impact, which speaks to the means of production impacting its value. Editor: I never thought of it that way. Thanks! Curator: It’s all about labor and impact. Keep that in mind, and you will go far.