Cronica Cronicarum (...), blad 2 recto Possibly 1521 - 1529

Editor: Here we have a page, titled "Cronica Cronicarum (...), blad 2 recto," potentially created between 1521 and 1529 by an anonymous artist. It's a woodcut print on paper, and has elements that could be textile. The visual organization strikes me – all those circular diagrams embedded in dense text. It feels like a very peculiar flow chart. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, a wonderful puzzle, isn't it? It tickles my brain the same way early maps used to. I'd say it's a visual attempt to impose order on history itself. Look at the circles connected by lines; these aren't just decorations; they seem to be organizing dynasties, events, lineages, maybe even fate! Consider the Northern Renaissance context. People were rediscovering classical knowledge and attempting to reconcile it with Christian understanding. Does it make you wonder if it attempts to be an ancient database of knowledge? Editor: So, a bit like a visual Wikipedia page of its time? I suppose the illustrations depict key events that support all of this interconnected data. Is that the narrative aspect you mentioned? Curator: Precisely! And the choice of woodcut, a relatively accessible printmaking technique, suggests that this "chronicle" wasn't intended for a tiny elite only. There's a desire to share, educate, or perhaps even to impress with the sheer scope of human history…or maybe to prove a very peculiar point only the author was privy to. Doesn’t it remind you of an overly ambitious family tree? Editor: It does. The dense text almost overwhelmed the visuals at first, but the interconnectedness brings a weird balance to the page. Curator: A glorious organised chaos! It shows that even chaos is organized. Editor: Exactly! This piece gave me some new insight into visual narratives of that time period. Curator: Indeed! And for me, a new appreciation for just how ambitious a single printed page could be.