Illustration XIII: A chariot of fire parts Elijah from Elisha. Elijah is taken up to heaven in a whirlwind. On Elisha's journey to Beth, yound children who mock him are torn apart by she-bears (IV Kings 2). c. 16th century

Editor: This is "Illustration XIII: A chariot of fire parts Elijah from Elisha..." quite a title! It's anonymous, and seems to capture two rather intense biblical moments in one go. It feels chaotic, all these different things happening at once. What do you make of it? Curator: Chaotic is a great word for it! It's like two distinct stories competing for our attention, isn't it? Elijah's fiery ascent contrasted with the…well, the rather brutal justice meted out by those bears. The artist clearly wasn't aiming for subtlety! What emotional impact does that juxtaposition have on you? Editor: It's unsettling. The 'moral of the story' vibe clashes with the raw violence, somehow. Curator: Exactly! It's a punchy reminder that art doesn't always need to be beautiful to be powerful. I keep getting drawn back to the chariot; what a sight! Editor: Yeah, that chariot is something else. I’ll definitely be thinking about those bears for a while. Curator: Me too. An image burned into my brain, for sure.