Benjamin 16th-17th century

Curator: Here we have Johann Sadeler I's print, "Benjamin," currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. What strikes you about it? Editor: Immediately, the texture. The density of those etched lines, creating almost a tactile sense of depth. The figure emerges from this landscape of labor. Curator: Indeed, the cross-hatching is quite masterful. The printmaking process itself, with its reliance on skilled craftsmanship, mirrors the biblical narrative of shepherding. Editor: Precisely. The labor of the artisan reflecting the labor within the image. And the inscription at the bottom, almost like an advertisement of the meaning, tying Benjamin to the image of a wolf. Curator: It adds another layer, suggesting a duality within Benjamin's character, the sheep and the wolf, so to speak. Editor: It makes me consider how material practices shape the stories we tell and the figures we elevate. Curator: Absolutely, thinking about the tools and the hands that made this piece does add complexity to this Old Testament scene. Editor: It gives us a grounding, a very real entry point. Curator: A perspective that can inspire us to think beyond the obvious. Editor: Exactly. The marks of labor tell their own stories.