Illustration preceding Books 1 and 7 1500

Editor: This anonymous "Illustration preceding Books 1 and 7" from the Harvard Art Museums looks like a woodcut with hand coloring. It reminds me of a comic strip telling a biblical story. What symbols stand out to you? Curator: The division into tiers evokes the concept of heavenly and earthly realms. Consider the halos, recurring throughout. What might they signify in relation to the figures and their roles? Editor: So, the halos indicate holiness, and their repetition emphasizes the spiritual nature of the narrative? It's like a visual reinforcement of faith. Curator: Precisely. And note how the text integrates directly into the image, reinforcing the symbolic weight of the visuals. This work really exemplifies the power of images to convey complex ideas. Editor: I see now! This marriage of text and image creates a potent and lasting message, a blend of cultural memory and religious instruction.