Image of the New Temple (?) Illustration follows Lamentations and preceeds Ezekiel c. 15th century

Editor: This anonymous illustration, “Image of the New Temple,” looks like a woodcut. The stark black and white lines give it a graphic quality. What do you see in this image, considering its probable means of production? Curator: I see a focus on the materials themselves. The cheap and repeatable nature of woodcuts democratized images. How might the mass production and distribution of this image have impacted religious belief and practice at the time? Was it designed for wide circulation or elite consumption? Editor: That makes me think about the labor involved in creating the woodcut, and how that contrasts with the traditional idea of artistic genius. I hadn't considered the economic factors at play. Curator: Exactly. The image is not just about its subject matter but the social and economic context of its creation and consumption. Reflecting on materiality can tell us a lot.