Book III.12. Trial of Caeso {Primae Decadis Liber Tertius p. XXVII verso}; Same woodcut used for XXXV.16. Conference between Antiochus's minister and ambassadors from Rome {Quarte Decadis Liber Sextus p. CCXV} 1493

Curator: So, this woodcut, currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums, is known as Book III.12. Trial of Caeso. What grabs you first about it? Editor: The stagecraft, definitely. Everyone is arranged just so, like figures in a play. It's stark, almost theatrical in its presentation. Curator: Absolutely. And consider it was used for multiple narratives. The same scene likely represented different stories. Think of it as early image recycling. Editor: Resourceful, sure, but does it dilute the impact? Knowing the “Trial of Caeso” also stood in for a diplomatic conference…it's a bit like finding out your leading man moonlights as a clown. Curator: It speaks to the constraints and ingenuity of the time. Imagery was a precious resource, and its political charge had to remain abstract enough to suit varying narratives. Editor: Fair enough. Still, I'd love to know what those figures are thinking, trapped in this eternally recycled drama. Curator: A fascinating paradox, isn't it? A single image embodying such varied narratives, leaving us to ponder its shifting meanings. Editor: Precisely. It's a testament to how context shapes everything, even art that seems fixed.