The Three Marys at the Tomb c. 1529

Editor: We're looking at "The Three Marys at the Tomb," a small woodcut from an anonymous artist, housed at the Harvard Art Museums. It feels very medieval, with this stark black and white contrast. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: It's like a visual echo of a whispered story, isn't it? The artist, whoever they were, used such simple lines to convey so much solemnity, so much…hope, maybe? Notice how the figures almost blend into the landscape. Editor: Yes, they do. Curator: I wonder if that anonymity, that blending, was intentional? To suggest a universal grief, a shared experience. What do you think about how the flowers reach towards the angel? Is it a sign of rebirth? Or just artistic license? Editor: That’s a nice touch. It does add some vibrancy. Thanks, that helped a lot. Curator: My pleasure. Art is a conversation, after all.