Gerson as a Pilgrim, Illustration from Johannes Gerson, Opera Basle, N. Kesler, 1489 1489

Editor: This woodcut illustration, "Gerson as a Pilgrim," dates back to 1489 and is from Johannes Gerson's Opera. The crisp lines are really striking. What does this artwork say to you? Curator: Consider the production of this image. Woodcuts like this were crucial for disseminating information in an era of limited literacy. The repetitive labor of carving the block and the multiple impressions made for a wider consumption of Gerson's theological ideas. Editor: That's fascinating! So the image itself is almost secondary to the process? Curator: Not secondary, but inseparable from the socio-economic context of its creation. The material act of making informed its purpose and reach. Is it art or information? It's both. Editor: That gives me a new perspective on its value. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. It reminds us that art is always embedded in its means of production.