Ch. 51. Keeping Secrets c. 15th century

Curator: Here we have chapter 51, "Keeping Secrets," an intriguing anonymous print held at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The stark contrasts immediately strike me. The stark black lines create a mood of guardedness. It is as if light itself is struggling to penetrate the scene’s somberness. Curator: The composition is quite deliberate. Notice the walled enclosure in the background, visually reinforcing the idea of confinement and unspoken truths. Semiotically, we can read the wall as a barrier, literally and figuratively. Editor: Indeed. I see the woman tending to the man’s head as an act of both care and constraint. She is the keeper of his secrets, and perhaps her own. Are those classical references inscribed in the margins on the right side? Curator: Yes, texts from Seneca, Job, and Cato offer moral instruction on the importance of silence and discretion. The image and text together construct a didactic narrative on the burdens and consequences of revealed secrets. Editor: It's a potent reminder that some burdens are best carried alone, even if that isolation is born of protection. It’s fascinating how much emotional weight these simple forms convey. Curator: The power lies in its formal austerity. The composition, the line work, they all contribute to a cohesive and rather intense message about the weight of silence.