Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple c. 16th century

Curator: This is Battista Angolo del Moro's "Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple," a print housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Immediately, I'm struck by the chaos. It’s viscerally unsettling, with figures caught mid-flight and overturned tables spilling coins. The diagonal lines really amplify the sense of turmoil. Curator: Yes, it's a scene of righteous anger. Del Moro, who lived from 1515 to 1573, is depicting a pivotal moment from the Gospels where Christ confronts the commercialization of sacred space. Consider the role of the temple in society, and the impact of these actions within a broader cultural context. Editor: Absolutely. It's a powerful image of resistance against systemic corruption. I'm thinking about the power dynamics inherent in religious institutions and how this act challenges those structures. The people displaced—the animals scattering...It makes me wonder about the ethics of disrupting established systems, even when they are unjust. Curator: And how the very act of representation, in a print intended for wider circulation, becomes a form of political statement. Editor: It's definitely a call to action, forcing us to consider our own complicity in systems of power. Curator: Precisely. A print like this provides a powerful lens for examining social justice issues that resonate even today. Editor: It leaves you pondering the personal and collective responsibility we each bear.