Pieta 16th-17th century

Editor: Here we have Johann Sadeler's "Pieta," a print, likely from the late 16th century. The starkness of the scene is so compelling. What do you see in this piece? Curator: This print presents the *Pieta* not as a singular devotional image but embeds it within a broader system of religious production. The ladders and tools recall the labor of the crucifixion, while the figures carrying the tomb highlight funerary processes. Editor: So, the image itself is a form of commentary on the means of religious representation? Curator: Precisely. It calls attention to the material practices and social structures that give rise to and circulate such images. Editor: That's a different way to think about religious art! It highlights the relationship between labor, belief, and representation. Curator: Indeed. By drawing attention to its own means of production, the print prompts us to consider the social and material conditions that underpin faith itself.