Pyramus and Thisbe c. 1515 - 1518

Editor: This is Albrecht Altdorfer's "Pyramus and Thisbe," a small print at the Harvard Art Museums. The scene is quite tragic. What strikes you about it? Curator: Altdorfer situates this classical narrative within a specifically German landscape. Notice how the natural world seems to mirror the characters' emotional turmoil, prefiguring Romanticism. What commentary might Altdorfer be making on the intersection of fate, love, and the structures of their society? Editor: That's a powerful connection! I hadn't considered the landscape as a reflection of their internal states. Curator: Exactly! It encourages us to question how social constraints and external forces contribute to individual tragedies.