Naaman, a leper who dipped himself 7 times in the River Jordan and became clean c. 15th century

Curator: This is an interesting woodcut, currently held at the Harvard Art Museums, depicting Naaman, a leper, being cleansed in the River Jordan. The title itself gives away the story. Editor: It looks like a crude comic book panel, doesn’t it? Stark lines, minimal detail, yet it has a certain...visceral quality. I can almost feel the cold water. Curator: The medium lends itself well to this narrative. Woodcuts were often used for quick reproduction and dissemination of religious stories, making them accessible to a wider audience. Editor: So, function dictated form? The rough edges weren’t a bug but a feature of its accessibility? I feel like I'm seeing faith rendered in the language of the common person. Curator: Precisely. It speaks to the democratization of religious imagery and the social conditions that enabled its production. Editor: In the end, this piece connects the holy with the hands that made and beheld it. Curator: Indeed, a thought-provoking intersection of faith, labor, and material culture.