Illustration from Adelphi, The Brothers c. 16th century

Curator: Here we have a woodcut illustration from an early printed edition of Terence's play, "Adelphi, The Brothers," housed here at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: It has a theatrical feel to it, doesn't it? The stark lines and minimal detail give it a sense of drama, like a stage set. Curator: Absolutely. Woodcuts allowed for relatively inexpensive reproduction, making classical texts accessible to a wider audience. The act of translating Greek plays into reproducible images highlights the cultural value placed on the classics. Editor: I'm also curious about the production process itself, the labor involved in carving the woodblock, the distribution networks for these printed books…it brings up fascinating questions about the consumption of culture in that era. Curator: Precisely. This image, though small, speaks volumes about the intersection of classical literature, print culture, and the societal function of art. Editor: Indeed, it's fascinating how the constraints of the medium shape the meaning and impact of the work, even now.